RELG 331 - What is Love? Reflections from the Islamic Tradition

Credits: (3)
Domain (Anchored): ALV
This seminar will examine some of the most profound and influential writings about love from the Islamic intellectual and poetic traditions. Perhaps more than any other civilization, the literary and philosophical traditions of Islamic civilization have been “love-centric.” In this course we will closely read and discuss various philosophies and theories of love from the mundane to the mystical.

Through readings and discussions of the works of Ibn Hazm, ‘Attar, al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Farid, Rumi, Amir Khusro, Ibn ‘Arabi, Hafez and more, students will become familiar with the various “schools of love” of the Islamic tradition, the role of love in Islamic philosophy, theology, and mysticism, as well as the various social practices and norms surrounding love and its expression in the various Muslim societies. We will also cover the prominent belles-lettres tradition of “love literature” in Arabic and Persian and the influence of this literature on Western literature from the Medieval period to the present day.