New Books Network 13:2 - Sherman Jackson Part 2
Oct 24, 2025
Sherman Jackson, the King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture at USC, dives deep into the relationship between Sharia, secularism, and modern governance. He critiques the assumption that Sharia equates to modern law, emphasizing its nuanced historical application by classical jurists. Jackson also discusses the impacts of colonialism on Islamic institutions and argues that pre-modern polities were shaped by diverse influences rather than solely by Sharia. He advocates for reclaiming tradition to envision pluralistic political futures.
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Distinguish Divine Ontology From Shari' Authority
- Sherman Jackson warns against fusing God's ontological sovereignty with shari' sovereignty because they are not necessarily coterminous.
- He argues God is not bound by any pre-existing ontology when dictating moral/legal obligations to humans.
Sharia Is Not Coterminous With All Social Orders
- Jackson objects to totalizing Sharia that makes Islam coterminous with law and erases space for culture, efficiency, and institutional design.
- He insists many social, political, and economic details fall outside direct Sharia prescriptions and require independent deliberation.
Pre-Modern Jurisprudence Was Procedural, Not Rigid
- Pre-modern jurists practiced ongoing deliberation and consulted experts on factual matters rather than rigidly applying one historical ruling.
- Jackson stresses modern readers often misread classical flexibility as inflexibility due to alienation from nuanced legal methods.
