Contemporary Thought in the Muslim World: Trends, Themes, and Issues

Abstract

astics deliberately situated as spaces that defined a community’s proximity to sanctity. Understanding sources in this way, allows us to see the fluctuating nature of confessional identity ‘to the extent that... the very notion of definable religious barriers... become[s] somewhat dubious’ (161). This argument, derived from Bowman’s understanding of monasteries in early medieval Muslim contexts, corresponds to more recent arguments about the nature of religious belief and communal identity in local communities during periods of religious and political change (see, for example, Jack Tannous’s notion of ‘simple believers’). Chapters 5 and 6, the final sections of the book, build off this line of reasoning by exploring the possible reasons for Muslim fascination with monasticism, which Bowman explains as a concern for ‘personal righteousness’ that found its apex in monastic life (175), which in turn gave monasticism a status of honour (228). This sheds light on the encounter between a young Muḥammad and the monk Baḥīrā. The account of this meeting is often understood to function as a means for rooting Muḥammad in the soil of prophetic monotheism. Much more, however, the account likely also serves to connect Muḥammad to a tradition of holiness and the righteousness found in pure religion (228–30). Christian Monastic Life in Early Islam is a very useful contribution to the growing body of literature devoted to the development of Islam and early Muslim communities. As such, it will be helpful for scholars exploring themes in the history of Christian–Muslim relations, the place of monasticism in the development of new religious movements, and the nature of confessional boundaries in medieval, multi-religious environments.