The Beautiful Game on a Muslim Pitch: How Football and Religion are Shaping Identity and Society

In an era where sport and society are increasingly intertwined, "The Beautiful Game on a Muslim Pitch" emerges as a timely academic exploration of how football intersects with Islamic culture, identity, and politics. Edited by renowned scholars Aaron W. Hughes and Leif Stenberg, this anthology (scheduled for June 2025) promises to fill a crucial gap in both sports and religious studies literature.
The book's thoughtful organisation into two main sections—identity and institutional power—provides a clear framework for understanding football's complex role in Muslim societies. This dual approach allows readers to grasp both the personal and systemic impacts of football in Islamic contexts. 
The first section delves into football's role in shaping, maintaining, and sometimes challenging Muslim identities. This exploration is particularly relevant given football's global reach and its ability to transcend cultural boundaries while simultaneously reinforcing local identities.
The second section examines how political and religious institutions leverage football for their own ends. This analysis reveals how the sport serves as both a tool for establishment messaging and an arena for resistance and reformation.
What sets this volume apart is its nuanced examination of football as a lens through which to view larger societal issues in Muslim contexts:
◾Gender Politics: The book tackles how football intersects with gender power structures in Muslim societies.
◾Racial Dynamics: It explores how religion functions as a racial category in sporting contexts.
◾State Power: The analysis of football's role in state politics offers fresh insights into how governments use sport for political ends.
The editors' backgrounds in religious studies and Islamic history bring academic rigour to a subject often treated superficially. Hughes, known for his work in religious studies, and Stenberg, with his expertise in Islamic studies, have assembled what appears to be a comprehensive scholarly examination of this fascinating intersection.
Middle Eastern investment in European football is reaching unprecedented levels Questions of religious identity in sports are increasingly prominent The role of sport in cultural diplomacy is under scrutiny Critical Assessment
The book's academic approach may make it less accessible to general readers, but this seems a necessary trade-off for its scholarly depth. Its focus on institutional power structures and identity formation provides valuable theoretical frameworks for understanding how sport and religion interact in contemporary society.
This volume will primarily appeal to:
Academics in religious studies and sports sociology Researchers interested in Muslim societies and cultural studies Policy makers working at the intersection of sports and cultural integration Students of contemporary Islamic studies
"The Beautiful Game on a Muslim Pitch" appears poised to become a significant contribution to our understanding of how sport, religion, and society interact in the modern world. Its scholarly approach to timely subject matter makes it an important addition to academic libraries and research collections.
An essential academic resource for understanding the complex relationship between football, Islam, and contemporary society. 
Recommended for: academic libraries, researchers, and graduate students in religious studies, sports sociology, and Islamic studies.
About the Authors:
Aaron W. Hughes is Dean’s Professor of the Humanities and the Philip S. Bernstein Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester. Hughes specialises in three fields: Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies and Theory and Method in the Study of Religion, and has written numerous books in all three. He is co-editor of the book series Advances in the Study of Islam at Edinburgh University Press and of the Journal of Religious Minorities Under Muslim Rule.
Leif Stenberg is Professor in Islamic Studies at the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) and has an interest in Islam and Muslims in the modern world. He is the co-editor of What is Islamic Studies? European and North American Approaches to a Contested Field, also in the Exploring Muslim Contexts series at Edinburgh University Press.
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Publisher: Edinburgh UniversityPress
Published: June 30, 2025
Price: £90.00>
ISBN-10: 1399538411
ISBN-13: 978-1399538411
Hardcover: 256 pages
Dimensions: 234 x 156 (mm)