Islamic education in Britain : new pluralist paradigms / Alison Scott-Baumann and Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 206-215) and index.

"The Western world often fears many aspects of Islam, without the knowledge to move forward. On the other hand, there are sustained and complex debates within Islam about how to live in the modern world with faith. Alison Scott-Baumann and Sariya Contractor-Cheruvallil here propose solutions to both dilemmas, with a particular emphasis on the role of women. Challenging existing beliefs about Islam in Britain, this book offers a paradigm shift based on research conducted over 15 years. The educational needs within several groups of British Muslims were explored, resulting in the need to offer critical analysis of the provision for the study of classical Islamic Theology in Britain. Islamic Education in Britain responds to the dissatisfaction among many young Muslim men and women with the theological/secular split, and their desire for courses that provide combinations of these two strands of their lived experience as Muslim British citizens. Grounded in empirical research, the authors reach beyond the meta-narratives of secularization and orientalism to demonstrate the importance of the teaching and learning of classical Islamic studies for the promotion of reasoned dialogue, interfaith and intercultural understanding in pluralist British society"-- Provided by publisher.

Machine generated contents note: -- 1. Introduction: British Islam and Education for British Muslims2. Understanding and Defining Classical Islamic Studies in Britain3. Mapping the Provision for Classical Islamic Studies in Britain 4. Imams on the Street: What do they do? 5. Arabic: The Centrality of a Living World Language6. Muslim Women's Voices, Feminisms, and Theologies7. Collaborative Partnerships in Higher Education8. Conclusion: Classical Islamic Studies, Pluralism and British LifeBibliographyIndex.