The Qur'an

Course Description

The political upheavals and events of recent years have focused much attention on "Islam" and its cultures and texts, especially the Qur'an. Most of the attention and interest in the Qur'an, however, has been reductive and superficial, amounting to no more than de-contextualized misreading's of certain verses in most cases. This seminar will serve as an introduction to the Qur"an as scripture, but also as a generative and polyphonic cultural text. We will start with a brief look at the legacy of Qur"anic studies within the larger paradigm of Orientalist scholarship and "Western" approaches to all things Islamic. We will, then, address the historical and cultural background and context of the Qur'an's genesis as an oral revelation, its intimate affinities with Biblical and Near Eastern narratives, and its transformation into a written and canonized text after the death of Muhammad. We will then examine the Qur'an's structure as a "book" and read selections from its most famous chapters and explore how they were deployed in various discourses as Islam became the official religion of a civilization and an empire. Readings and discussions will focus on the themes of prophecy, gender and sexuality, violence and peace. The seminar neither assumes nor requires any prior knowledge of Islamic studies or Arabic.

Code

IDSEM-UG 1357

Credits

4

Subject

Interdisciplinary Seminars