During the Cold War, nationalism fell from favour among theorists as an explanatory factor in history, as Marxists and liberals looked to class and individualism as the driving forces of change. The resurgence of nationalism after the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, called for a reconsideration of nationalism.

Against Orthodoxy uses case studies from around the world to critically evaluate more than a quarter-century of scholarship. The authors argue that theories of nationalism have benefitted from fresh insights, but have also ossified into a new set of orthodoxies: some scholars characterize nationalism as an outgrowth of modernity, others view it as a European export, and still others see it as the brainchild of intellectuals. The theoretically informed and empirically grounded studies in this volume challenge these orthodoxies and offer new ways to think about nationalism.

Collectively, these essays show that nationalism is not a singular phenomenon but rather a generative force reflecting complex historical, political, and cultural arrangements that defy simplistic explanations.