Islamic Law and Society in Historical Perspective

Catalog description

The course provides an in-depth examination of key topics in recent research on the study of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and theory (usul) and an investigation of changes in the field. This class also offers a thorough examination of two or three topics within Islamic law with an emphasis on their development in recent history. Topics will be selected in consultation with students, and they will be approached from various disciplinary perspectives, including literary, documentary, and anthropological approaches. They should be of broad interest and could include subjects within family law, international relations, ritual, colonialism, democratization, and so forth. Readings include monographs and articles from an array of locations and perspectives to provide a view of the complexity of topics and of regional, social, economic, racial/ethnic diversity, and to develop a foundation for comparative analysis. Reading knowledge of Arabic is helpful but not required.