This book examines the Arab Spring in light of the past half century of efforts in transnational Arab identity formation and thus considers its links to Arab Nationalism and Pan-Islamism. Then, with a focus on Syria and the sectarian nature of that conflict, it considers the Arab Spring in juxtaposition to the widely-held notions of Shia revival and Shia Crescent. It then speculates on what may be happening at the transnational identity or civilizational level in the Middle East and considers three possible long-term outcomes.