RT1225: Islamic History, Islamic Thought

School	Religion
Department Code	SHARE
Module Code	RT1225
External Subject Code	100796
Number of Credits	20
Level	L5
Language of Delivery	English
Module Leader	Mr Richard Cawley
Semester	Double Semester
Academic Year	2013/4

Outline Description of Module

This module offers an introduction to the political, religious and intellectual history of Islam. It provides students with a basic understanding of the central notions, evolution and key developmental periods of the Islamic tradition during its 1,400 year history. This module aims to build on work undertaken in the first year of the BA Religious & Theological Studies by offering students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the historical development of a major world religious tradition and its key theological schools.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

On successful completion of the module a student will be able to:

Knowledge:

Outline the broad religious, intellectual and political history of the Islamic world

Demonstrate some awareness of the key theological schools of thought in Islamic history

Identify, evaluate and make use of primary source material relevant to the study of Islamic history and thought

Choose relevant secondary sources, and be able to offer an explicit rationale for the selection of those sources in presentations

Recall some of the key Arabic and vernacular terminology relevant to the study of Islamic history and theology

Demonstrate awareness of some of the most important scholarly terms, categories and historical periods of Islamic history and thought

Demonstrate a more in-depth knowledge of one historical period and one theological school of thought

Recall the dates of key events and figures in Islamic history

Comprehension:

· Comprehend broad trends in Islamic political, religious and theological history

· Grasp the essential features of a range of academic arguments

· Paraphrase secondary source material reliably and accurately

· Distinguish between different theological schools of thought and their key ideas

· Differentiate between different kinds of primary source material

· Demonstrate comprehension of theological and historical material, in order to develop evidence-based arguments

· Summarise primary and secondary source material in support of developed arguments

Application

· Relate primary and secondary source material to presentations and examinations

· Apply seminar work to independent research tasks.

· Demonstrate the significance of primary and secondary source data to a given hypothesis

Analysis

· Compare and contrast different theological schools of thought

· Compare and contrast a range of different scholarly arguments on a range of topics

· Relate a range of primary and secondary material in support of an argument

· Identify the strengths and weaknesses of argumentation in both primary and secondary literature

· Choose relevant primary and secondary source material

· Understand and illustrate arguments through examination of relevant primary and secondary source material

Synthesis

· Plan and execute a group research presentation

· Compose coherent, well structured and well organised arguments in answer to selected examination questions

· Combine a diverse range of primary and secondary materials in preparation and defence of a developed argument

· Offer sound categorisations of the main schools of theological thought in the Islamic tradition, as well as the flow of historical development therein

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a means of lecture and seminar sessions. 20 contact hours will be devoted to the historical development of the Islamic tradition, and the main ideas of key schools of thought. The remaining contact hours will be seminars, in which particular issues will be explored in greater depth. These sessions will also be used to hold student group presentations.

Skills that will be practised and developed

The ability to

· Listen to others with respect

· Respond actively to tutor and student feedback

· Discuss, explore and question new ideas

· Develop and present analyses of clearly and effectively, orally and in writing

· Understand problems and design effective solutions to them

· Accept responsibility for one’s own activities and their outcomes

· Adopt a balanced work schedule

· Revise judgements in the light of new evidence

· Use computers and information technology as learning aids

· Demonstrate a willingness to seek, and accept, help and guidance

How the module will be assessed

This module will be assessed by a 2,000 word essay in the Autumn Semester, in which students must address historical topics, and by an exam in the Spring Semester. The exam will focus on Islamic thought and students should answer two questions in two hours.

Assessment Breakdown

Type	%	Title	Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment	100	Coursework	N/A

Syllabus content

This module will explore Islamic history in overview during the first semester. It will explore the following topics:

1. Key Terms and Sources for Islamic History; the Life of Muhammad

2. The Umayyad Dynasty and its Opponents

3. The Abbasid Revolution and State

4. Abbasid Decline and the Emergence of the Medieval Islamic World

5. Crusaders, Mongols and Re-organisation

6. The Ottoman Empire

7. Safavid Persia

8. Mughal India

9. The Impact of Colonialism

10. The Islamic World in the Modern World

During the second semester, we will focus on some of the major schools of thought.

1. Definitions and Key Terms

2. The political dimensions of theology

3. The Shi`at `Ali

4. The Sunni Consensus

5. The Mu’tazila

6. Asharism

7. The Schools of Law

8. Sufi Thought

9. Islamic Philosophy

10. Salafi Thought

Essential Reading and Resource List

Indicative Reading and Resource List:

History

· Berkey, J P (2002), The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800, CUP: Cambridge

· Hodgson, M (1977, 3 volumes), The Venture of Islam, University of Chicago Press: Chicago

· Kennedy, H (2004, 2nd Edition), The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: the Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century, Longman: London

· Lapidus, I (2002, 2nd Edition), A History of Islamic Societies, CUP: Cambridge

· Ruthven, M & Nanji, A (2004), Historical Atlas of the Islamic World, OUP: Oxford

· Sonn, T (2010, 2nd Edition), Islam: a Brief History, Wiley-Blackwell: Chichester

Theology

· Abrahamov, B (1998), Islamic Theology: Traditionalism and Rationalism, EUP: Edinburgh

· Fakhry, M (1997), Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introduction, Oneworld: Oxford

· Leaman, O (2002, 2nd Edition), An Introduction to Classical Islamic Philosophy, CUP: Cambridge

· Nagel, T (2006), The History of Islamic Theology, Markus Wiener Publishing: Gottingen

· Rippin, A (2006), The Blackwell Companion to the Quran, Blackwell: London

· Saeed, A (2006), Islamic Thought: An Introduction, Routledge: London

· Van Ess, J (2006), The Flowering of Muslim Theology, Harvard University Press: London

· Winter, T J (2008), The Cambridge Companion to Islamic Theology, CUP: Cambridge

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