REL 165 - Islam in America

We will explore the “story of Islam in America” and ‘locate’ Muslim-Americans on the historical, geographical and imaginal planes of the United States of America. We will examine Islam’s historical origins, its major events and figures, the lives (and lifestyles) of Muslims in America, but also intellectual currents and cultural, literary and artistic traditions. Special attention will be paid to the spiritual and religious life and the Black Muslim experience - a major and highly complicated chapter in this story. If fruitful, our study will shed light on “Islam” through “America”, but also on “America” through “Islam”. Our core discipline and practice will be to learn and apply the Four Levels of Reading to the texts and artefacts, and to learn to speak (in order of significance) from within the texts, with them, and to/about them.

Satisfies a major and minor requirement in Religion.
Satisfies South Asian Studies minor requirement.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.