ways of knowing Islam

Abstract

The Sama of the southern Philippines are reconstructing the nature of Islamic knowledge, the ways one knows Islam, and the constitution of religious authority. Mass education has played a major role in shaping these Islamic discourses. This article examines the ways the Sama construct their understandings of Islam and the ways mass education in the Philippines has shaped modern Islamic discourses and laid the foundation for the reception of international Islamist teachings. [Philippines, Sama, Islam, education, Islamic mysticism, Islamic reform].