Emin Poljarević

Contemporary Muslim Political Thought and Revival

Lived Salafism, attraction/subjectivity, takfīr-oriented ideology (ISIS), conceptual debates on Islamism.

Here I examine contemporary Muslim political thought in its diverse and often contested forms; from lived Salafism and revivalist movements to theologies of violence and debates on Islamism. Much of this work focuses on how Muslims seek authenticity, authority, and moral clarity amid fragmentation, securitisation, and global crises. Taken together, these studies trace how projects of “revival” reimagine tradition, power, and modernity.

  • Poljarević, E. (2016) ‘The power of elective affinities in contemporary Salafism’, The Muslim World, 106(3), 474–500. (Publisher/DOI) urn.kb.se
  • Poljarević, E. (2014) ‘In pursuit of authenticity: becoming a Salafi’, Comparative Islamic Studies, 8(1–2), 139–164. (Journal page) Equinox Journal+1
  • Poljarević, E. (2021) ‘Theology of violence-oriented takfirism as a political theory: the case of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)’, in Upal, M.A. & Cusack, C.M. (eds) Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements, pp. 485–512. Leiden: Brill. (Book page) urn.kb.se
  • Poljarević, E. (2016) ‘Les Salafistes and a French reproduction of certainties in a world of uncertainties’, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 33(2), 145–155. (Open PDF) ajis.org+1
  • Poljarević, E. (2015) ‘Islamic tradition and meanings of modernity’, International Journal for History, Culture and Modernity, 3(1), 29–57. (Record) urn.kb.se
  • Poljarević, E. (2014) ‘Islamism’, in El-Din Shahin, E. (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Reference entry) Oxford ReferenceSwePub
  • Olsson, S. and Poljarević, E. (2014) ‘Editors’ Preface: Contemporary Salafism: Expressions, Practices and Everyday Living’, Comparative Islamic Studies, 8(1–2), pp. 53–56.
  • Poljarević, E. (2024) ‘Prospects of Reviving Islamic Civilisation Through Public Spaces: Muslim Civility at the 2022 FIFA World Cup’, Al‑Shajarah (essay/short article). (Preprint/author version available online.)