David Commins challenges the stereotype of Saudi Arabia as a country immune to change by highlighting the ways that urbanization, education, and consumerism have exerted pressure on the religious establishment.

Foreword by Malise Ruthven1. Introduction2. The Establishment of the Wahhabi Tradition3. Wahhabism and the Modern Saudi State4. Religion and Daily Life5. Islam in Contemporary Saudi Society6. Religious Politics7. The International Reach of Wahhabism8. ConclusionNotesSuggestions for Further ReadingIndex

"[Commins] has produced a succinct and insightful survey of puritanical Wahhabi Islam in Saudi Arabia. He covers history, doctrinal issues, the symbiosis of the ruling family with the Wahhabi clergy, and everyday Islamic practice in the realms of education, moral standards, law, charity, and gender." * Foreign Affairs *"This book makes a valuable contribution to understanding the interplay among culture (religion), politics, and society in Saudi Arabia. Commins (history, Dickinson College) accounts for the rise of modern Wahhabi religious doctrine and its interplay with other religious and political currents in the Arabian Peninsula." * Choice *"Islam in Saudi Arabia provides a learned and in-depth view of the role that religion plays in the Kingdom's politics and social dynamics. This very readable book is based on a close reading of primary sources and extensive fieldwork, as well as an intimate knowledge of Saudi society. Commins superbly explains Wahhabism's influence on domestic and international polices, and how this particular interpretation of Islam-through the government, scholars, and religious activists-affects the status of women and religious minorities. This is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand the influence that religion has on this opaque society and how it is deployed by different actors for achieving their respective goals." -- Bernard Haykel, Princeton University, coeditor of Saudi Arabia in Transition"An eye-opening account, clearly written, subtly argued." -- James L. Gelvin, UCLA, author of The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know and The Modern Middle East: A History"There is a need for a book like Islam in Saudi Arabia. Unlike a good deal of recent academic and journalistic writing on Saudi Arabia that tends to treat the country in a kind of exceptionalist framework or as a so-called enigma, David Commins underscores that-just like any other country-there are transparent and standard means of analyzing aspects of Saudi society." * Canadian Journal of History *