Review by Choice Review
This volume compiles the proceedings of a 2016 conference at the University of Chester about Shiʽa minorities. It was a cross-regional effort that yielded a treasure trove of information. Remarkably, the US is omitted. Readers, however, will be amazed not only by the global spread of Shiʽa Islam but also at how the driving forces of the 1979 Iranian Revolution elevated some aspects of traditional religion and enlarged or expanded understandings of the theological and political realms. Some chapters call into question the academic approaches to Islam, which seek to categorize its branches into neat divisions without appropriate attention to how believers see themselves in the faith. Other chapters focus on the incredible diversity and adaptability of strategies and concerns that various communities deployed to situate themselves in non-Muslim countries. For example, in the UK, Shiʽa communities built charities to help families in Iraq; in Buenos Aires, they emphasized social justice. One chapter pertinently ponders the changes that emerging technologies have on religious communication and challenges to authority. This text consistently challenges readers' assumptions. A must read for those in the field. Summing Up: Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. --Aminah Beverly Al-Deen, emerita, DePaul University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
