Offers a unique comparative exploration of the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity. The idea of 'tradition' has enjoyed a variety of senses and definitions in Islam and Christianity, but both have cleaved at certain times to a supposedly 'golden age' of tradition from the past. In comparing the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity, key themes are explored: * The roles of authority * Fundamentalism * The use of reason * Ijtihad (independent thinking) * Original comparisons between Islamic Salafism and Christian Lefebvrism The author suggests there has been a chain of thinkers from classical Islam to the twentieth century who share a common interest in ijtihad (or independent thinking). Drawing on past and present evidence, and using Christian tradition as a focus for contrast and comparison, the author highlights the seemingly paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam. The author draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources including contemporary newspaper and journal articles, documents and letters, adding an immediacy to a lucid and stimulating text. Key Features * Proposes a new vocabulary for the articulation of Islam * Offers original comparisons between Salafism and Lefebvrism * Highlights the paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam * Articulates the yearning amongst today's Muslim and Christian traditionalists for a revival of a 'golden age' from whence, they believe, all good traditions derive