ThisvolumeanalysesthetransformationofsocialsectarianismintopoliticalsectarianismacrosstheArabworld.Usingaframeworkofsocialtheoriesandsocio-historicalanalysis,thebookdistinguishesbetweenta’ifa,or’sect’,andmodernta’ifiyya,’sectarianism’,arguingthatsectarianismitselfproduces’imaginarysects’.ItchartsandexplainstheevolutionofthesephenomenaandtheirdevelopmentinArabandIslamichistory,asdistinctfromotherconceptsusedtostudyreligiousgroupswithinWesterncontexts.Bisharadocumentstheroleplayedbyinternalandexternalfactorsandrivalriesamongpoliticalelitesintheformulationofsectarianidentity,citingbothhistoricalandcontemporarymodels.Hecontendsthatsectarianismdoesnotderivefromsect,butratherthatsectarianismresurrectsthesectinthecollectiveconsciousnessandreproducesitasanimaginedcommunityundermodernpoliticalandhistoricalconditions.SectarianismwithoutSectsisavitalresourceforengagingwiththesectariancrisisintheArabworld.Itprovidesadetailedhistoricalbackgroundtotheemergenceofsectintheregion,aswellasacomplextheoreticalexplorationofhowsocialidentitieshaveassumedpoliticalsignificanceinthestruggleforpoweroverthestate.
