ABSTRACT
The study of imams, the office of the imamate, and Islamic religious authority is not new, but has an intricate history within the disciplinary confines of Islamic studies. With the advent of what may be called ‘European Islamic thought’ and ‘European Islamic studies,’ the role of imams as agents of religious authority and leadership raises new questions in theology, sociology, anthropology, political science, law, migration studies, and religious and interreligious studies.
