REL 391 Beyond Jihad: Encounters with Islam

The accounts of warfare and violence that have filled our televisions and newspapers represent only one possible type of encounter between Muslims and non-Muslims in our present and past. This course examines war and political conflict alongside other examples of interreligious interactions: between merchants and missionaries, slave-traders and prophets. By examining these moments of encounter – with Christians, Jews, Hindus, and many others – this course investigates the factors that influence contact and conflict. What kinds of identities are produced in these moments? When does religious identity matter and why? And how do people with shared histories and stories come to see themselves as separate and distinct?

Credits

4 sh

Course Types

Middle Eastern Studies elective; IGS-Middle East elective; Interreligious Studies elective; Peace and Conflict Studies elective

Course Outcomes

Students will demonstrate familiarity with the diverse possibilities for interactions between Muslims and non-Muslims;

Course Outcomes

... Examine the social, cultural, and historical factors that guide interactions between religious groups towards various outcomes;
... Analyze how religious identities intersect with other markers of identity such as race, gender, nationality, and politics;
... Understand the diverse range of Muslim/non-Muslim interactions across the world in both the contemporary and historic periods.