Resources

Course Number: ISLAMCIV 112

Course Title: Philosophy in Muslim Contexts

Instructor: Fouad Ben Ahmed

“Philosophy in Muslim Contexts” is a dynamic undergraduate course that delves into the fascinating evolution of philosophical thought in Islamic civilizations. Over twelve modules, students explore the historical roots, early challenges, and the diffusion of philosophical ideas. The course introduces prominent philosophers and examines reactions, defenses, and the decline of philosophy in Muslim contexts. It also considers the European perspective and modern Muslim thinkers’ responses. Through engaging discussions and primary readings, students gain a nuanced appreciation of the complex relationship between philosophy, culture, and religion in Islamic history.

Course Number: ISLAMCIV 240

Course Title: Ruling Medieval Egypt: A History Through Documents

Instructor: Lorenzo Bondioli

In Ruling Medieval Egypt: A History Through Documents we will explore the establishment, consolidation, and evolution of Islamic state structures along the Nile Valley between the seventh and the twelfth century CE. We will do so by looking at the unique surviving original documents on papyrus and paper that Egypt has preserved in dazzling quantities; documents such as official letters, petitions, land leases, tax receipts, and fiscal registers. Focusing on the documents will allow us to reconstruct the infrastructure of state power from the ground up and to investigate the daily reality of power relations that bound together rulers and ruled. By doing so, we will make Egypt into our laboratory of investigation to understand how medieval Islamic states worked, how they reproduced themselves, and how they impacted the societies that they ruled.

Course Number: ISLAMCIV 219

Course Title: Non-demonstrative Logical Arts among Philosophers in Muslim Contexts: Dialectic,Rhetoric,and Poetics

Instructor: Fouad Ben Ahmed

“Non-demonstrative Logical Arts among Philosophers in Muslim Contexts: Dialectic, Rhetoric, and Poetics” is an illuminating graduate course that delves into the fascinating intersection of philosophy, rhetoric, and poetics within Muslim intellectual traditions. Through a series of structured modules, participants explore the evolution of logical arts, drawing from the insights of prominent thinkers such as al-Fārābī, Ibn Rushd, and Ibn Ṭumlūs. From Aristotle’s Corpus to the expanded Organon, the course navigates through pre-Islamic commentaries and the profound contributions of medieval Arabic philosophers. Participants dissect the components, values, and limitations of dialectic, rhetoric, and poetics, uncovering their intricate roles in shaping philosophical discourse and theological perspectives. Engaging with primary texts and scholarly analyses, participants embark on a scholarly journey that illuminates the rich tapestry of intellectual history within Muslim contexts.

Course Number: MODMDEST 104

Course Title: Sectarianism and Islamic Identities in the Middle East: Modern and Medieval

Instructor: Mohammed Sagha

This course examines the origins and contemporary significance of sectarianism and internal religious diversity within Islam in the Middle East. It investigates the rich and multilayered phenomena of sectarianism and sectarian violence—particularly focusing on the Sunni and Shi’a sects of Islam—by approaching its study over time, space and diverse socio-political, cultural, and intellectual arenas. The class will study how the boundaries of Shi’a and Sunni Islam were diversely constructed and imagined across modern and medieval history. We examine the early Islamic period and origins of Shi’a and Sunni Islam, episodes in medieval Islamic history and confessional ambiguity prior to and after the Safavid-Ottoman dispute, as well as the European colonial period in the 19th century, and the rise of ethno-national ideologies and sectarian identity under the modern state-building project. The course will additionally survey sectarian geopolitics in the contemporary Middle East—and embed these debates in a larger global context of resurgent messianic nationalism and ethno-sectarianism—with a focus on the Iran-Saudi rivalry, the civil wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, as well as dynamics related to sectarian identity and politics in Turkey and Afghanistan. The course assumes no prior knowledge of Islam or the Middle East.

Course Number: ARABIC 243DR

Course Title: Islamic Religious Sciences

Instructor: Shady Nasser

An introduction to research methodology in various genres of Islamic Religious sciences: Quran, Hadith, and Law. Minimum recommended: two years of classical Arabic.

Course Number: GENED 1123

Course Title: Islam and Politics in the Modern Middle East

Instructor: Malika Zeghal

Today’s news headlines consistently point to the role that religion plays in the political life of Middle Eastern societies. But do these headlines tell the whole story? This course will challenge simplistic explanations of the dominant role of Islam in Middle Eastern politics by putting it in historical perspective. You will explore the genealogy of some of the most important debates about the role of religion in politics: the extent of Middle Eastern states’ involvement in religion, the place of religious minorities, whether religious norms should infringe on individual freedoms, and the various political theologies at play in Islamist opposition movements, in liberal conceptions of religion, and in state religious interpretations. At the crux of these vigorous debates is the issue of the meaning of a “Muslim state,” an issue that has shaped vibrant discussions and deep political disagreements that you will discover through textual and historical analysis of primary sources. Understanding who were the men and women who participated in these debates over the modern history of the Middle East, what they argued for and against, and the context in which they made their claims will provide you with the historical and textual perspective to make sense of the news headlines about religion and politics in the Middle East.

Course Number: MODMDEST 208

Course Title: History of Modern Iran and Turkey

Instructor: Mohammed Sagha

As two of the most populous and important states in the Middle East comprising almost 40% of the population of the region, Iran and Turkey have shaped the foundations of core regional trends from the 19th century up to until the contemporary period. As non-Arab majority states that are often fundamental in setting larger political trendlines, Iran and Turkey’s transnational influences on the Middle East directly impact models of modernization, development, and nation-building for the broader Middle East and Muslim world. They also influence the balance of power in West Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and associated subregions of the Caucuses, Balkans, and the Persian Gulf. This course focuses on core themes interlinking Iran and Turkey in the modern Middle East, including: secular state-building and development, ethno-nationalism, Islamism, global geopolitics, and domestic political competition for power. The course will also cover key moments in national and regional histories that have left lasting impacts for contemporary Iran and Turkey including the post-WWI borders of the Middle East, the Cold War and influence of NATO in the region, and minority dynamics such as that of the Alevi and Kurdish communities, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, transnational Islamist politics and, the influence of Shi’a reformism in Iran and Sunni Islamism in Turkey in post-Cold War era, as well as the aftereffects of the Arab Spring, Iran-Turkish rivalries in Syria and Iraq, and beyond. The course assumes no prior knowledge of Islam or the Middle East.

Course Number: GOV 1783

Course Title: Central Asia in Global Politics

Instructor: Nargis Kassenova

The course is designed as an in-depth study of the place of Central Asia in Eurasian and global politics, and the policies of key external actors, such as Russia, the United States, China, the European Union, Turkey, Iran, Japan, South Korea and India, toward the region. Students are familiarized with the ways Central Asia has been contextualized both in scholarly sources and media. We will dwell on the changing geopolitical dynamics of the region and analyze how developments there are intertwined with bigger contexts and stories, including nuclear non-proliferation and state-building, political Islam and democracy promotion, energy markets and climate change, the war in Ukraine and diversification of licit and illicit trade flows. We will define similarities and differences in the foreign policies of Central Asian states and discuss the future prospects of the region.

Course Number: GENED 1185

Course Title: The Power and Beauty of Being In Between: The Story of Armenia

Instructor: Christina Maranci

Being wedged between superpowers might seem like a recipe for ethnic assimilation and cultural conformity. Yet what if it made you stronger? In the case of Armenia, being “in-between” led to a vibrant, diverse, and resilient culture, a distinctive religious and national identity, and a dynamic diaspora. Travelling from antiquity to modernity, we will explore how Armenia and Armenians survived and thrived despite invasion, oppression, statelessness, and planned annihilation. We will explore the connections between Armenian culture and diverse traditions, including classical antiquity, the Ancient Near East, Sasanian and Islamic Iran, and the Byzantine empire, East Asia, and Europe, and the relations between Armenia and neighboring cultures of the Caucasus. We will follow the Armenian experience into the early modern period, when Armenians established a trade network reaching from the Indian subcontinent to Amsterdam, absorbing and informing a kaleidoscope of cultures along the way. We will wrap up with the survival of Armenian traditions in contemporary culture, the role of the Armenian genocide in shaping Armenian identity, including in neighboring Watertown. Finally, we will discuss the meaning of cultural heritage for Armenians today, and explore its role at the intersection of politics, diplomacy, law, scholarship, human rights, and activism.

Course Number: GENED 1071

Course Title: African Spirituality and the Challenges of Modern Times

Instructor:  Jacob Olupona

Taking the Marvel blockbuster Black Panther as a starting point, the course will explore the African spiritual heritage both on the continent and the diaspora communities (Black Atlantic diasporas). We will begin by spelling out the features of African indigenous religious traditions: cosmology, cosmogony, mythology, ritual practices, divination, healing ceremonies, sacred kingship, etc. We will then explore how these traditions have traveled across the oceans to the new world and how they have contributed to the emergence of new forms of black identities in Brazil, the Caribbean, the USA, and more. This class will equally look at African religious encounters with Islam and Christianity on the continent, resulting in what we often call “Africa’s Triple Heritage.” It then considers African religious sensibilities in the contemporary period, as they relate to the issues of modernity, economic and social development, ethnic and cultural identities, class, and community relations. Finally, we will look at the status of African religion as a global tradition, not necessarily in competition with other religious traditions, but in its relationship to other world religions.

Course Number: HDS 3057

Course Title: Intro to Islam through Prophetic Traditions

Instructor: Yunus Kumek

This course will engage in a critical reading and analysis of well-known Muslim prophetic traditions and a study of the practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Through analysis of Muslim prophetic traditions, such as “Hadith Jibril,” we will develop an understanding of the Islamic value systems, Islamic manners/etiquette and Prophetic Character. The fundamental building blocks such as Islam (the physical surrender of the body), Iman (internal truth), and Ihsan (excellence and beauty) will be closely examined. We will focus on Muslim spiritual care through these building blocks during the semester. We will also develop a framework for understanding core Islamic sciences, such as: Jurisprudence, creed/theology, and spiritual purification. Throughout various modalities and exercises, we will study how this framework can enable a deeper understanding of the practical issues affecting the lives of Muslims. We will have expert guest speakers from different disciplines such as pastoral care/chaplaincy (ministry), poetry & literature, counseling, psychology, education, social work, and medicine throughout the semester. These specialists will give us perspectives and practical tips on how prophetic traditions are applied in a Muslim’s life. This course will provide a basic understanding of the Islamic religion through the eyes of Muslims, while providing an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of Islamic practices. Students from different backgrounds, with or without prior experience with Islam, will find much enrichment in this course diving into the practice through the lenses of prophetic traditions.

Course Number: HDS 3338

Course Title: The Prophet Muhammad in History, Devotion, and Polemic

Instructor: Mohsen Goudarzi

In the early seventh century, a man named Muḥammad son of ʿAbdallah founded a movement that in time grew into a global religion, empire, and civilization. This course explores three discourses that developed around the life and character of the Prophet Muhammad. First, we will survey some of the biographies that Muslim scholars, both ancient and modern, have written about the life of their prophet. Second, we will explore how the Prophet’s life, teachings and persona have served as subjects of Islamic devotion. Finally, the course examines some of the ways in which non-Muslims, again both ancient and modern, have perceived and portrayed Muhammad in polemic against Islam or dialogue with Muslims. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1078.

Course Number: MIT 21H .261

Course Title: Modern Iran: A Century of Revolution

Instructor: Pouya Alimagham

Provides an overview of Iran’s modern history from a social, cultural, and political perspective while also considering factors as they relate to gender and race. Covers the country’s long and complicated interaction with the “West.” Situates Iran in the wider region, thereby delineating how political trends in the Middle East influenced the country and how its history of revolution has in turn impacted the region. Unpacks the Sunni-Shi’ite divide as a modern phenomenon rooted more in inter-state rivalry than in a theological dispute, Western perceptions of the Iranian and the Middle Eastern “Other,” the Iranian Diaspora, political Islam, and post-Islamism.