From Belonging to Belief

ENG: <span><i>From Belonging to Belief </i>presents a nuanced ethnographic study of Islam and secularism in post-Soviet Central Asia as seen from the small town of Bazaar-Korgon in southern Kyrgyzstan. Opening with the juxtaposition of a statue of Lenin and a mosque in the town square Julie McBrien proceeds to peel away the multiple layers that have shaped the return of public Islam in the region. She explores belief and nonbelief varying practices of Islam discourses of extremism and the role of the state to elucidate the everyday experiences of Bazaar-Korgonians. McBrien shows how Islam is explored lived and debated in both conventional and novel sites: a Soviet-era cleric who continues to hold great influence; popular television programs; religious instruction at wedding parties; clothing; celebrations; and others. Through ethnographic research McBrien reveals how moving toward Islam is not a simple step but rather a deliberate and personal journey of experimentation testing and knowledge acquisition. Moreover she argues that religion is not always a matter of belief-sometimes it is essentially about belonging.</span><p><br></p><p>RUS: Эта книга — тонкое этнографическое исследование ислама и секуляризма в постсоветской Центральной Азии на примере небольшого городка Базар-Кор- гон на юге Кыргызстана. С помощью этнографического подхода Джули Макбрайен показывает что переход местных жителей к исламу — это сознательный и личный путь экспериментов испытаний и приобретения знаний.</p>