New book: Making Islam Work Islamic – Authority among Muslims in Western Europe

The makings and workings of Muslim authority is one of the main issues in the study of Islam. Thijl Sunier’s new book Making Islam Work: Islamic Authority among Muslims in Western Europe, is an important addition to this study. As he writes in the abstract:

The development of Islamic landscapes in Europe, is first and foremost related to Islamic authority. Religious authority relies on persuasiveness and deals with issues of truth, authenticity, legitimacy, trust, and ethics with reference to religious matters. This study argues that Islamic authority-making among European Muslims is a social and relational practice that is much broader and versatile than theological proficiency and personal status. It can also be conferred to objects, activities, and events. The book explores various ways in which Islamic authority is being constituted among Muslims in Western Europe with a particular focus of the role of ‘ordinary’ Muslims.

The book is published November 2023 by Brill Publishers and available in Open Access: https://brill.com/display/title/63205