Course

In New York City (USA)

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Course

  • Level

    Intermediate

  • Location

    New york city (USA)

  • Duration

    Flexible

The Religion Department is committed to the rigorous exploration of the growth and development of religious traditions, their historical and contemporary influence in shaping cultures and societies, and their wide-ranging roles in shaping changing global contexts.

Facilities

Location

Start date

New York City (USA)
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Start date

Different dates availableEnrolment now closed

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This centre's achievements

2019

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The average rating is higher than 3.7

More than 50 reviews in the last 12 months

This centre has featured on Emagister for 5 years

Subjects

  • IT Law
  • Jurisprudence
  • Global
  • Law
  • Buddhism
  • Community
  • Backgrounds
  • Geographical
  • Religion
  • Islamic
  • Manifestations

Course programme

Courses

Islam

This course is designed as an introduction to the Islamic religion, both in its pre-modern and modern manifestations. The semester begins with a survey of the central elements that unite a diverse community of Muslim peoples from a variety of geographical and cultural backgrounds. This includes a look at the Prophet and the Qur'an and the ways in which both were actualized in the development of ritual, jurisprudence, theology, and sufism/mysticism. The course then shifts to the modern period, examining the impact of colonization and the rise of liberal secularism on the Muslim world. The tension between traditional Sunni and Shi'i systems of authority and movements for "modernization" and/or "reform" feature prominently in these readings. Topics range from intellectual attempts at societal/religious reform (e.g., Islamic Revivalism, Modernism, Progressivism) and political re-interpretations of traditional Islamic motifs (e.g., Third-Worldism and Jihadist discourse) to efforts at accommodating scientific and technological innovations (e.g., evolution, bioethics ). The class ends by examining the efforts of American and European Muslim communities to carve out distinct spheres of identity in the larger global Muslim community ( umma) through expressions of popular culture (e.g. Hip-Hop).

Buddhism: East Asian

Lecture and discussion. An introductory survey that studies East Asian Buddhism as an integral , living religious tradition. Emphasis on the reading of original treatises and historiographies in translation, while historical events are discussed in terms of their relevance to contemporary problems confronted by Buddhism. Global Core.

Buddhism: East Asian

Runs From July 3 - August 11

Lecture and discussion. An introductory survey that studies East Asian Buddhism as an integral , living religious tradition. Emphasis on the reading of original treatises and historiographies in translation, while historical events are discussed in terms of their relevance to contemporary problems confronted by Buddhism. Global Core.

Exploring Sharia: Islamic Law

The platform of every modern Islamist political party calls for the implementation of the sharia. This term is invariably (and incorrectly) interpreted as an unchanging legal code dating back to 7th century Arabia. In reality, Islamic law is an organic and constantly evolving human project aimed at ascertaining God's will in a given historical and cultural context. This course offers a detailed and nuanced look at the Islamic legal methodology and its evolution over the last 1400 years. The first part of the semester is dedicated to classical Islamic jurisprudence, concentrating on the manner in which jurists used the Qur'an, the Sunna (the model of the Prophet), and rationality to articulate a coherent legal system. The second part of the course focuses on those areas of the law that engender passionate debate and controversy in the contemporary world. Specifically, we examine the discourse surrounding Islamic family (medical ethics, marriage, divorce, women's rights) and criminal (capital punishment, apostasy, suicide/martyrdom) law. The course concludes by discussing the legal implications of Muslims living as minorities in non-Islamic countries and the effects of modernity on the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence.

Sufism

This course is a seminar for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who wish to gain an understanding of the richness of the Sufi tradition. Sufism (Islamic “mysticism”) forms an integral part of Islam, centering on the inner, spiritual development of the believer and his attempts to draw close to God, beyond a purely outward adherence to the law (the sharī‘a). While the Sufi tradition has been incredibly diverse, it often stresses the immanent nature of the divine, which Sufis believe can be grasped through divine grace in the Here and Now. By acknowledging emotion as a legitimate source of knowledge (to be cultivated through a range of devotional exercises and meditative techniques), and by putting an emphasis on esoteric interpretations of scripture, Sufism has played a fundamental role in the negotiation of Islamic orthodoxy. Moreover, as an important manifestation of Islamic piety, it has spawned some of the greatest works of art—from poetry to music, the decorative arts and architecture. Sufi orders (ṭarīqas) have also played a crucial role in the social and economic history of Muslim societies, as guild-like institutions that often transcended ethnic, linguistic or social differences.

In this course, we will examine the historical origins, development and institutionalization of Sufism, including long-standing debates over its place within the wider Islamic tradition. We will ask, for example, why Sufism has often been described as something different from mainstream, “legalistic” Islam. We will try to untangle the complicated history of the term Sufism itself, and unpack the usefulness of categories such spirituality or mysticism. We will examine Sufi attitudes toward the body, as the interface between “exterior” and “interior,” as well as a tool for human transgression and submission. We will consider the importance of the Sufi master-disciple relationship, Sufi understandings of lineage, power and religious authority. Finally, we will explore the role of Sufism in anti-colonial resistance and its continued importance in the modern world.

By way of a close reading of a range of primary sources, including Sufi manuals of etiquette, hagiographies, Sufi creeds and poetry, we will discuss the paradox that even though Sufism initially stressed the primacy of emotions and lived experience over book-learning, its adherents and practitioners proceeded to produce an enormous body of works, both normative and descriptive, literary and practical. Our readings will be supplemented by secondary scholarship on Sufism, which has boomed in the last couple of decades in a variety of fields, including anthropology, sociology, Islamic studies and cultural history.

RELIGION

Price on request