New Faiths, Old Fears

Abstract

Bruce Lawrence’s book, New Faiths, Old Fears: Muslims and Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life, seeks to remedy theoretical gaps by correcting the emphasis on East Asians within Asian-American studies and by describing Asian Americans in relation to other minorities and dominant Anglos within the prevailing ethno-racial system (p. xiv). As a religious studies scholar with “a lifelong engagement with Islam, and an exuberant attachment to South Asia” (p. 38), he discusses post-1965 immigration and underscores its religious and cultural dimensions. The range of controversial topics broached in this book promise to appeal to a broad readership. Topics covered include historical and politico-economic aspects of immigration, racial prejudice, cultural and religious fundamentalism, arguments over multiculturalism, transnational identities, and media representations of religion. Consequently, New Faiths, Old Fears is highly significant for those interested in religious studies, sociology, anthropology, history, and cultural studies – and especially for those interested in immigration and Asian Americans ...