This text was one used in my grad-level course on Islam. I enrolled in this class because, as a Christian, I wanted a deeper understanding of Islam. In particular, I wanted to be able to speak intelligently within Christian circles about Islam, particularly because of the current political tension that has so many fearfully approaching the topic, often with a set of stereotypical, illogical ideas. My motives for reading this book are definitely the lens through which I write this review. I found this book full of tedious information but ultimately lacking practical synthesis. If you want a historical account of the roots, both political and philosophical, of Islam then this is a fine book, although his chapters are often organized in a rather confusing manner (my fellow students are in basic agreement on this point, each of us having to present on several chapters). If you want a book that will help the average person understand the basic tenants of Islam and assist the reader in understanding Islam as a movement; if you want to be able to feel like you really have a grasp on Islam, particularly in how it relates to the current global climate, then I would suggest you keep looking. Denny really doesn't delve into modern relevance until the last portion of the book. I also felt that the author was unconvincing to some extent. He obviously is arguing in favor of Islam as a religion, and I am not critiquing this. But, he fails to offer some much needed critique of enculturated-Islam's past, and when he does, he has a tendency to justify unethical historical/political choices by claiming that Christianity has behaved in even more unethical ways. Now, while I wouldn't argue with his critique of enculturated-Christianity's often unethical behavior as an institutionalized movement (think "the Inquisition!"), but this is a logical fallacy. It is an error to defend one wrong by demonstrating another (perhaps worse) wrong. Critique of religious movements is healthy and necessary for they often (being human-run) get "off-track" and a little more critique would have strengthened Denny's argument in favor of Islam. All-in-all, I would suggest this book as a supplement to a library on Islam but not as a primary text to understand the movement.

This text was one used in my grad-level course on Islam. I enrolled in this class because, as a Christian, I wanted a deeper understanding of Islam. In particular, I wanted to be able to speak intelligently within Christian circles about Islam, particularly because of the current political tension that has so many fearfully approaching the topic, often with a set of stereotypical, illogical ideas. My motives for reading this book are definitely the lens through which I write this review. I found this book full of tedious information but ultimately lacking practical synthesis. If you want a historical account of the roots, both political and philosophical, of Islam then this is a fine book, although his chapters are often organized in a rather confusing manner (my fellow students are in basic agreement on this point, each of us having to present on several chapters). If you want a book that will help the average person understand the basic tenants of Islam and assist the reader in understanding Islam as a movement; if you want to be able to feel like you really have a grasp on Islam, particularly in how it relates to the current global climate, then I would suggest you keep looking. Denny really doesn't delve into modern relevance until the last portion of the book. I also felt that the author was unconvincing to some extent. He obviously is arguing in favor of Islam as a religion, and I am not critiquing this. But, he fails to offer some much needed critique of enculturated-Islam's past, and when he does, he has a tendency to justify unethical historical/political choices by claiming that Christianity has behaved in even more unethical ways. Now, while I wouldn't argue with his critique of enculturated-Christianity's often unethical behavior as an institutionalized movement (think "the Inquisition!"), but this is a logical fallacy. It is an error to defend one wrong by demonstrating another (perhaps worse) wrong. Critique of religious movements is healthy and necessary for they often (being human-run) get "off-track" and a little more critique would have strengthened Denny's argument in favor of Islam. All-in-all, I would suggest this book as a supplement to a library on Islam but not as a primary text to understand the movement.

I bought this book because my knowledge of Islam was minimal and I wanted something thorough, but not scholarly. This book was perfect. It's laid out as an undergrad textbook, with the sort of logic we westerners expect to see when being introduced to something. The chapters each have an over-view, then break into well-defined sections. If there are four important things about something, Denny gives four section headings. He also reviews information, where needed.



The best thing about the text is Denny's strategy of leaving many words in Arabic (after he has explained the terms); that means you won't learn about an idea under a name specific this translator. Sometimes there's a longish space between iterations of a term - 50 pages, for example - but the excellent glossary and the very thorough index make it possible to recover the information easily.



The only fault I could find - aside from the somewhat self-satisfied tone of his first-person plural narrative style - is that he never addresses the way he sets up the book. Does Islam naturally lend itself to western academic organization? Did the author impose this organization on the material in the service of his readers? If so, what would a Muslim text look like? Or did the western academy get this principle of organization from the Arab world, as we got our number system?



The second edition is MUCH cheaper than the third edition - the post-9/11 edition - but the history of Islam hasn't changed. Save your money and get the second edition.

I bought this book because my knowledge of Islam was minimal and I wanted something thorough, but not scholarly. This book was perfect. It's laid out as an undergrad textbook, with the sort of logic we westerners expect to see when being introduced to something. The chapters each have an over-view, then break into well-defined sections. If there are four important things about something, Denny gives four section headings. He also reviews information, where needed.

The best thing about the text is Denny's strategy of leaving many words in Arabic (after he has explained the terms); that means you won't learn about an idea under a name specific this translator. Sometimes there's a longish space between iterations of a term - 50 pages, for example - but the excellent glossary and the very thorough index make it possible to recover the information easily.

The only fault I could find - aside from the somewhat self-satisfied tone of his first-person plural narrative style - is that he never addresses the way he sets up the book. Does Islam naturally lend itself to western academic organization? Did the author impose this organization on the material in the service of his readers? If so, what would a Muslim text look like? Or did the western academy get this principle of organization from the Arab world, as we got our number system?

The second edition is MUCH cheaper than the third edition - the post-9/11 edition - but the history of Islam hasn't changed. Save your money and get the second edition.

I bought this book because my knowledge of Islam was minimal and I wanted something thorough, but not scholarly. This book was perfect. It's laid out as an undergrad textbook, with the sort of logic we westerners expect to see when being introduced to something. The chapters each have an over-view, then break into well-defined sections. If there are four important things about something, Denny gives four section headings. He also reviews information, where needed.

The best thing about the text is Denny's strategy of leaving many words in Arabic (after he has explained the terms); that means you won't learn about an idea under a name specific this translator. Sometimes there's a longish space between iterations of a term - 50 pages, for example - but the excellent glossary and the very thorough index make it possible to recover the information easily.

The only fault I could find - aside from the somewhat self-satisfied tone of his first-person plural narrative style - is that he never addresses the way he sets up the book. Does Islam naturally lend itself to western academic organization? Did the author impose this organization on the material in the service of his readers? If so, what would a Muslim text look like? Or did the western academy get this principle of organization from the Arab world, as we got our number system?

The second edition is MUCH cheaper than the third edition - the post-9/11 edition - but the history of Islam hasn't changed. Save your money and get the second edition.