This course will explore the interaction of religion and culture in Iran from the rise of the Safavid empire to the Islamic Republic of today. Topics include Shi`ism, politics, intellectual and sectarian movements, encounters with colonialism, art and architecture, music, film, literature. While the focus will be on historic Iran, emphasis will also be given to the larger "Persianate" cultural sphere (including India, Central Asia, the Ottoman Empire) as well as Iranian interaction with Europe and America.

None. This course assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. In addition, one does not need to be a believer in any particular religion, or for that matter a skeptic, to realize the importance of religion and culture in history and in the contemporary world. Prior coursework in religious studies or Middle Eastern studies will be helpful, however. This is an upper-level course, intended for advanced undergraduates and graduates, and it is expected that students will be motivated and serious about the subject.

The basic goals of the course are three:

Gaining information about the interaction of religion and culture in Iran in the early modern and contemporary periods, and about Iran's relations with other societies. In addition to studying and discussing the main texts and films for the course, each student will also be expected to gain familiarity with one particular subject that will be studied in greater depth with a research paper.

Understanding problems related to the study of religion, particularly Islam, and the local and transnational culture of Iran. This course aims to equip you with tools to evaluate the ways in which religion and culture are conceptualized and enacted in particular contexts, and we will give particular attention to the role of Shi`i Islam in modern Iran, as well as Sufism. The particular problems that we will discuss will include negative images of Islam, conflicting interpretations of religion, the nature of national identity, and the way in which religion is redefined by the modern nation-state. We will also explore various forms of art and literature that serve as media for cultural expression, both traditionally and in contemporary transnational contexts.

Developing analytical skills. The course is intended to help students refine skills in thinking and writing, so that after the course students will be able to offer informed and insightful analysis of related historical, religious, and cultural topics.



TEXTS

Three books are available for purchase at Student Stores:
Savushun: A Novel About Modern Iran (Persian Classics), by Simin Danishvar, M.R. Ghanoonparvar (Mage Publications, 2001).
Iran and the Surrounding World: Interactions in Culture and Cultural Politics, ed. by Nikki R. Keddie and Rudi Matthee (University of Washington Press, 2002).
The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran, by Roy Mottahedeh (Oneworld Publications, 2000).

We will also read:
The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan, by James J. Morier (London, 1824, frequently reprinted). This is now available on line at http://hajji.netfirms.com/ (best viewed with Internet Explorer). There are also dozens of extremely cheap copies available from online booksellers like http://www.abebooks.com/, many with illustrations, so students are encouraged to pick up a copy.
The "Unthinkable" Revolution in Iran, 1977-1979, by Charles Kurzman. This book manuscript (forthcoming from Harvard University Press) is being made available to us online courtesy of Prof. Kurzman (available here as MS Word file; UNC onyen and password required).

We will read other selected texts and images available on the Internet, and we will make extensive use of films from UNC's large collection of films on Islam and the Middle East. In addition, we will take full advantage of the upcoming Iranian Film Festival: “‘The Day I Became a Woman’: Portrayals of Gender and Society in Iranian Cinema,” scheduled for Oct. 8-11.

the