Our latest email features This Is Islam and the Encyclopedia of Religion and War. I was pleased to reread the Teacher’s Preface, which seems apt and timely now. I’m not surprised we’ve been seeing class orders for This Is Islam of late and I hope to see more teachers using it. The Kindle edition has color, and the cover design is as beautiful as ever. I remember now how we labored over that book design!

Here are a couple of the photos in Religion and War, to show just how global the coverage is. It also covers pacifism, I’m glad to see.

Finally, a selection from Katherine Saffle’s Preface to This Is Islam:

As one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States, Islam cannot be stereotyped as a solely Middle Eastern religion; rather, it is a religion with worldwide cultural and educational significance.

When teaching Islam, we must not avoid discussing stereotypes or misconceptions, but rather embrace the opportunity for open dialogue. It might be useful at the beginning of an Islam unit to ask your students to write down any questions they might have about the faith. This provides a secure way for students to ask questions that they would not normally ask in front of a class. This also gives you, as the educator, the ability to shape your curriculum to fit the needs of your students.

Two topics that most interest students, jihad and women’s legal rights, are well addressed within this book. The section on jihad, in particular, will prepare you for the inevitable questions about the connection of terrorism to Islam.

Throughout the book there are informational sidebars, questions for debate, and provocative “thought experiments,” all of which you can use to enrich discussion and critical thinking within your classroom. Once your class’s study of Islam is complete, you might ask your students to examine their previous notions about Islam and discuss ways in which they can avoid cultural and religious stereotypes. Finally, the resources in the back of the book provide further readings and websites to explore as you develop your curriculum.

When I first began teaching Islam, I struggled to find an unbiased text that comprehensively covered both Islamic history and the belief system. This Is Islam bridges the gap between a textbook account and a modern religions handbook by approaching the topic in a scholarly, yet approachable manner. Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran, I am confident that this book will be an asset to your students’ study of this fascinating and complex religion.