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Abstract
▪ Abstract
The empirical literature on political Islam is fairly rich and getting better, but theoretical interpretations of these data are still quite primitive. This gap is a product of Orientalist traditions that “essentialize” Islamic movements, a resulting lack of appreciation for their global diversity, and the inevitable politicization of the subject matter. This essay seeks not only to identify the most important studies in the field but to show how they suggest a typology, chronology, and problematic that might lead to more fruitful analysis in the future.