Introduction to Islam

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to the diversity of the Islamic tradition and various Muslim communities, as well as the methods and resources used in Religious Studies. It will cover some of the history of the development of the Islamic tradition and various Muslim communities, while exploring wide-ranging beliefs, practices, figures, concepts, debates, institutions, and communities. It will explore the tradition both historically and contemporarily. Topics covered may include debates over the idea of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, and some subsequent Islamic expressions, such as Sunni and Shi’i Muslims, the development of schools of law, theological debates, Islamic mysticism, responses to modernity, and contemporary Muslim communities. Semester(s) Offered: F or S.