From the foreword:
"The 'clash of civilizations' thesis is a gimmick, like 'The War of the Worlds, ' better for reinforcing defensive self-pride than for critical understanding of the bewildering interdependence of our time. This book, in focusing on the self and the other in Jewish and Muslim thought, is an attempt in this direction."

Although the "politicization" of religion or "sacrilization" of politics is not restricted to the Middle East, this phenomenon found its most spectacular expressions in the region. These essays examine, in an original and innovative manner, the...