Ritual and Social Dynamics in Christian and Islamic Preaching

This is a splendid book that gathers essays on the meaning of preaching with regard to its ritual and social dynamics. It is one of the first volumes to bring Islamic and Christian preaching into conversation. With case studies from different time periods and continents, as well as more theoretical reflections, we are offered a very rich collection. * Andrea Bieler, Professor of Practical Theology, Basel University, Switzerland. *
A strength of this volume is its focus on Christianity and Islam, two religions that value the verbal art of preaching, and thus the particular attention given to aesthetics, rhetoric, and listeners’ perspectives. By combining case studies with broader methodological considerations, the book pushes forward into a promising field of research. * Ines Weinrich, University of MÜnster, Germany *
Juxtaposing analyses of Muslim and Christian preaching, this important volume offers a theoretically rigorous demonstration of the unique discursive powers and historical significance of the sermon genre its various social, political, religious, and linguistic dimensions. In doing so, it opens up new and productive pathways for the comparative study of religious traditions. * Charles Kendal Hirschkind, Professor of Anthropology, at the University of California, Berkeley, USA *