Rush is a historian of Southeast Asia who explores themes of colonialism, religion, biography, and current affairs. His latest books are Hamka's Great Story and Southeast Asia: a very short introduction.

Woodward is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University. His research focuses on Islam, religion-state-society relations and religion and conflict in Southeast Asia.

Liew is a scholar of the premodern Islamic world. His research interests include the history of Islamic political thought, Islamic scholarly and intellectual culture, and Islamic historical and biographical writings.