Twilight of the Saints (S. 15, Ep. 5)

Twilight of the Saints (S. 15, Ep. 5)

From POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcast by Marc Lynch

February 10, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Stéphane Lacroix discusses his book on the history and politics of Salafism in contemporary Egypt.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Stéphane Lacroix of Sciences Po joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Twilight of the Saints: The History and Politics of Salafism in Contemporary Egypt. The book examines the history of Salafism in Egypt from its 1920s emergence in Cairo’s scholarly circles through the present day, shedding new light on the movement’s shifting relationship to politics. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews, Lacroix illustrates how Salafism redefined what it means to be Muslim for Egyptians.

People in this episode

Host: Marc Lynch

Guest: Stéphane Lacroix

Topics covered

  • Salafism
  • Egypt
  • Islam
  • Politics
  • History
  • Fieldwork
  • Interviews

Keywords

  • Salafism
  • Egypt
  • Islam
  • Politics
  • History
  • Cairo
  • Fieldwork
  • Interviews

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sciences Po

Books & works: Twilight of the Saints: The History and Politics of Salafism in Contemporary Egypt

Places: Egypt, Cairo

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