Friendship studies can model behavior both intellectual and actual

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Description

Based on a decade of direct diplomatic engagement with the United Nations, a decade of teaching on international relations, and another decade of research and teaching on Islamic and comparative peace studies, this book offers a friendship-related academic framework that examines shared moral concepts, philosophical paradigms, and political experiences that can develop and expand multidisciplinary conversations between the Christian West and the Muslim East. By advancing multicultural and interreligious discourses on friendship, this book helps promote actual friendships among diverse cultures and peoples.

This is not a monologue. It provides a model of conversations among scholars and political actors who come from diverse international and interreligious backgrounds. The word “Islamic” should not mislead the reader to suspect that this edited volume delves only into religious discourses. Rather, it provides a forum for conversations within and between religious and philosophical perspectives. It sparks friendship conversations thematically and through disciplinary and cultural diversity. The result of the work of many prominent international scholars and diplomats over many years, it conveys at least one message clearly: friendship matters for not only our happiness but also for our survival.

Mohammad Jafar Amir Mahallati is Presidential Scholar in Islamic Studies and Chair in Middle East and North African Studies at Oberlin College.

Friendship in Islamic Ethics and World Politics is the right book to appear at the right time and in the right place. So, the moment at hand is unique. And the same can be said about the book we see here. I do not know of anything comparable on the horizon.”
—Gregory Nagy, Harvard University

"This book took my breath away by its erudition and profundity. Highly recommended."
-- Richard Penaskovic, Heythrop Journal

- Richard Penaskovic

"This volume, which concludes with 'A Friendship Manifesto,' is an excellent attempt to convince cynical readers that friendship is an alternative to the dismal state of humanity. Many may remain unconvinced, but the scholarly and argumentative quality of this study as a paradigmatic alternative is warranted." —CHOICE

- A.R. Abootalebi

Read: Interview with author, Oberlin news Link 4/2/2019