al-Mustashriqun wa al-Tansir
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- al-Mustashriqun wa al-Tansir
al-Mustashriqun wa al-Tansir: Dirasah lil-‘Alaqah bayna Zahiratayn, ma‘a Namadhij min al-Mustashriqin al-Munassirin (Orientalists and Christian Proselytization: A Study of the Relationship Between Two Phenomena, with Models of Missionary Orientalists) is a specialized treatise by Ali bin Ibrahim al-Hamd al-Namlah that examines the intersection between Western Orientalism and Christian missionary work .
Background and Composition
The work developed out of the author's initial inquiry into the connection between Orientalism and proselytization, which began as an article published in an academic journal and was later included in his book al-Istishraq fi al-Adabiyyat al-‘Arabiyyah (Orientalism in Arabic Literature) . His research expanded after reading Abd al-Latif Tibawi’s critical study al-Mustashriqun al-Natiqun bi-al-Lughah al-Injliziyyah (English-Speaking Orientalists), in which Tibawi underscored the religious backgrounds of numerous British Orientalists . This prompted al-Namlah to systematically trace Orientalists who engaged directly in missionary activities or contributed to proselytization efforts through their scholarly output .
Method and Scope
In his approach, al-Namlah cautions against sweeping generalizations and forced justifications that seek to dismiss Orientalism wholesale . He emphasizes that while the religious and missionary impulse represents an important motive and objective within Orientalism, it is not the sole driver; it operates alongside colonial, political, commercial and economic, as well as both rigorous and flawed scholarly motivations .
The book classifies Orientalist works dealing with Christian theological matters as extensions of missionary activity in a broader sense . Recognizing that an exhaustive survey of all such figures would be unfeasible, the author structures the study around representative case studies (namadhij) of missionary Orientalists to illustrate how scholarship and proselytization intertwined .
Publication
The book was published in Riyadh by Maktabat al-Tawbah in 1418 AH (1998 CE) in a single volume comprising 178 pages .
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