RS319 ISLAM (3cr.)  Spring 2007, MW 2:30-3:45

Richard N. Berube, SSE

STE 231 (654-2666), Nicolle 118 (654-2353)

Office hours:  to be determined

rberube@smcvt.edu

This course is an opportunity to study the beliefs, values, religious observances, history, and diverse cultures of the world's second largest religion, its place in contemporary Muslim societies, and its influence on and by events in today's world. The course is offered for three credits and satisfies a Liberal Studies Requirement in "Culture and Civilization."

Prerequisites: fulfillment of the Liberal Studies Requirements in Religious Studies.

For nearly 14 centuries, Islam, the greatest of the world religions to develop after Christianity, has been the religion and way of life for millions of people. Today, about one billion people claim the name Muslim as followers of the revelation (Qur’an or Koran) given through the prophet Muhammad, and valuing a religious heritage, traced through Jesus to Abraham, which links Islam with Christianity and Judaism. Islam has been and continues to be a major shaper of the cultures of peoples especially in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and in its history it has contributed significantly and positively to the philosophical, scientific, and artistic development of the Christian West. Islam, however, is not limited to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, nor is its influence on the West merely a matter of history. In Europe and America today, Islam is a growing phenomenon. In the United States there are about six million Muslims, making Islam the second largest religion in the United States.

Though Islam has been and is the object of serious and objective examination by European and American scholars, it is also true that, from its very beginnings in the 7th century, Islam has also been often misinterpreted and even maligned by westerners. A major objective of this course will be to identify and correct such misconceptions.

Required Reading:

The Koran, Penguin Classics edition, trans. N.J. Dawood (revised, 1999).

Daniel Brown, A New Introduction to Islam (Blackwell Publishing, 2004).

John J. Donohue & John L. Esposito, Islam in Transition: Muslim Perspectives, 2nd edition (Oxford 2007).

Islam on the Net: there are many relevant websites, but these are particularly useful:

http://www.nccbuscc.org/seia/islam.htm

http://www.islamfortoday.com

http://www.islamicfinder.org

Course Methodology & Policies

Classes will be conducted in a lecture/discussion fashion, focusing on readings assigned for the day or week, and the sharing of weekly one-page reflections due every Monday.

The student's grade for the course will be calculated on this basis: 50%, test average (midterm and final exam); 20%, a 5-6 page paper due Wednesday, April 25); 30%, participation (class attendance, active contribution to discussion, weekly one-page reflections).

Policy on unexcused cuts:  no unexcused cuts.

For definitions and standards of academic integrity, see "Saint Michael's College Policy on Academic Integrity."

In broad outline, the course will proceed through an historical survey of Islam, branching off from that historical outline to look at the Qur’an (formation and interpretation), and issues confronting Islam in the contemporary world.  Our main guide will be the Brown text.  Specific reading assignments will be given weekly in class and posted to the course’s eCollege site.