Preaching has been central to Muslim communities throughout the centuries. The liturgical Friday sermon, the khuṭba, is a prime example, although other genres that are less commonly known also serve important functions. This book addresses the ways in which Muslims relate various forms of religious oratory to authoritative tradition in twenty-first-century Islamic practice, while striving to adapt to local contexts and the changing circumstances of politics, media and society. This is the first book of its kind to look at homiletics beyond a specific country focus. Taking into consideration th ... More

Preaching has been central to Muslim communities throughout the centuries. The liturgical Friday sermon, the khuṭba, is a prime example, although other genres that are less commonly known also serve important functions. This book addresses the ways in which Muslims relate various forms of religious oratory to authoritative tradition in twenty-first-century Islamic practice, while striving to adapt to local contexts and the changing circumstances of politics, media and society. This is the first book of its kind to look at homiletics beyond a specific country focus. Taking into consideration the historical developments of Muslim preaching, it offers a collection of thoroughly contextualised case studies of oratory in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Sweden and the USA. The analyses presented show shared emphasis on struggles for legitimacy, efforts to speak authoritatively, as well as discursive opportunities and constraints. The book is structured along four analytical themes: ritual and performance; power and authority; mediation; and identities.