In this timely book, Marranci critically surveys the available theories on Islamic fundamentalism and extremism. Rejecting essentialism and cultural reductionism, the book suggests that identity and emotion play an essential role in the phenomenon that has been called fundamentalism.
'This book is a wake-up call for Muslim academics to get involved and start to write about Muslim identity from a Muslim viewpoint, rather than letting others interpret what Muslims do and think, and why. From that point of view, this book will be useful as a sounding board against which first-hand perspectives can be balanced.' - Ibrahim Hewitt, Muslim World Book Review