Jonathan Tan, Ph.D.
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THEO 355 ISLAM

FALL SEMESTER 2009
THEO 355-01 Tue & Thu 10:00-11:15 a.m. (Alter 201)
THEO 355-02 Tue & Thu 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (Alter 201)

http://www.jonathantan.org/355/

PDF THEO 355 Islam Syllabus

SHORTCUTS TO:

ONLINE VERSIONS OF THE HOLY QUR'AN

You will need to have easy access to the Qur'an in print or online formats. Recommended online versions of the Qur'an include:

The Holy Qur'an Online
Mohammad Habib Shakir's English translation, maintained by the University of Michigan's Humanities' Text Initiative. You may search by word or phrase, or browse individual chapters.

The Noble Qur'an
Highly comprehensive Quranic Resource maintained by the University of Southern California's Muslim Students Association. This site provides a transliteration, a subject index, chapter introductions, commentaries, and the three English classical translations of Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953), Marmaduke Mohammad (William) Pickthall (1875-1936) and Mohammad Habib Shakir (1866-1939) in parallel formats.

Podcast: Live Qur'anic Recitation
Ever wondered how the Qur'an sound when recited in Arabic? This website provides podcasts of Qur'anic recitations and a variety of podcasts on the Islamic faith and practices.

25 Aug: Introduction


Map of the Islamic World (Click to download)

27 Aug: Introduction to Islam

REQUIRED READING: Esposito, pp. 1-17

Islam Outline #01

We will be watching the first part ("The Messenger") of the PBS Documentary, Islam: Empire of Faith in class today.

Watch: Islam: Empire of Faith on YouTube

Discussion Questions ("The Messenger")

FOR YOUR REFERENCE:
Reza Aslan's Official Website

1 Sep: The Sanctuary in the Desert. The Keeper of the Keys.

REQUIRED READING: Aslan, pp. xxvi-xxviii, 3-49.

3 Sep: The City of the Prophet.

REQUIRED READING: Aslan, pp. 50-74

8 Sep: Fight in the Way of God

REQUIRED READING: Aslan, pp. 74-106

10 Sep: The Awakening of the Islamic World.

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) The Early Days (New York Times, 6 January 2008).
(2) The Pragmatic Caliphs (New York Times, 6 January 2008).
(3) The Lost Garden (New York Times, 6 January 2008).
(4) In Medieval Architecture, Signs of Advanced Math (New York Times, 27 February 2007).
(5) Of Islam and Inventions (New York Times, 12 August 2007).
(6) Islamic Sciences: Contemporary Developments
(7) Islamic Commerce/Finance: Contemporary Developments
(8) Higher Education in the Islamic World: Contemporary Developments

We will be watching Part 2 ("The Awakening") of the PBS Documentary, Islam: Empire of Faith in class today.

Discussion Questions ("The Awakening")

RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR YOUR FURTHER READING:


The Abbasid Caliphate in 750 C.E.
(Click to download)

15 Sep: The Rightly Guided Ones. The Abbasids. The Crusades and Fall of Jerusalem.

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Aslan, pp. 107-139
(2) Esposito, pp. 32-41, 50-60

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Pope Urban II's Speech at the Council of Clermont, 1095 Compare Pope Urban II's Call to Crusade in 1095 with Osama bin Laden's Call to Jihad in 2001.
The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem: Collected Accounts
"Some Medieval Accounts of Salah al-Din's Recovery of Jerusalem" (by Hadia Dajani-Shakeel). In Studia Palaestina: Studies in honour of Constantine K. Zurayk. Ed. Hisham Nashabe (Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1988).
Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolymytanorum (The Deeds of the Franks)
A History of the Crusades (University of Wisconsin Digital Collections)
Comparison of Osama bin Laden's Videotaped Address (October 7, 2001) and George W. Bush, Address to the Nation (October 7, 2001).

17 Sep: This Religion is a Science

REQUIRED READING: Aslan, pp. 140-170.


Distribution of Shi'i Muslims
(Click to download)

22 Sep: In the Footsteps of the Martyrs

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:

(1) PODCAST: The Partisans of Ali: A History of Shia Faith and Politics [A 5-part series on NPR Morning Edition. Please listen online or download and listen to all the podcasts on your iPod, as well as read the articles (profiles, chronology, history, etc.) for today's class]

(2) The Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam. By Vali Nasr, on "Speaking of Faith" (American Public Radio, 20 November 2008). Please listen online or download and listen to the podcast on your iPod, as well as read the articles for today's class.

(3) Aslan, pp. 171-193 (Please listen to #1 and #2 before you read #3)

(4) Esposito, pp. 41-48, 109-114

(5) Can You Tell A Sunni From A Shiite? by Jeff Stein (New York Times, 17 October 2006).

(6) Contemporary Sunni-Shi'a Relations

(7) Shi'ism & Contemporary Iran

YOUTUBE: Ashura in New York City


YOUTUBE: Ashura in Nabatieh, Southern Lebanon

24 Sep: Stain Your Prayer Rug With Wine

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Aslan, pp. 194-219
(2) Esposito, pp. 100-109

ADDITIONAL READING:
Pseudo-Dionysius (c. 5th century), Mystical Theology


YOUTUBE CLIPS ON SUFI DEVOTIONAL RITUALS:

(1) Dervishes (Istanbul, Turkey):




(2) Dhikr (Germany):




(3) Hadhra (Tunisia):


29 Sep: An Awakening in the East

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Aslan, pp. 220-248
(2) Esposito, pp. 115-157
(3) The Philosopher of Islamic Terror (New York Times, 23 March 2003)
(4) Sayyid Qutb's America (NPR All Things Considered, 6 May 2003).
(5) Readings/Resources on Wahhabism
(6) Readings/Resources on the challenges of Islam and modernity in Saudi Arabia
(7) Readings/Resources on the challenges of Islam and modernity in Egypt

RECOMMENDED PBS FRONTLINE DOCUMENTARIES:
(1) House of Saud
(2) Saudi Time Bomb?
(3) Death of a Princess

PRIMARY SOURCES:
(1) Sayyid Qutb's magnum opus, Ma'alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones): Version #1 or Version #2
(2) Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Qur'an) (by Sayyid Qutb) [excerpts]

1 Oct: Slouching Toward Medina

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Aslan, pp. xiii-xxvi, 249-266
(2) Secrets of History: The CIA in Iran. An analysis of the declassified CIA Documents on Operation Ajax in 1953 to overthrow Mohammed Mossadeqh.
(3) Declassified Documents on the 1953 Iranian Coup (Operation Ajax) from the National Archives [source: National Security Archive]
(4) The Secret CIA History of the Iran Coup, 1953 [source: National Security Archive]
(5) The spectre of Operation Ajax (The Guardian [UK], 20 August 2003). Britain and the US crushed Iran's first democratic government. They didn't learn from that mistake.


FOR FURTHER REFERENCE:

1954 Guatemala Coup d'etat
CIA Declassified Documents on Guatemalan Coup d'etat [source: CIA documents declassified under FOIA]
CIA and Assassinations: The Guatemala 1954 Documents [source: National Security Archive]
Guatemalan Documentation Project [source: National Security Archive]

1973 Chile Coup d'etat (11 Sep 1973)
Declassified State Department Documents on Covert Action in Chile [source: State Dept documents declassified under FOIA]
Declassified US Documents on Chile Coup d'etat
Chile Documentation Project [source: National Security Archive]

6 Oct: Islamic Theology, I: Qur'an. Sunnah. Hadith.

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Esposito, pp. 17-21, 25-28, 79-82
(2) Aslan, pp. 156-170
(3) Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts (BBC News, 26 February 2008)
(4) Reading the Koran (New York Times, 6 January 2008).
(5) Creation and Fall of Humanity: Qur'an Sura 7 (read 7:1-30 only) and Genesis 3 (read entire chapter)
(6) Birth of Jesus: Qur'an Sura 19: (read 19:16-36 only), Luke 1 (read 1:26-38 only) and Luke 2 (read 2:1-7 only)

ADDITIONAL READINGS: OLDEST QUR'ANIC MANUSCRIPTS
Oldest Quran Manuscript: the Sana'a Manuscripts
Codex San'ā DAM 01-27.1 – A Qur'ānic Manuscript From Mid-1st Century Of Hijra

PRIMARY RESOURCES:
Online Collections of Sunna & Hadith (courtesy of USC-MSA)

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #1 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. today (Tue, 6 Oct 2009).

YOUTUBE: QURAN RECITATION COMPETITION:

8 Oct: Fall Holiday -- No Class

13 Oct: Islamic Theology, II: Foundational Doctrines. Creeds. Five Pillars.

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:

(1) Please watch the following on YouTube: (2) Please read the following: Islam Outline #02

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Quran, sura 81 (Last Judgment)
Mark 13 (Last Judgment)
Deuteronomy, chapter 6
Gospel of John, chapter 1
Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 1
The Trinity: A Muslim Perspective (by Abdal Hakim Murad). Click here for this essay on the website of Islam For Today.

15 Oct: Islamic Theology, III: Sharia

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Esposito, pp. 74-88, 93-100
(2) Aslan, pp. 162-169 (Sunni), 184-187 (Shi'a)
(3) Readings on the Sharia
(4) Readings on Polygamy
(5) Readings on Islamic Banking (General)
(6) Readings on Islamic Banking in the United States
(7) web Shiites and Sunnis Disagree Over Cloning (Wired Science, 2 January 2008)

Sunni Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence

FOR FURTHER READING:
Halakha (Wikipedia)

20 Oct: Islam and the Challenges of Modernity

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENT:
Please review all the multimedia and news resources in Islam & the Challenges of Modernity/Postmodernity/Secularism for today's class. Our class discussion today will focus on Turkey and Nigeria.

Islam Outline #03

Discussion Questions ("Islam and the Challenges of Modernity")

We will be watching excerpts from the PBS Documentary, Frontline: Muslims in class today.

22 Oct: Islam in the United States

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:
  1. web VODCAST: Portraits of Ordinary Muslims in the United States (Frontline: Muslims)

  2. Please read the articles in Multimedia & News Resources on Islam in the United States to prepare for today's class. For our class discussion, we will be focusing on:

  3. web Intolerance and an Attempt to Make Amends Unsettle a Chicago Suburb's Muslims (New York Times, 10 August 2000)

  4. Please watch the YouTube clips below.

We will be watching excerpts from the PBS Documentary, Frontline: Muslims in class today.

Discussion Questions ("Islam in the United States: Being Muslim and American")

YOUTUBE CLIPS:

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN & ISLAM:


LADY CALIPHS ON ESPN:

This is a 7-minute clip on ESPN of the Lady Caliphs of W. Deen Mohammed High School (735 Fayetteville Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316), a K-12 Islamic school that is noted for its academic excellence. The Lady Caliphs completed another outstanding basketball season, winning 21 out of 22 games.

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS

Sheik Reda Shata Vodcast
(New York Times)

Embracing A New Faith:
U.S. Latinas Embracing Islam

(Photo Slideshow)

27 Oct: Sustainability Day -- No Class

29 Oct: Contemporary Islam: Religion and Politics

REQUIRED READING: Esposito, pp 158-222

3 Nov: Islam and Change: Issues of Authority and Interpretation

REQUIRED READING: Esposito, pp. 223-271

5 Nov: How to Win a Cosmic War #1

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Cosmic War, pp. xi-xix, 3-31
(2) The War For Islam (Boston Globe 10 September 2006). Click here for the PDF version.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
HOW TO WIN A COSMIC WAR (REZA ASLAN'S LECTURE)

Part 1 of 6
Part 2 of 6
Part 3 of 6
Part 4 of 6
Part 5 of 6
Part 6 of 6
This lecture was originally aired on KUOW/NPR Speakers Forum, 22 February 2007, and forms the kernel of his new book, How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror, which is the sequel to No God but God.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Please e-mail your Paper #2 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, 12 Nov 2009).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The Amman Message

10 Nov: NO CLASS -- Professor attendng the American Academy of Religion Conference

12 Nov: How to Win a Cosmic War #2

REQUIRED READING: Cosmic War, pp. 32-75

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #2 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. today (Thu, 12 Nov 2009).

17 Nov: How to Win a Cosmic War #3

REQUIRED READINGS:
(1) Cosmic War, pp. 76-122
(2) Please read all the articles on Islamism/Jihadism and Islamophobia/Discrimination Against U.S. Muslims for class discussion today.
(3) Please visit the official website of Christian Embassy and review their contents for today's class.

19 Nov: How to Win a Cosmic War #4

REQUIRED READING: Cosmic War, pp. 125-173

24 Nov: Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization #1

REQUIRED READINGS:

(1) Bulliet, pp. 1-45

(2) pdf Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations (Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993)

(3) pdf Edward Said, The Clash of Ignorance (The Nation, 22 October 2001)

(4) pdf The New Imperialism, by Pepe Escobar (Asia Times, 6 November 2001). If you have difficulty understanding Huntington and Said, you should read Escobar's insightful synopsis, which succinctly summarizes both Huntington's and Said's positions.

(5) pdf Michael Hirsh, Bernard Lewis Revisited Washington Monthly 36 no. 11 (Nov 2004): 13-19. A powerful critique of Lewis and Huntington.

BACKGROUND/PREPARATORY READINGS:

pdf Bernard Lewis, The Roots of Muslim Rage Policy 17 no. 4 (Summer 2001-2002): 17-26. This essay was first published in Atlantic Monthly (Sep 1990). Lewis was the first scholar to coin the phrase "clash of civilizations." Huntington borrowed it and expanded it in his essay, The Clash of Civilization (your assigned reading for this class).


REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #3 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. today (Tue, 24 Nov 2009).

26 Nov: Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Class

1 Dec: Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization #2

REQUIRED READING: Bulliet, pp. 47-93

3 Dec: Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization #3

REQUIRED READINGS:

(1) web An Introduction to Edward Said, Orientalism, and Postcolonial Literary Studies. This is an excellent overview of Said's Orientalism in simple English by Professor Amardeep Singh (Lehigh University)

(2) pdf Introduction. From Edward Said, Orientalism (Pantheon Books, 1978), pp. 1-28

(3) Bulliet, pp. 95-133

(NB: Please read #1 and #2 before reading #3)

8 Dec: Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization #4

REQUIRED READINGS:

(1) Bulliet, pp. 135-161

(2) web Al-Qaida Kills Eight Times More Muslims Than Non-Muslims (WorldWide Religious News, 3 Dec 2009)

(3) web Best Buy Wishes Muslims Happy Eid al-Adha (BrandWeek, 23 Nov 2009)

(4) Please read all the materials in A Common Word Between Us & You

10 Dec: NO CLASS.

REMINDER: Please e-mail your Paper #4 to ProfessorJTan@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, 11 Dec 2009).

Humorous student evaluations at a foreign (non-U.S.) university... Enjoy!!!

COPYRIGHT COMPLIANCE:
STATEMENT OF FAIR USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

A good faith effort has been made to comply with US copyright law. This does not mean that none of the materials used in this course website is copyright protected, but that the "fair use" clause of US Copyright Law has been adhered to. In particular, any copyright material used here is (a) not used for commercial gain and used exclusively for educational purposes; and (b) used in limited amounts in comparison to the published source. The relevant provision (section 107) of the U.S. Copyright Act is reproduced below:

Section 107: Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phone records or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use, the factors to be considered shall include:
(1) The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. (added pub. l 94-553, Title I, 101, Oct 19, 1976, 90 Stat 2546).


Revision 4.0.0013. Originally created: 14 August 2006. Last updated: 7 December 2009.
© Copyright Jonathan Y. Tan, 2006-2009. All rights reserved.
REQUIRED
TEXTBOOKS:


Reza Aslan
No god but God
(Random, 2006)


Reza Aslan
How to Win
A Cosmic War

(Random, 2009)


John Esposito
Islam:
The Straight Path

(Rev 3rd Ed)
(Oxford, 2005)


Richard Bulliet
The Case for
Islamo-Christian
Civilization



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