General

AS1 reaction paper (1000 words): revised date of submission is 08.04.2020 (11.59 pm)

AS2 essay (3000 words): revised date of submission is 15.04.2020 (11.59 pm)

SOAS TEAMS

Course Information

course handbook

text recommended for module: Kersten, Contemporary Thought in the Muslim World. London: Routledge (2019)

assessed essay questions

student essay (mark this essay using PG marking criteria)

PG assessment criteria

11.10.2019 Religion, Modernity and the Modern Study of Religion

Green, ‘Modernity.’ Jones (ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Modern Theology. Oxford: Blackwell (2004)

Martin, ‘Religion and the Problem of Definition.’ A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion. London: Routledge (2017)

Mouzelis, ‘Modernity and the Secularization Debate.’ Sociology. 46. 2 (2012)

Friedman, ‘Introduction.’ Who Wrote the Bible? New York: HarperCollins (1997)

Tutorial Reading: Day, ‘Comparative Ancient Near Eastern Study. The Genesis Flood Narrative in Relation to Ancient Near Eastern Flood Accounts.’ Dell and Joyce (eds.) Biblical Interpretation and Method. Oxford: OUP (2013)

further readings

lecture ppt

18.10.2019 Islam: Overview and Modern Academic Study

Rahman, ‘Islam’ &amp; Nanji, ‘Further Considerations.’ Jones (ed.) Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed.). (2005)

Leaman, ‘Are the Ethics of Religion Objective or Subjective?’ An Introduction to Classical Islamic Philosophy. Cambridge: CUP (2004)

Said, ‘Introduction.’ Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books (1978) (pages 1 to 28)

Schulze, ‘Is there an Islamic Modernity?’ Hafez, (ed.) The Islamic World and the West: An Introduction to Political Cultures and International Relations. Leiden: Brill (2012)

Tutorial Reading: Van Bladel, ‘The Alexander legend in the Qur‘an 18:83-102.’ Reynolds (ed.) The Qur’ān in Its Historical Context. London: Routledge (2008)

further readings

Film: 'The Message' (A relatively accurate cinematic representation of the early history of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad from a traditional Islamic perspective).

lecture ppt

25.10.2019 Pre-Modern Revival & Reform

Dallal, ‘The Origins and Objectives of Islamic Revivalist Thought, 1750-1850.’ Journal of the American Oriental Society. 113. 3 (1993)

Haj, ‘Rethinking Orthodoxy: Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab.’ Reconfiguring Islamic Tradition. Stanford: Stanford University Press (2009)

Delong-Bas. ‘Women and Wahhabis’. Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford: OUP (2004)

Macris, ‘Investigating the Ties between Muhammed Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, Early Wahhabism, and ISIS.’ The Journal of the Middle East and Africa. 7. 3 (2016)

Tutorial Reading: Al-Atawneh, ‘Wahhabism Applied.’ Wahhābī Islam Facing the Challenges of Modernity. Leiden: Brill (2010)

further readings

lecture ppt

01.11.2019 Early Modern Reform

Johnston, ‘A Turn in the Epistemology and Hermeneutics of Twentieth Century Usūl al-Fiqh.’ Islamic Law and Society. 11. 2 (2004)

Khan, ‘Lecture on Islam.’ Kurzman (ed.) Modernist Islam 1840-1940: A Sourcebook. Oxford: OUP (2002)

Saeed, A. ‘Salafiya, Modernism, and Revival.’ Esposito et al. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2016).

Al-Afghani, ‘Lecture on Teaching and Learning and Answer to Renan.’ Kurzman (ed.) Modernist Islam 1840-1940, A Sourcebook. Oxford: OUP (2002)

Tutorial Reading: Abduh, ‘Laws Should Change in Accordance with the Condition of Nations’ and ‘The Theology of Unity.’ Kurzman (ed.) Modernist Islam 1840-1940, A Sourcebook. Oxford: OUP (2002)

further readings

ppt

15.11.2019 Islamism

Khan, ‘The Political Philosophy of Islamic Movements.’ Afsaruddin (ed.) Islam, the State and Political Authority. New York: Palgrave (2011)

Khatab, ‘Hakimiyyah &amp; Jahiliyyah in the Thought of Sayyid Qutb.’ Middle Eastern Studies. 38. 3 (2002)

Amirpur, ‘A Doctrine in the Making?’ Kramer and Schmidtke (ed.s) Speaking for Islam. Leiden: Brill (2006)

Mavani, ‘Ayatullah Khomeini’s Concept of Governance (Wilayat Al-Faqih) and the Classical Shi‘i Doctrine of Imamate.’ Middle Eastern Studies. 47. 5 (2011)

Tutorial Reading: Khomeini, ‘Introduction’ and ‘The Necessity for Islamic Government.’ Islam and Revolution: Writings and Declarations of Imam Khomeini (trans. Algar). Berkeley: Mizan Press (1981)

further readings

lecture ppt

22.11.2019 Neo-Traditional Salafism

Meijer, ‘Introduction.’ Meijer (ed.) Global Salafism: Islam’s New Religious Movement. London: Hurst (2009)

Wiktorowicz, ‘Anatomy of the Salafi Movement.' Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. 29. 3 (2006)

Hamdeh, 'The Formative Years of an Iconoclastic Salafi Scholar.' The Muslim World. 106. 3 (2016)

Lacroix &amp; Shalata, 'The Rise of Revolutionary Salafism in Post-Mubarak Egypt.' Rougier &amp; Lacroix (eds.) Egypt's Revolutions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan (2016)

Tutorial Reading: Duderija, ‘The “Islamic State” (IS) as Proponent of Neo-Ahl Hadīth Manhāj on Gender Related Issues.’ Hawwa. Journal of Women in the Middle East and the Muslim World. 13. 2 (2015)

further readings

lecture ppt

29.11.2019 Progressive / Liberal Muslims

Safi, ‘Introduction.’ Safi (ed.) Progressive Muslims. Oxford: Oneworld (2003)

Van Bruinessen, ‘Liberal and Progressive Voices in Indonesian Islam.’ Hunter (ed.) Reformist Voices of Islam: Mediating Islam and Modernity. London: M.E. Sharpe (2008)

Esack, ‘Contemporary Religious Thought in South Africa and the Emergence of Qur’anic Hermeneutical Notions.’ Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations. 2. 2 (1991)

Rahemtulla, ‘Theology of the Margins: The Reading of Farid Esack.’ Qur’an of the Oppressed. Oxford: OUP (2017)

Tutorial Reading: Ali, ‘Progressive Muslims and Islamic Jurisprudence: The Necessity for Critical Engagement with Marriage and Divorce Law.’ Safi (ed.) Progressive Muslims. Oxford: Oneworld (2003)

further readings

lecture ppt

06.12.2019 Modern Trends in Sufism

Muedini, ‘What is Sufism? History, Characteristics, Patronage, and Politics.’ Sponsoring Sufism: How Governments Promote ‘Mystical Islam’ in Their Domestic and Foreign Policies. New York: Palgrave (2015)

Knysh, ‘Irfan Revisited: Khomeini and the Legacy of Islamic Mystical Philosophy.’ Middle East Journal. 46. 4 (1992)

Chih, ‘What is a Sufi Order? Revisiting the Concept through a Case Study of the Khalwatiyya in Contemporary Egypt.’ Bruinessen and Howell (eds.) Sufism and the Modern in Islam. London: I.B. Tauris (2003)

Howell, ‘Modernity and Islamic Spirituality in Indonesia’s New Sufi Networks.’ Bruinessen and Howell (eds.) Sufism and the Modern in Islam. London: I.B. Tauris (2007)

Tutorial Reading: Hermansen, ‘What’s American about American Sufi Movements?’ Westerlund (ed.) Sufism in Europe and North America. London: Routledge (2004)

further readings

lecture ppt

10.01.2020 Modern Quranic Hermeneutics

Harvey, ‘Hermeneutics.’ Jones (ed.) Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed.). (2005)

Saeed, ‘Fazlur-Rahman: A Framework for Interpreting the Ethico-Legal Content of the Quran.’ Taji-Farouki (ed.) Modern Muslim Intellectuals and the Quran. Oxford: OUP (2004)

Rahman, ‘Introduction.’ Islam and Modernity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1982)

Körner, F. ‘Adil Çiftçi: The Koran as Ethical Order’. Revisionist Koran Hermeneutics in Contemporary Turkish University Theology: Rethinking Islam. Würzburg: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft (2005)

Rahman, ‘Islam’ & Nanji, ‘Further Considerations.’ Jones (ed.) Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed.). (2005)

Khatab, ‘Hakimiyyah & Jahiliyyah in the Thought of Sayyid Qutb.’ Middle Eastern Studies. 38. 3 (2002)

Lacroix & Shalata, 'The Rise of Revolutionary Salafism in Post-Mubarak Egypt.' Rougier & Lacroix (eds.) Egypt's Revolutions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan (2016)

Barton, ‘Understanding Key Themes in the ISIS Narrative: An Examination of Dabiq Magazine.’ Mansouri & Keskin (eds.) Contesting the Theological Foundations of Islamism and Violent Extremism. E-print: Palgrave (2019)

Tutorial Reading: Keskin & Tuncer, ‘Causes of Radicalisation: Theological Arguments as the Ultimate Trigger.’ Mansouri & Keskin (eds.) Contesting the Theological Foundations of Islamism and Violent Extremism. E-print: Palgrave (2019)

Benhenda, ‘Liberal Democracy and Political Islam: The Search for Common Ground.’ Politics, Philosophy & Economics. 10. 1 (2010)

Tutorial Reading: Al-Qaradawi, ‘Islam and Democracy.’ Euben & Zaman (eds.) Princeton Readings in Islamist Thought. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press (2009)

Tutorial Reading: Taha, ‘The First Message’ & ‘The Second Message’ in The Second Message of Islam (trans. An-Na‘im). New York: Syracuse University Press (1996)

Vikør, ‘The Shari‘a and the Nation State: Who Can Codify the Divine Law?’ Utvik & Vikør (ed.s) The Middle East in a Globalized World. Bergen: Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies (2000).

Kenney, ‘Secularization and the Search for an Authentic Muslim Modern.’ Kenney & Moosa (ed.s) Islam in the Modern World. London: Routledge (2014)

Ghobadzadeh, ‘Religious Secularity: A Vision for Revisionist Political Islam.’ Philosophy & Social Criticism. 39. 10 (2013)

Tutorial Reading: Kuru, ‘Assertive secularism, Islam and democracy in Turkey.’ Kenney & Moosa (ed.s) Islam in the Modern World. London: Routledge (2014)