Craig Considine (sociologist)

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Craig Michael Considine is an American sociologist, an author, and a senior lecturer in sociology at Rice University.[1] Considine has written books on Christian–Muslim relations.

Craig Michael Considine
Born1985 or 1986 (age 38–39)[1]
Needham, Massachusetts, United States
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materTrinity College Dublin (PhD)

Royal Holloway, University of London (MSc)

American University (BA)
Occupation(s)Christian commentator, scholar and author on Islam
Websitehttps://drcraigconsidine.com

Life and career

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Considine is an American of English, Scottish, Italian, and Irish descent.[2][3]

He attended high school in Needham, Massachusetts.[4] He later attended Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, graduating in 2015 with a PhD in sociology.[1] His PhD thesis focused on young Pakistani men in Dublin and Boston.[5] This thesis formed the basis of his 2017 book - Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora (Routledge, 2017) - on the same topic.[6]

Considine is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Rice University.[1] In 2020, he received an internal teaching award from the university.[7] His teaching philosophy is focused on “self-directed, active learning.”[1]

In 2024, during an interview with Middle East Forum (a right-wing anti-Islam think tank),[8][9][10] Considine stated that "Western academia" has "gone too far left", alleging that universities harbor "experts teaching the youth to hate their country" and thereby committing "civilizational suicide".[11] Considine describes "decolonization, critical race theory, social justice" as left-wing "buzz phrases".[11] Considine suggested that he had been previously "duped" by "left-leaning, liberal-talking points".[11] Considine claimed that his "passion for civil rights" had "led him to defend Islamist organizations".[citation needed]

Selected works and reception

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People of the Book - Prophet Muhammad's Encounters with Christians (2021)

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In 2021, Considine published a book concerning the Prophet Muhammad's relationship to Christianity.[12] Samuel Sweeney reviewed the book in The Wall Street Journal,[13] stressing that "Considine misunderstands the role of ’asabiyya as Ibn Khaldun meant it", summarising the book as making "dubious claims about ideas that emerge from Islamic history", and suggesting that "It is hard to imagine a more pained attempt to project modern values onto a medieval concept". Charles Tieszen provided a similarly negative review of the book in the journal of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.[14] Tieszen stated that "readers who hope to use the book as a scholarly overview, whether for historical scholarship or in the classroom, will be inevitably dissatisfied and perhaps even at times disappointed", and describing the book as "not a scholarly engagement" but instead a text that "neglects historiography and literary contextualization".[14] Tieszen noted that Considine is "keen to contextualize and problematize Qur’anic passages when it suits him but is entirely uninterested in doing so with other sources when such analysis could weaken or obscure his argument".[14]

The Humanity of Muhammad - A Christian View (2020)

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In 2020, Blue Dome Press published a book concerning Prophet Muhammad's relationship to humanity. Abdur Raheem Kidwai of Aligarh Muslim University reviewed the book in The Muslim World Book Review, stating that it "surpasses some of the finest attributes to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) paid earlier by few Western writers down the ages".[15] Muhammad Misbah and Anisah Setyaningrum wrote in The Downside Review that the book was "created to promote greater understanding and peace between Christians and Muslims".[16] Omar Ahmed of the Middle East Monitor said that The Humanity of Muhammad is "clearly a heartfelt and very personal perspective from a writer who is an advocate of interfaith dialogue and acknowledges his admiration for the Prophet".[17]

Journey into America (documentary) (2009)

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Considine directed "Journey into America", an amateur documentary following Akbar Ahmed and a group of young researchers addressing Muslim experiences in America.[18] Neither Rotten Tomatoes nor IMDb records any reviews by professional critics or audience members.[19][18] A review in Anthropology Today described the documentary as "a combination of morality tale and road movie", summarizing that it is "intricately composed" although "inconveniently long".[20] The only platform where the documentary is available is YouTube where, as of June 2024, it has received 3,800 views.[21]

Works

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Books

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  • Beyond Dialogue - Building Bonds Between Christians and Muslims. 2024. Polity Press. ISBN 1509555269, 9781509555260[22]
  • People of the Book: Prophet Muhammad’s Encounters with Christians. 2021. Hurst Publishers and Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-78738-471-2.
  • The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View. 2020. Blue Dome Press. ISBN 978-1-68206-529-7.[2][23][24][25][26]
  • Islam in America: Exploring the Issues. 2019. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4408-6631-9.
  • Muhammad Nabi Cinta - Catatan Seorang Nasrani Tentang Rasulullah Saw. 2018. Mizan.
  • Muslims in America: Examining the Facts. 2018. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4408-6054-6.[27][28]
  • Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora. 2017. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-46275-2.[6][29][30][31]

Journal articles

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Documentary

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  • Journey Into America. 2009 (documentary).[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Considine, Craig. "Dr. Craig Considine". Rice University. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Ahmed, Omar (October 30, 2020). "The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Craig Considine: books, biography, latest update". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Ryan, Steven (June 26, 2009). "Needhamite journeys to Muslim America". Wicked Local. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Considine, Craig (2014). Family, religion, and identity in the Pakistani diaspora : a case study of young Pakistani men in Dublin and Boston. Trinity's Access to Research Archive (thesis). hdl:2262/85285 – via Trinity College Dublin.
  6. ^ a b "Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora". Routledge & CRC Press.
  7. ^ Passwaters, Arie (April 28, 2020). "Faculty, staff honored for excellence in teaching, mentoring, service". Rice University News and Media Relations. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  8. ^ "Middle East Forum | Factsheet: Islamophobia | The Bridge Initiative".
  9. ^ Halliday, Josh; Beckett, Lois; Barr, Caelainn; García, Carmen Aguilar (December 7, 2018). "Revealed: the hidden global network behind Tommy Robinson". The Guardian.
  10. ^ "Middle East Forum bankrolls violent 'Free Tommy' rally". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  11. ^ a b c Stern, Marilyn (August 12, 2024). "Craig Considine on Social Justice and the Muslim Brotherhood – Illusion and Reality". Middle East Forum.
  12. ^ "Product: People of the Book". global.oup.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Sweeney, Samuel. "'People of the Book' Review: Through a Glass, Rosily". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Tieszen, Charles (October 2, 2022). "People of the Book: Prophet Muhammad's Encounters with Christians: by Craig Considine, 232 pp., London, Hurst, 2021, £20.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781787384712". Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations. 33 (4): 412–413. doi:10.1080/09596410.2022.2131236. ISSN 0959-6410.
  15. ^ "The Muslim World Book Review". The Muslim World Book Review.
  16. ^ Misbah, Muhammad; Setyaningrum, Anisah (July 2021). "Book Review: The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian View - Muhammad Misbah, Anisah Setyaningrum, 2021". The Downside Review. 139 (3): 188–190. doi:10.1177/00125806211044402.
  17. ^ "Middle East Monitor". Middle East Monitor. October 30, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c "Journey Into America". IMDB. July 4, 2009. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  19. ^ "Journey Into America | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
  20. ^ Benthall, Jonathan (2009). "'You'll See How Big We Are': "Journey into America"". Anthropology Today. 25 (5): 23–24. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8322.2009.00689.x. JSTOR 25599039 – via JSTOR.
  21. ^ Akbar Ahmed (April 19, 2013). Journey Into America. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ CONSIDINE, CRAIG. Beyond Dialogue: Building Bonds Between Christians and Muslims. Polity Press. ISBN 978-1-5095-5526-0 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "Irish Catholic Professor's Take on Prophet Muhammad: The Humanity of Muhammad, A Christian View by Craig Considine". PR Web. July 27, 2020. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Express News Service (September 21, 2020). "Craig Considine speaks about his interest in religious interactions". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  25. ^ Rahman, Faizur (October 28, 2020). "Blasphemy, Islam and Free Speech". The Siasat Daily. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  26. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (September 29, 2020). "Religion on the page: Books on faith by Houston authors". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Wilkins, Grace (September 17, 2018). "Examining the facts on Muslims in America". DU Clarion. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  28. ^ DU Center for Middle East Studies (October 22, 2018). "Muslims in America: Examining the Facts with Dr. Craig Considine – September 14, 2018". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Ahmad, Awais (May 29, 2017). "Review: Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora". Rabwah Times. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  30. ^ Faruqi, Saadia. "Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora (Studies in Migration and Diaspora)". New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  31. ^ Das, Monoj (June 20, 2018). "Islam, race and pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora". Diaspora Studies. 11 (2): 205–207. doi:10.1080/09739572.2018.1485243. S2CID 158367083 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
  32. ^ Considine, Craig (August 2018). "Young Pakistani Men and Irish Identity: Religion, Race and Ethnicity in Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland". Sociology. 52 (4): 655–670. doi:10.1177/0038038516677221. ISSN 0038-0385.
  33. ^ Bhasin, Swati (September 15, 2017). "Islamophobia Is Not Simply About Intolerance Of Muslims, Says Expert". International Business Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  34. ^ Rory, Arnold (September 17, 2017). "Study: Islamophobia a dangerous blend of racism and intolerance". Earth. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  35. ^ "Islamophobia: racism mixed with cultural intolerance, not merely religious bias". Homeland Security Newswire (Press release). September 18, 2017. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  36. ^ Lewis, Kayleigh (March 15, 2016). "Isis persecution of Christians not justified by Prophet Mohammed's teachings, says study". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2021.