{"product_id":"sojourner-in-islamic-lands-russell-fraser-9781611173161","title":"Sojourner in Islamic Lands","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA travelogue that sheds light on the influence of geography, religion, and art on Central Asian societies\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSojourner in Islamic Lands \u003c\/i\u003etakes us on a journey from Kazakhstan in the far north of Central Asia, across the mountains to the former Soviet Union, then south to Iran just below the Caspian Sea. Russell Fraser follows the ancient Silk Road wherever possible. For centuries the Silk Road was the primary commercial link between Europe and Asia, with much of it over desert sands and accessible only by camel. Building on history and personal experience, Fraser's narrative describes this vast territory with an eye to geography, artistic culture, and religion over more than two thousand years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book that he gives us depends first of all on travel, but the author's eye is on an interior landscape, and he focuses on the influence of religious ideology on the cultural landscape of Central Asia. Delving deeply into art and architecture, he takes them to be Islam's most significant creative expressions. Although Islam is currently the predominant religion in the region, the book also examines the two other belief systems with modern-day followers--Christianity and an antireligious sect Fraser calls secular progressivism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis aim is to present Islam to Western readers by describing its achievements during the High Middle Ages and comparing and contrasting them with those of modern Islam. The book offers insights into the history of a major world religion through the eyes of a well-known literary scholar on a journey through exotic parts of the world. He steeps us in the latter, inviting the reader to share the journey with him and participate in the sensations it gives rise to.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Russell Fraser\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1611173167\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781611173161\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of South Carolina Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/16\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 232\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.13lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d","brand":"Russell Fraser","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49097013526783,"sku":"9781611173161","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/sojourner-in-islamic-lands-russell-fraser-9781611173161","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}