Intro to Islamic Civilization:
Historical survey of Islamic civilization in global perspective. Chronological coverage of social, political, economic and cultural history will be balanced with focused attention to special topics, which will include: aspects of Islam as religion; science, medicine and technology in Islamic societies; art and architecture; philosophy and theology; interaction between Islamdom and Christendom; Islamic history in the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia as well as Africa; European colonialism; globalization of Islam and contemporary Islam. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JNE 210C.
Sufism: Mystics in Islamic History: Writing Intensive Seminar:
This course is designed as a social and intellectual history of Sufism in all its major aspects. The course begins with a survey of Sufism's formative period from the 9th to the 12th centuries CE, examining the emergence of key doctrines and practices as well as the formation of the first Sufi communities around accomplished masters. Then, the course traces the rise to social prominence of the Sufi mode of piety during and after the 12th century. The course will also consider the critique of Sufism by modernist Muslims and radical Islamists alike, as a mode of piety out of tune with "modern" science and rationality as well as Sufi responses to such critique. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for the history major. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 39T8.
Islamic History: 1200-1800:
A survey of the major Islamic polities and societies of the Nile-to-Oxus region from 1200 to 1800; their cultures, socioeconomic conditions and historical development. Particular attention is given to the Mamluk and Ottoman Middle East, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for the history major. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 314C.
Senior Seminar in Religious Studies: Soul, Self, Person in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam:
What is a "human individual"? Who am I? Do we have souls? Are we immortal? These and a host of other questions that relate to personal identity and selfhood form integral parts of theological, philosophical, spiritual teachings and inquiry in all three of the western monotheisms. In all three cases, the key concept at the nexus of all discussions on these issues is that of the soul. The course is designed as a critical examination of this concept. Initial coverage of Greek/Hellenistic conceptions will be followed by close reading of selected texts in conjunction with relevant scholarly literature. Questions addressed will include: the nature, composition, origin, and final end of the soul; its relation to God; meaning of life and death; the resurrection; communication between souls, dead and alive; dreams. PREREQ: SENIOR STANDING. The seminar is required of all Religious Studies majors (with the exception of those writing honors' theses). The class is also open, with permission of the instructor, to other advanced undergraduates with previous coursework in Religious Studies. Limited to 15 students. 3 units. Same as L97 IAS 4790, L75 JNE 479.
Judaism And Islam In Comparative Perspective:
The historical trajectories of Rabbinic Judaism and Islam are intimately intertwined. Moreover, a strong argument can be made that Rabbinic Judaism and Islam bear some obvious affinities with one another. Nevertheless, the two traditions generally continue to be studied in isolation from one another. The goals of this seminar are (1) to foster better understanding of areas of historical contact and intersections between Jewish and Islamic civilizations and (2) to start the work of developing a common framework for the comparative study of the two traditions. We will examine examples of sustained and meaningful contact such as Muslim-Jewish symbiosis in early Islam as well as interaction on the level of philosophical and theological discourses between medieval Jews and Muslims. We will also attempt to identify instances of affinity between the two traditions through comparative study of their exegetical, messianic, legal, and mystical dimensions. Seniors in Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies will be given preference in admission. Advanced students from other departments and programs should contact the instructor prior to enrollment. 3 units. Same as home course L75 JNE 4070.
Islamic History 622-1200:
The cultural, intellectual, and political history of the Islamic world, beginning with the prophetic mission of Muhammad and concluding with the Mongol invasions. Topics include: the life of Muhammad; the early Muslim conquests; the institution of the caliphate; the translation movement from Greek into Arabic and the emergence of Arabic as a language of learning and artistic expression; the development of new educational, legal, and pietistic institutions; changes in agricultue, crafts, commerce and the growth of urban culture; multiculturalism and interconfessional interaction among Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians and others; large-scale movements of nomadic peoples; synoptic glances at Islamic polities in Sicily, Spain, North Africa, the Near East as well as Central and South Asia. JINES graduate students should register for L75 513. This course satisfies the pre-modern course requirement for history majors. PREREQ: SEE HISTORY HEADNOTE. 3 units. Same as home course L22 History 313C.
Topics In Islam: Conceptualizing Islam:
'Religion' has always been a contested concept. Already in the early 1960s, when Religious Studies was emerging as a new field of academic study in American universities, the late Wilfred Cantwell Smith, prominent scholar of religion, subjected the concept 'religion' to close scrutiny and argued that, far from being a universal concept found in all or most human cultures, 'religion' was a specifically Western category with a peculiar history. Recently, other scholars (such as Richard King and Timothy Fitzgerald) have taken Smith's critical outlook on religion even further by challenging the application of this label to non-Euro-American cultural traditions, particularly 'Hinduism' and 'Buddhism,' as problematic. Islam, however, is still routinely viewed as a major world religion, even though it is not all too clear if its characterization as a religion is warranted. In this course, we will address this issue by surveying the history of Islamic concepts that seem to be akin to the Euro-American concept of religion. More broadly, our goal will be to probe the Islamic tradition for the ways in which Muslims have conceptualized their own tradition as well as those of others (Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Zoroastrians) and to determine if Muslim concepts of Islam and of other 'traditions' bear any generic resemblance to post-Enlightenment Euro-American conceptions of religion. Oral and written reports as well as major research paper required. 3 units. Same as L97 IS 4910, L75 JNE 490.
