Religion
and Social Change in the Middle East
Abu-Rabi‘
The goal
of this course is to acquaint students with the social dynamics of
religion (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) in the modern Middle East.
The course will examine such notions as religious tradition, religious
intelligensia, women, and modernity and change from the perspective
of these three religious traditions. The course will include reference
to the contemporary political situation, especially the Arab-Israeli
conflict, and its impact on religion.
Islam: Rumor and Reality
Smith
“Islam:
Rumor and Reality” is designed as an introductory course to the
religion, history and civilizations of Islam for those with little
or no previous background. We will look at the major doctrines, movements,
goals and purposes of Islam and the many ways in which Islam is practiced
as a living faith in different parts of the world, including America.
Special attention will be given to Muslim men and women who are interpreting
the faith of Islam in the new contexts of the 21st century.
The Life of the Prophet Muhammad
Mattson
The Prophet
Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the final prophet of God and
the model for their lives as individuals and communities. Through
translated selections of original historical sources, the course will
survey interpretations of the personality and achievements of the
Prophet made by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars. Muslim emulation of
the Prophet will be examined with reference to the Hadith literature
and devotional prayers. 
Hadith
Mattson
The Hadith
is that corpus of Islamic literature that purports to convey the words
and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad via individual reports, which are
guaranteed by a chain of transmitters. It is viewed by Muslims as
vitally important for law, practice and moral teachings. As a result,
it has become a subject of learned dispute between orientalist scholars
who often deny its traceabilty to the Prophet and thus its validity,
and Muslims who generally insist on its excellence and accuracy. This
course will, among other things, cover the following topics: the importance
of Hadith and its historicity; the isnad system by which the degrees
of authenticity of different Ahadith are determined; and Hadith criticism.
The Qur’an and Its Place in Muslim Life and Society
Mattson
As the
sacred scripture of Islam, the Qur’an has primary authority in
the way Muslims understand their faith. The course will examine Islamic
concepts of the Qur’an as divine revelation and guidance. Major
Qur’anic themes will be studied in English translation, with
reference to classical and contemporary Muslim commentaries. Attention
will be paid to ways in which the Qur’an functions as sacred
scripture in Muslim history and contemporary life, examples of which
will include Muslim communities in the U.S.
Islamic History I
Mattson
This
course will explore the history of Islamic civilization from its beginnings
in seventh century Arabia until the establishment of the Ottoman Empire
in the fifteenth century. Attention will be given to the structure
of political institutions, the changing nature of the caliphate, as
well as social trends and important cultural developments. Students
will read selections of important primary sources in translation,
such as Arabic and Persian poetry, Mawardi’s Ordinances of Government,
Ibn Battuta’s Travels, and Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddima.
Islamic History II
Abu-Rabi‘
This
course continues the exploration of Islamic civilization, from the
establishment of the pre-modern empires through the colonization of
the Islamic world by European powers, to the struggle for independence
and the creation of modern Muslim nation-states. Emphasis will be
given to the variety of ways Muslims have expressed their religious
and social values in response to the challenges of modern social and
political developments.
Development of Islamic Religious Thought
Abu-Rabi‘
The core
message of Islam as revealed in the Qur’an has been interpreted
in diverse ways through the history of Islamic religious thought.
This course will examine the intellectual development of Islam, with
attention to selected issues of dogmatic, philosophical and legal
debate which have marked particular schools of Islamic thought. While
the focus will be on classical and medieval developments, the course
will illustrate areas of continuity and change evident in modern Islamic
thought.
Islamic Mysticism and Muslim Devotional Life and Practice
Abu-Rabi‘
Sufism,
which refers to the mystical tradition within Islam, is concerned
with the inner or esoteric understanding and practice of Islam. The
course will examine Sufi interpretations of the Qur’an and the
life of the Prophet Muhammad, and follow the developments of Sufi
spiritual practice and religious/philosophical thought with attention
being given to selected Sufi writers. The revival of Sufism in contemporary
Islam will be studied with examples from around the world, including
the United States.
Introduction to Islamic Law
Mattson
This
course is an introduction to the history and practice of Islamic law.
During the first part of this course, the sources of Islamic law,
the formation of Islamic jurisprudence and the history of Islamic
law in society will be examined. In the second part of the course,
contemporary issues and developments in Islamic law will be explored.
Islam
in the 20th Century
Abu-Rabi‘
Within
the framework of the radical social and political changes which Muslim
societies have undergone in the twentieth century, the course will
examine the variety of ways in which Muslims are re-expressing their
religious and social values in response to the challenges of colonialism,
capitalism, Marxism, Zionism and feminism. Emphasis will be given
to intellectual expressions of Islamic thought in relation to modern
social and political trends.
Islamic Ritual and Family Law
Mattson
Islamic
law regulates the way in which the primary rituals and acts of worship
– prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage – are performed. The law
also provides a structure for the way in which Muslims experience
important rites of passage: birth, death and marriage. As an integrated
system of beliefs and values, this law further provides meaning and
context for many other aspects of human life, including how to slaughter
an animal and what to do in times of severe weather. This course will
explore the structures created by Islamic law for the ritual and family
lives of Muslims. Although the theoretical context for the legal structure
will be provided, the focus of the course will be on the practical
and performative aspects of the law.
Women in Islam
Smith
The course
will examine the rights and responsibilities of women as prescribed
by the Qur’an and understood by its interpreters, as conditioned
by the diverse social realities of Muslim cultures, and as discussed
in modern inter-Muslim data. It will also examine selected issues
of religion and society from the perspective of Muslim women as expressed
in scholarly and other writings.
Islam and the West
Abu-Rabi‘
Muslim
images of the West and Muslim views of Christianity will be examined
alongside western images of Islam and the Muslim world. Data will
be selected from various periods of history and from diverse social
and political situations ranging from the Crusades to Colonialism,
from the Turkish conquests in sixteenth century Europe to the present
situation in the Middle East.
Islam in America
Smith
A consideration
of the historical and current realities of immigrant and African American
Muslims, including the rise and development of Islamic institutions
and forms of leadership, Muslim worship and devotional life, Islamic
education and the range of issues involved in living as Muslims in
a Western society.
Islamic Philosophy
Abu-Rabi‘
This
course will examine major movements and figures in the development
of Islamic philosophical thought from the early centuries to the contemporary
period. Special attention will be given to selected 20th century philosophers
of the Middle East.
Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Contemporary Issues
Breiner
Christians
and Muslims meet in different parts of the world under diverse social
and political conditions. Reviewing these different life-contexts
of Christian-Muslim encounter, the course will examine select case
studies of Christian-Muslim dialogue as a basis on which to evaluate
and reformulate theoretical concepts of dialogue which have emerged
over the past forty years. Particular theological/ethical issues will
be addressed, and guidelines for practical dialogue will be formulated
through class discussion.
Christian-Muslim Relations in Past and Present: The Theological
Dimension
Smith
This
course is a study of the ways in which Christian and Muslim perceptions
of their respective religions and their relationship to one another
have evolved through history, in conflict and concord, contributing
to the conceptual “theological” heritage with which Christians
and Muslims operate in the modern world. In contemporary perspective,
attention will be given to ways in which certain Christian and Muslim
scholars are engaged in “re-imagining” the relationship
between the two faiths.
The Practice of Christian-Muslim Dialogue in Europe and North
America
Breiner
As a
result of the growth of Muslim communities throughout North American
and Europe, many Christian and Muslim organizations are in the process
of developing resources and policies for Christian-Muslim dialogue.
This course will examine the range of contemporary literature and
practical guidelines that have emerged from Christian denominations
and ecumenical bodies, and from Muslim organizations. The course will
identify major issues that need to be addressed by both communities
as they seek to strengthen relationships for dialogue.
Christian and Muslim Mysticism
Smith
Women
and men throughout the history of Christianity and Islam have looked
for ways to express their love and devotion to God. This course will
examine the modes of faith and piety illustrated in the lives of selected
individuals who have been known as followers of the mystical path.
Special attention will be given to comparing forms of lifestyle and
of devotional poetry and writing.
Introduction to World Religions
Smith
This
course introduces students to some alternative ways of being religious,
historically and in the contemporary world, in the context of the
history and theological development of several of the major world
religions. Readings will be in religious biography and autobiography,
with background materials provided in class sessions.
Women in World Religions
Smith
Primarily
through reading novels and other fictional literature, the course
will consider the situation of women in a range of religions and cultures.
The focus will be on contemporary women’s lives, reflecting both
the influences of traditional religions on their roles and their decisions,
and the new possibilities increasingly open to them.
The World’s Sacred Scriptures
Smith
An introduction
to the sacred scriptures of major world religions (Zoroastrianism,
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism),
including the traditional religions of oral cultures. The course will
explore how different religions understand the nature and function
of sacred words, the relationship between oral and scribal traditions,
and how different scriptures treat themes of universal human and social
concern.
Introduction to Arabic, Parts I and II
Blackburn
A basic
introduction to spoken (Egyptian) and written (standard) Arabic which
assumes no prior knowledge of the Arabic language.
Intermediate Arabic, Parts I and II
Blackburn
This course is designed to supplement students' basic knowledge
of modern Arabic with classical grammar and vocabulary in preparation
for work with Islamic theological and legal texts. Prerequisite:
Introduction to Arabic, Parts I and II, OR permission of the instructor.
Readings in Arabic Texts
Mattson
The aim of this course is to improve students' reading fluency in
classical Arabic. Students will read selections of Islamic religious
texts including tafsir, hadith, and usul al-fiqh.
