Course Description

GLS 592: Topics in Islam

Instructor: Herbert Berg

This course will introduce the beliefs, practices, and history of Islam. The first part of the course will focus on the message and style of the Qur'an, the life and experience of Muhammad, and the major beliefs and practices of Islam. We shall then turn to the political, religious, and legal developments in the early centuries of Islam. The third part of the course will deal with the theological, philosophical, and mystical movements in the Islamic empire. Finally, we will examine a few specific modern social issues and political movements both inside and outside the Middle East.

Last Update: October 8, 2008