Twilight of the Saints

The History and Politics of Salafism in Contemporary Egypt

Stéphane Lacroix (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

344 Seiten

2025
Columbia University Press (Verlag)
9780231215213 (ISBN)

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In scarcely a century, Salafism has transformed Sunni Islam. Claiming to be a revival of the purest form of Islam, this movement promotes ultraconservative social and religious norms and rejects all non-Sunni religious groups. In Egypt, its influence has grown to the point of reshaping mainstream conceptions of the faith. How did such a deep religious transformation sweep through Egypt so rapidly? What is the significance of Salafism for the country’s political scene, both before and after Hosni Mubarak fell from power in 2011?

Twilight of the Saints examines the history of Salafism in Egypt from its 1920s emergence in Cairo’s scholarly circles through the present day, shedding new light on the movement’s shifting relationship to politics. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews, Stéphane Lacroix illustrates how Salafism redefined what it means to be Muslim for Egyptians. He emphasizes the factors that distinguish the Salafis from the Muslim Brotherhood, despite their parallel trajectories. The Salafis, who initially shunned oppositional politics, were looked upon more favorably by the authorities, who perceived a greater threat from their Islamist counterparts. Lacroix explores how Salafism influenced the dynamics of the 2011 revolution and the democratic transition that ended with the army’s takeover of the country, as well as how it has fared since. Twilight of the Saints offers an in-depth, authoritative understanding of the relationship of Salafism, politics, and authoritarianism in Egypt, with significant implications for the wider Muslim world.

Stéphane Lacroix is an associate professor of political science at Sciences Po, where he is also a senior researcher at the Centre for International Research (CERI) and the codirector of the Chair for the Study of Religion. His books include Awakening Islam: The Politics of Religious Dissent in Contemporary Saudi Arabia (2011).

Acknowledgments
Introduction: A Grammar Apart
1. Battle of the Corpora: The Role of the First Egyptian Salafis
2. Egypt After Nasser: A “Salafi Awakening”
3. The Salafi Call: Salafism Meets Activism
4. Salafism’s Ineluctable Ascent Under Mubarak
5. Salafism Faces Revolution: The Nour Party and Its Rivalry with the Brotherhood
6. The Populist Route: Revolutionary Salafism
Conclusion: The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Egyptian Salafism
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Erscheinungsdatum	24.06.2025
Reihe/Serie	Columbia Studies in Middle East Politics
Übersetzer	Jeremy Sorkin
Verlagsort	New York
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Themenwelt	Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Religionsgeschichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Islam
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Staat / Verwaltung
ISBN-13	9780231215213 / 9780231215213
Zustand	Neuware