IS6415, “Islam in the Modern World”

First Semester, September – December 2005

GH 102 – Monday, 10:40am - 12:30 pm, Wednesday, 12:00 noon – 12:50 pm

 

Instructor:  Mark N. Swanson (substituting for Charles Amjad-Ali)

BH 100, 641-3227 (office), 917-7142 (home), mswanson@luthersem.edu

Office hours: TBA

 

A.  Course objectives

           

  1. That students learn something of the history and dynamics of the encounter of Islamic tradition with modernity, and gain some sophistication in characterizing different Islamic (and perhaps also Christian) responses to this encounter.

 

  1. Through the study of particular issues, that students come to appreciate the depth and seriousness of contemporary Muslims’ discussions, and sense the possibility and promise of interfaith dialogue/diapraxis.  (Issues to be treated include democracy, religious pluralism, human rights including the rights of women and of non-Muslims, Qur’an interpretation, etc.) 

 

3.      Through the study of selected places, that students learn something of the great diversity of ways in which the Islamic tradition takes shape in the world, grasp some of the factors that contribute to this diversity, and become familiar with some of the intra-Islamic debates taking place at this critical point in Islamic history.

 

  1. That, as Christians and Muslims studying together, we will treat one another’s traditions with the greatest respect, expecting that Islamic tradition and experience can illuminate Christian challenges and dilemmas, and vice versa.  We will seek depth, be alert to nuance, and be constantly wary of superficiality and of broad generalizations.

 

 

B. Readings

 

Required texts

 

Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy, a Boston Review Book (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004).

 

Akbar S. Ahmed, Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World (London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 1999).

 

Roland E. Miller and Hance A.O. Mwakabana, eds., Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Theological & Practical Issues, LWF Studies 3/1998 (Geneva: Department for Theology and Studies, The Lutheran World Federation, 1998).

 

 Strongly Recommended

 

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path.  Revised third edition.  New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

 

 

Articles on e-reserve

 

1.      As’ad Abukhalil, “Toward the Study of Women and Politics in the Arab World: The Debate and the Reality,” Feminist Issues (Spring 1993): 3-22.

 

2.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Democracy and Islam,” Al-Mushir 34/1 (Spring 1992): 1-11.

 

3.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Democratization in the Middle East from an Islamic Perspective,” in Elise Boulding, ed., Building Peace in the Middle East: Challenges for States and Civil Society (Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1994), pp. 69-77.

 

4.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Text and Interpretation Superfluity on Issues of Human Rights,” in Tarek Mitri, ed. Religion and Human Rights: A Christian-Muslim Discussion (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1996), pp.25-38.

 

5.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Theological and Historical Rationality Behind Christian-Muslim Relations,” in J. Paul Rajashekar and H.S. Wilson, eds., Islam in Asia: Perspectives for Encounter (Geneva: Lutheran World Federation and World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 1992), pp. 3-15.

 

6.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Towards a New Theology of Dialogue,” Al-Mushir  33/2 (Summer 1991): 57-69.

 

7.      Charles Amjad-Ali, “Women Leadership in Islam,” Al-Mushir 31/4 (Winter 1989): 123-39.

 

8.      Donna E. Arzt, “The Application of International Human Rights Law in Islamic States,” Human Rights Quarterly 12 (1990), pp. 202-230.

 

9.      Benjamin Barber, “Jihad vs. McWorld,” Atlantic Monthly (March 1992): 53-55, 58-63.

 

10.  John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, revised 3rd edition (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), Chapter 4, “Modern Interpretations of Islam,” pp. 115-57 (plus notes on pp. 279-80).

 

11.  Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs 72/3 (Summer 1993): 22-49.

 

12.  Josef Joffe, “A Clash Between Civilizations - or Within Them” and Chandra Muzaffar, “The West’s Hidden Agenda,” World Press Review (February 1994): 24-26.

 

13.  Bernard Lewis, “Islam and Liberal Democracy,” The Atlantic Monthly (February 1993): 89-98.

 

 

C.  Assignments

 

1.      Disciplined reading, and preparation for and participation in class. 

 

2.      For the Part I of the course (focus on issues): a weekly reflection paper on (one of) the assigned readings, about 3 pages long, to be brought to class on Monday.  Come to class prepared to share your reflections.  A good paper may be one that devotes some space to summarizing the author’s argument in a clear and illuminating way, and then goes on to thoughtful/critical engagement with this argument. 

 

3.      In Part II of the course (focus on places), each student will develop a paper/presentation with the title “Islam in …,” for presentation to the class.  Issues to be addressed include the history of the Islamic community in a particular place, principal Islamic movements and organizations, and pressing issues faced by the Islamic community.  This paper/project, which may have the form of a 10-12 page paper or some other form, e.g. PowerPoint presentation with supporting documentation, is due on the last day of the semester, December 17.

 

4.      Depending on students’ schedules, we will arrange events such as an evening with Prof. Amjad-Ali (before his departure for South Africa), and possibly with other guests.  Dr. Swanson will be traveling a couple of times during the semester, and intends to make up lost time in sessions in the evening (or over lunch?).

 

 

D.  Grading

 

30%  class readiness and participation

35%  for the short reflection papers

35%  final paper/presentation

 

            If you are not an M.Th. or Ph.D. student and if you want a letter grade, please remember to submit the appropriate grade request form (with the grade request line in the bottom right hand corner checked).  I strongly encourage M.A. and M.Div. students who are intending to pursue doctoral work to take the course for a grade.

 

 

E.  Provisional schedule

 

 

Week

 
Lecture Topic
Some readings

 

 1:  Sept.  7

Introduction to the course.

 

 

 2:            12

I.  Islam and the Modern World

     A.  Historical introduction

 

Article 10

                14

 

           (Dr. Swanson will be out of town.  Please read, and

            we’ll schedule a make-up session.)

 

 

 3:            19/21

 

     B.  Background: the interpenetration (clash?) of cultures

Articles 9, 11, 12

 4:            26

 

           (Dr. Swanson will be out of town again.)

 

 

                28

     C.  Islam and democracy

Articles 13, 2, 3

 

       Make-up

    session TBA

 

      A seminar on

     Abou El Fadl, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy

 

Abou El Fadl, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy

 5:    Oct.   3/5

 

     D.  Islam and human rights

Articles 4, 8;

Henningsson in CMD pt. III.

 6:             10/12

 

     E.  Islam and women 

Articles 1, 7

 7:              17

 

      F.  A pause for reflection: 

           How is the Qur’an being interpreted?

 

TBA

                  19

 

READING DAY

 

 8:              24/26

 

G.  Islam and non-Muslim minorities

TBA

 9:              31

 H.  Issues in Christian-Muslim dialogue

 

Articles 5, 6; Miller and Schumann #1 in CMD pt. I

          Nov.   2

 

II.  Islam in the Modern World

A.  The expansion of Islam – factors leading to diversity

 

 

Akbar Ahmad, Islam Today

10:               7/9       

 

B.  Islam in the Islamic heartland

(Egypt; Turkey or Iran)

 

 

11:              14/16 

            

C.  Islam in the Indian subcontinent

      (India, Pakistan)

 

 

                    21/23

 

THANKSGIVING BREAK

 

12:               28/30         

 

 D.  Islam at the ends of the old world

             (Senegal, Indonesia)

 

 

13:      Dec.   5/7

 

E.  Islam in the West

      (Europe, North America)

 

 

14:                12/14

 

       F.  Islam in …  (student presentations)

 

 

CMD = Miller and Mwakabana, eds., Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Theological and Practical Issues.