Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature » (1st Edition)

David Cook is associate professor of religious studies at Rice University. He is the author of Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic, Understanding Jihad, and Martyrdom in Islam.

Cook (religious studies, Rice U.) follows up his 2003 Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic by surveying Sunni Muslim Arabic-language apocalyptic literature at the year 2000. Among the topics are building a new vision of the future in the wake of the Six Days' War, the Mahdi and world conquest, prophecies of America, apocalyptic predictions concerning Afghanistan and the Taliban, and problems with the text and how they are overcome. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

International Journal of Middle East Studies

A fascinating read. . . . Readers will benefit from Cook's extensive knowledge of the classical apocalyptic literature in both the Shiite and the Sunni traditions. Cook's mastery of such sources, moreover, enables him to underline the modern and popular nature of the new apocalyptic texts and expose their hybrid nature.