In this study, Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr examines the origins, historical development, and political strategies of one of the oldest and most influential Islamic revival movements, the Jama'at-i Islami of Pakistan. He focuses on the inherent tension between the movement’s idealized vision of the nation as a holy community based in Islamic law and its political agenda of socio-economic change for Pakistani society. Nasr’s work goes beyond the exploration of a single party to examine the diverse socio-political roots of contemporary Islamic revivalism, challenging many of the standard interpretations about political expressions of Islam.