Introduction -- Loss of memory, loss of focus : Geiger, Said, and the search for missing origins -- The invention of the Middle East : religion and the quest for understanding the Muslim mind -- Tensions past, tensions future : Middle Eastern studies confronts religious studies -- We study Muslim constructions, not Muslims, right? -- The implosion of a discipline : 9/11 and the Islamic studies scholar as media expert -- Conclusion : towards a future imperfect.