Druze in the Middle East : Their Faith, Leadership, Identity and Status

Discusses the Druze in the Middle East in general, with a particular focus of the Druze relationship with the State of Israel. Part I -- Faiths, Commandments, and the Life-Cycle -- deals with practical religious commandments, religious rights and ceremonies, and the life-cycle of the individual. Original material is presented that places the Druze unequivocally as members of an independent faith with their own unique identity. Part II -- Spiritual Leadership and Community Organisation -- treats the spiritual leadership in various countries of the Middle East throughout their history. This leadership is of great importance in administering the life of the Druze community. Part III -- Population, Society, and Identity in Israel -- discusses the role of family, society, and religious identity, and the changes in attitudes that have taken place in recent generations. Part IV -- Laws of Personal Status -- is an analysis of the laws of personal status of individuals, and of the implementation of these laws in practice in the Druze religious courts.