The general introduction sets out how the book differs from standard studies of the titular subjects, its objectives, methods and structure. It sets out three main ways in which the concept of religion is defined: normative political religion, descriptive sociological religion and evaluative legal religion. It notes that English law tends to be blind to the forms that religion, and especially Islam, takes and this can cause problems both for the faithful and for wider society. It identifies the theoretical models that shape the book – liberal individualism, multiculturalism and classical pluralism – and how these will be deployed and to what end. It identifies the institutions that will be discussed in relation to British Islam – banks, charities, schools, elections, clans – and sets out the hopes of the book as a whole.

The conclusion summarises the theoretical contribution of Otto von Gierke’s classical pluralism and restates the recommendations made throughout the practical chapters. It emphasises the importance of groups for legal thought, the value of a sophisticated vocabulary of group entities, and the need to guard against institutional entropy. It finishes with an optimistic outlook on the future relationship between British Islam and English law.