LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES
COURSE OUTLINE SPRING 2011
“. . .the historiography of the Islamic-Christian encounter will be moved to a new level when we have learned to see it as the intertwining destiny of human beings whose relation to God has for now fourteen centuries taken these two classes of forms.
The religious history of the world is the history of *us*. Some of us have been Muslims, some Christians. Our common history has been what it has been, in significant part because of this fact. Yet it is a common history for all that; and cannot be properly understood otherwise.
And if that be true of the past fourteen centuries, how much more so of the coming fourteen.” —Wilfred Cantwell Smith, 1977
THST 481: Islam in the Modern World
Classroom: STR 249
Mondays, 7:15 to 9:45 pm
Professor: Amir Hussain
Office: University Hall, Room 3724
Phone: (310) 338-5987 (or Department of Theological Studies at 338-7670)
Fax: (310) 338-1947
Email: amir.hussain@lmu.edu
Web Page: http://myweb.lmu.edu/ahussain/
Office Hours: Mondays, 5:00 to 7:00 pm and by appointment on other days
Course Description:
This course will introduce students to the contemporary Islamic religious tradition. It will focus on the ways in which different Muslim groups have understood Islam and what it means to be Muslim. There has been a tremendous increase in interest about Islam and Muslims since the attacks on September 11, 2001. After the attacks, there was more coverage about Islam than ever before in the American news media. We will begin the course by discussing how the news media constructs reality. Then we will start our study of contemporary Islam by examining some of the relationships between “Islam” and “the Modern World”. We will start with some methodological issues: What is “Islam”? What is “the Modern World”? How can these phenomena be studied? In this section of the course we will discuss some of the major reformers of Islam in the modern world. The next section of the course will discuss feminism and its impacts on Islam and modernity. The fourth section of the course will focus on contemporary Muslim religiosity and activity outside of North America, particularly in the conflict zones of the Tenth Parallel between Muslims and Christians. The final section of the course will discuss the role of Islam in the United States and Canada. The last week of the course will be devoted to student seminar presentations about their research.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this course students will 1) demonstrate that they will think both empathetically and critically about Islam and Muslims; 2) demonstrate knowledge of the histories and cultures of the Muslim world; 3) demonstrate that they have the ability to interpret texts and other cultural phenomena (such as rituals, myths, architecture) that have religious presuppositions or implications; 4) demonstrate that they will think both empathetically and critically about conflicting religious claims; and 5) through class participation, seminar presentation and written assignments have improved their verbal and written skills.
Required Texts:
John L. Esposito, The Future of Islam (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Eliza Griswold, The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line Between Christianity
and Islam (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2010).
A copy of each book is on reserve in Reserve Services of the Library.
Course readings distributed in class.
Evaluation:
It is important for each student to know at the outset that this course requires daily reading, written assignments and a seminar presentation. Moreover, regular class attendance and participation are required. Clear, grammatically correct composition and standard spelling are expected on all written assignments.
Information on the book reviews and the research paper (which will be on a topic of the student’s choice, in consultation with the instructor) will be provided separately during the course.
Active class participation will positively affect the student’s final grade. More than one unexcused absence during the semester will negatively affect the student’s grade. The University’s grading policy, including the plus/minus system, will be used. The University’s cheating policy will be followed in this course.
Grades will be determined as follows:
15% A Book Review of 5 Pages on the Esposito book, due Feb. 14.
15% A Book Review of 5 Pages on the Griswold book, due March 21.
10% Class Participation.
40% A Research Paper of 15 Pages, due April 18.
20% Seminar Presentation on April 25.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
Students with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act who need reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to the Disability Support Services Office. Any student who currently has a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological) needing academic accommodations should contact the Disability Services Office (Daum Hall Room 224, 310-338-4535) as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential.
Academic Honesty:
Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that can range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible to turn in any work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including Internet) without properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “LMU Honor Code and Process” which appears in the LMU Bulletin 2010-2011.
Tentative Nature of the Syllabus:
If necessary, this syllabus and its contents are subject to revision; students are responsible for any changes or modifications distributed in class or posted on the instructor’s web site.
Schedule of Classes:
Monday, Jan. 10: “Too much heaven on their minds”. Introductions. Who are we, what are we doing in this course and why? “Here we are now, entertain us”: Islam, Muslims and the American media.
Wednesday, Jan. 12: Presentation by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish from noon to 1 pm in UH 1000.
Monday, Jan. 17: No class due to Martin Luther King Day.
Monday, Jan. 24: Who are Muslims? Basic terms and concepts about Islam. READING: The Future of Islam, introductory materials and Chapter 1.
Monday, Jan. 31: Basic issues in political Islam. READING: The Future of Islam, Chapter 2.
Monday, Feb. 7: Islamic reformers in the modern world. READING: The Future of Islam, Chapter 3.
Thursday, Feb. 10: The Loyolan’s First Amendment Week panel on the Park 51 Mosque controversy from 12:15 to 1:15 pm (Convo Hour) in UH 1000.
Monday, Feb. 14: America and the Muslim World. READING: The Future of Islam, Chapter 4 and concluding materials. Review of Esposito Book Due.
Monday, Feb. 21: Video on women in Islam. Women and Islam. The impacts of Feminism on Islam.
Monday, Feb. 28: No class due to Spring Break.
Monday, March 7: Women and Islam continued.
Monday, March 14: Muslims and Christians in Conflict: Africa. READING: The Tenth Parallel, introductory materials and Part One.
Friday, March 18: Last day to withdraw from classes or to apply for credit/no credit grading.
Monday, March 21: Muslims and Christians in Conflict: Asia. READING: The Tenth Parallel, Part Two and concluding materials. Review of Griswold Book Due.
Monday, March 28: Muslims and Christians in Dialogue: A Common Word.
Monday, April 4: Contemporary Islam in the United States: Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
Monday, April 11: Islam as a North American religious phenomenon: Indigenous and Immigrant Muslims.
Monday, April 18: Islam as a North American religious phenomenon: The Muslim communities of the United States and Canada. Research Paper Due.
Monday, April 25: Student Seminar Presentations.
“Rather, his example —what he lived, taught, recommended, and inspired— was to stay firmly grounded in one’s own tradition (not dogmatically, but honestly, openly), and, from there, to reach across to those in other traditions —to speak to them, to love them, to celebrate life’s personal plurality. To be bettered, not lessened, by differences”.
—Brian Cantwell Smith on his father, 2000