PHST 530 Muslim Philanthropy

Even before the events of September 11, 2001, the global discourse on civil society - in its varied interpretations and manifestations - had caught the attention of citizens and communities across the Muslim world from Iran, Tajikistan, and Indonesia, to the Maghreb. Issues of human rights, pluralism, and gender equity were already at the forefront of the wider quest for participatory politics. This collection is a landmark survey of social and intellectual trends in diverse Muslim contexts.

Islamic economics and finance (IEF) has recently enjoyed a spike in interest and a rise in status from theology-tinged discussion fodder for Muslim intellectuals to a fully fledged academic discipline knocking on the doors of university social science departments. The Handbook of Empirical Research on Islam and Economic Life provides a solid background and overview of current empirical research, evaluating how well Islamic institutions have performed in pursuing their objectives.

At a time when more nuanced understandings of Muslim countries and their legal and social practices are urgently needed in the West, the appearance of this collection is especially welcome. In these illuminating and accessible essays, the contributors explain how Islam sees itself in terms of social policy, how it treats women, and how it encourages charity, education, and general social welfare.

An essential resource for all scholars of philanthropy, The Palgrave Handbook of Global Philanthropy seeks to understand the practice of philanthropy across twenty six nations and regions.

Written by over 200 leading experts from over seventy countries, this handbook provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of the latest theory and research on volunteering, civic participation and nonprofit membership associations.