In and Out of This World

“In this cutting edge and timely book, Stephen C. Finley gives the first full treatment to the Nation of Islam’s little-known lynchpin UFO doctrine, which holds all other doctrines together and is ultimately to be put to use for the liberation of all black people. Readily outlining the keys to understanding the Nation of Islam’s uncertain future, he shows how its disparate histories and ideologies might inform future modes of leadership to emerge in the twenty-first century.” - James Lance Taylor, author of Black Nationalism in the United States: From Malcolm X to Barack Obama

“Stephen C. Finley provides unique and intriguing insights into the four most prominent African American Muslims: Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Warith Deen Mohammed, and Louis Farrakhan. His comparison of these charismatic and influential leaders and his focus on the body (both material and extraterrestrial) provide valuable new perspectives not only on the Nation of Islam as a religious movement but also on the often tense and competitive relationships between these men as each struggles with the religious meaning of black embodiment.” - Herbert Berg, author of Elijah Muhammad and Islam

“Finley offers here a well-crafted interpretation of the religious symbols of the NOI as efforts to liberate black identity from social and symbolic confinement. . . . In addition to being an informative work on The Nation of Islam, this book is a dexterous literary ethnography, particularly affluent in insights on religious anthropology.” - Abdessamad Belhaj, Social Identities

"In and Out of This World peels back closely guarded beliefs and practices and gives readers the context to understand them not as fringe lunacy but a logical endpoint to a diverse and robust cosmology. Dr. Finley does what the best historians do—makes us care about people while giving us the information to understand their ideas and beliefs." - Christina Ward, Shepherd

"In and Out of This World places bodies at the heart of an engaging redescription of the Nation of Islam. . . . Emphasizing the ties between body and religion in the NOI, Finley makes a welcome contribution to the collection of scholarship that points to the role of religion in African-American racial formation and self-fashioning." - Nick Andersen, Body and Religion

"In and Out of this World is an ambitious study and is noteworthy specifically for its creative attention to the implications of obscure [Nation of Islam] doctrines. . . . Broad readerships in the fields of religion and African American studies will find additional value in the volume’s potential ties to Afrofuturistic discourses and what role alternative religio-racial movements play therein."

"An incisive analysis of the Nation of Islam ... The book is a model of religious studies theory, method, and methodology."

"A strength of Finley’s book is his attention to the theological content of the NOI, which all too often is ignored or even dismissed. . . . This book should transform our understanding of the NOI, placing it firmly among other ufological and esotericist movements." - Benjamin E. Zeller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion

"In and Out of This World by Stephen Finley is an eye-opening and sharp reassessment of Nation of Islam (NOI) discourse that offers wide-ranging interventions in the study of Black religions, Islam in the Americas, and material religion. . . . The book in its entirety would be useful in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. Whether for research or teaching, readers will find Finley’s detail-oriented project stimulating and novel." - Max Johnson Dugan, Material Religion

"A highly recommended book, its analytical framework makes it a valuable resource for future research in Black studies and critical race theory." - Muhammad Adiz Wasisto, Religious Studies Review