Contemporary Islamic Thought and Movements

Catalog description

This course will consider contemporary Islamic thought and movements world-wide. After a brief introduction to Islam and the historical development of the tradition up to the present, students will learn about a range of contemporary Muslim intellectual and activist movements and thinkers through the study of original writings and secondary analysis. Some major figures to be considered include: Syed Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, Fazlur Rahman, and other Muslim intellectuals representing movements such as Jama'at-i Islami, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic liberalism. We will focus on the 20th century up to the most current trends. Some of the theological and social issues that will be discussed are gender, the ideal political order, Islamic law and its role in society, and pluralism.