In the Shadow of Sectarianism: Law, Shi’ism, and the Making of Modern Lebanon

(Harvard University Press) In this book, Weiss explores the roots of Shi’i sectarianism in 20th-century Lebanon. While sectarianism has traditionally been linked to violence, disorder, and bloodshed, Weiss complicates this conventional connection. He transforms our understanding of the nature of sectarianism and shows why in Lebanon it has been both so productive and so destructive at the same time. Weiss is an assistant professor of history and Near Eastern studies at Princeton University.