Islam: A Living Faith

As the faith tradition of 1.6 billion people globally, Islam is the second-largest—and fastest-growing—of all the world’s religions. Still, many in the West harbor misconceptions about its people, practices, and beliefs.


Through rich and thorough exploration, Natana DeLong-Bas’s Islam: A Living Faith challenges ignorance with facts and false impressions with stories of lived faith. Weaving personal narratives with major historical and contemporary events and developments, DeLong-Bas skillfully and sensitively conveys the teachings, people, and practices of the Islamic faith. This introduction includes sections on the Five Pillars, the Qur’an, and the legacy of Muhammad, as well as on the origin of sectarian identities, the purpose of Shariah and Islamic law, the mystical tradition of Sufism, and Muslim-Christian relations. Stocked with terms, definitions, and recommendations for additional resources, Islam: A Living Faith is perfect for use in the classroom.


Natana J. DeLong-Bas teaches theology and Islamic civilizations and societies at Boston College. She is co-author of Shariah: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2018) and editor-in-chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women (Oxford, 2013).