RELG 324 - Contemporary Debates in Modern Islam

(Fall or Spring) (3) Staff (College 200, CSI, GER 4B, GER 7)

This course will explore a variety of topics pertaining to contemporary Islam in the modern world, topics shrouded in misunderstanding and misinformation: the status of women in Islam, the meaning of jihad, the existence of religious extremism, the role of religion in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iran’s hybrid theocratic-democratic government, and the rise and spread of Islamophobia in the US and beyond, among other topics. We will approach these controversial topics with an open-mind, examining them from multiple perspectives and angles, and relying on primary source material, foundational Islamic texts, and the arguments made by those personally affected by these topics. Students will analyze, grapple with, and learn to defend different sides of difficult, complex and oftentimes unresolvable issues. The ultimate goal of the course is to exemplify the enormous diversity of opinion that exists within modern Islam and the multitude of individuals, communities, and nations that comprise the Muslim world. No prior knowledge of Islam is expected; the first part if the course will include a crash course in understanding the key theological principles and historical evolution of Islam. (This course is anchored in the CSI domain, and also considers aspects of the ALV domain.)