Introduction The Village in a Socio-Cosmic Context The Cosmos: The Visible and the Invisible The Hierarchical Microcosm: Visible and Invisible Aspects of the Person Symbolic Exchange, Gender, and Cosmological Force Multiple Worlds Conclusion Bibliography
Examines Egyptian folk and sanctified cosmology, a system of meanings built on the dynamics of the visible and invisible, which is enacted in different courses of public and private scenarios. Its internal dynamics create a particular sense of identity attached to both the local and global Muslim community (Iummah).
EL-SAYED EL-ASWAD is Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Tanta University, Egypt, and Adjunct Professor, Wayne State University.
.,."[O]ffers a compelling and persuasive account of how the beliefs
and practices of rural Egyptians dynamically shape and pervade
their understandings of sacred texts, social memory, and Muslim
traditions. El-Aswad's vivid narrative shows how women and men,
young and old, the educated and the uneducated, and migrants and
those who stay at home construct world views and ideas of cultural
identity as intricate and pervasive as those of religious scholars
and intellectuals, radical and conservative alike. El-Aswad's book,
a must for understanding religion in Egypt today, also offers a
necessary point of departure for understanding religious experience
and the social imagination elsewhere in the Muslim world."-Dale F.
Eickelman Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and
Human Relations, Dartmouth College author, The Middle East and
Central Asia: An Anthropological Approach
"El-Sayed el-Aswad is the foremost interpreter today of the rural
Egyptian world view and of Egyptian folk life in general. His work
is grounded in sophisticated theory and is methodologically
solid....This is a work that will mark a turning point in our
understanding of Egyptian culture and society."-Nicholas S. Hopkins
Professor of Anthropology Dean, School of Humanities and Social
Sciences American University in Cairo
?[T]his is a great book for anyone interested in contemporary
Egyptian culture. The descriptions are clear, well-argued and
always interesting.?-Journal of American Folklore
?[T]his is an excellent and provocative book. It builds on
el-Aswad's earlier articles, but exceeds them in range and
sophistication. It provides an excellent contrast to more
materialistic studies of Egyptian life. Particularly strong is the
cross-referencing with other works on Egypt and the Arab
world.?-Middle East Journal
"ÝT¨his is a great book for anyone interested in contemporary
Egyptian culture. The descriptions are clear, well-argued and
always interesting."-Journal of American Folklore
"ÝT¨his is an excellent and provocative book. It builds on
el-Aswad's earlier articles, but exceeds them in range and
sophistication. It provides an excellent contrast to more
materialistic studies of Egyptian life. Particularly strong is the
cross-referencing with other works on Egypt and the Arab
world."-Middle East Journal
"[T]his is a great book for anyone interested in contemporary
Egyptian culture. The descriptions are clear, well-argued and
always interesting."-Journal of American Folklore
"[T]his is an excellent and provocative book. It builds on
el-Aswad's earlier articles, but exceeds them in range and
sophistication. It provides an excellent contrast to more
materialistic studies of Egyptian life. Particularly strong is the
cross-referencing with other works on Egypt and the Arab
world."-Middle East Journal
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