Like the churches of Christendom, Islam has been undergoing a deep self-examination and re-evaluation. Against the background of the specific problems of Islam on the Indian subcontinent, Professor Abbott surveys the conflicts among the most influential traditionalist and modernist Muslims, past and present, the contributions of various sects and schools, and the tension between 'medieval' doctrine and modern accommodation to secular conditions.

Is change possible in Islam? --Islam in India to the eighteenth century -- Initial reaction to decline and foreign domination -- Beginning of a positive response -- Variety of twentieth-century responses -- Muslim modernism in Pakistan.