Muslim Puritans

Muslim Puritans: Reformist Psychology in Southeast Asian Islam provides a compelling exploration of how Islamic reform movements in Southeast Asia intertwine cultural transformation with psychological rationalization. Through a Weberian lens, the book delves into the regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, analyzing the ways in which the rationalization of religious beliefs leads to shifts in behavior, identity, and social structures. By employing a combination of statistical, ethnographic, and historical methods, the study bridges the gap between individual psychology and broader cultural reform, offering nuanced insights into the ripple effects of modernization and religious purification.

The author contextualizes reformist Islam in Southeast Asia against the backdrop of Weber’s theories on rationalization and the Protestant Ethic, focusing on the psychological dynamics of these changes. By examining movements like the Kaum Muda and organizations such as Muhammadijah, the book reveals how reformist ideals—centered on purification and individual interpretation (idjtihad)—reshape personal and communal practices, from family life to educational structures. With its detailed case studies, this work not only expands Weberian analysis to the Islamic world but also sheds light on the enduring impact of reformist ideologies in diverse sociopolitical contexts, making it an essential resource for scholars of religion, psychology, and Southeast Asian studies.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1978.