This course is the first of a two-part survey of Islamic civilization and culture from the sixth century to the present (the second part is Reli 26 or Hist 37); this survey is also required for the Middle East minor in the concentration in International Studies.  This part focuses on the first eight centuries of the Islamic era (up to roughly 1500 C.E.), and includes the complex sources of Islamic civilization; the formation of a major world empire; and the relation between religion, politics, and culture in different regions (with particular emphasis on Jerusalem, Persia, and Spain). 

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 Islam in history and in the contemporary world.

• Gaining information about the Islamic civilization, which includes history, politics, culture, and religion:  to give you access to some basic information about the origins and historical development of Islamic civilization, without attempting to discuss all details comprehensively (that would be an impossible task). This will be done primarily by examining two kinds of materials:
1. historical studies and fictional interpretation of different features of Islamic civilization;
2. through primary sources (religious and literary texts, film, art, music) that illustrate some of the  ways in which Muslims and the non-Muslims with whom they interacted established the structures of their societies. This year there will be a special emphasis on the Qur'an and its interpretation.
The classes are designed to clarify the relationship between these sources  and the larger themes to which they are connected.
We hope that students  come away from this class recognizing that the Islamic world and the Muslims in it, while sharing the same religion, are amazingly diverse in ideology, class, race, education, politics, and even religion.  Second, we want to introduce you to the complexity of ideas about Islam held by people who have identified themselves with that religion.  Third, we want you to recognize the impact of global forces on the course of Islamic history, and the significance of Islamic civilization both for premodern Europe and for the contemporary world. 
 
• Understanding problems related to the study of religion and history:  to equip you with tools to evaluate the the historical changes and transformations that can be seen in any religion. The particular problems that we will discuss in relation to Islam including negative media stereotypes (particularly those involving violence and gender) and "essentialism" (the belief that a particular religion is always the same, regardless of history, location, economics, or politics).
  
• Developing analytical skills: to refine skills in thinking and writing, so that after the course students will be able to offer informed and insightful analysis of topics in the history of different cultures, including but not limited to Islam.

TEXTS

The following main texts for this course are available at Student Stores: 

Tariq Ali, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree
Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair, Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power
Carl W. Ernst, Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World
Kenan Makiya, The Rock: A Tale of Seventh-Century Jerusalem
Amin Maalouf, Samarkand

We will also use Bruce B. Lawrence's unpublished manuscript on interpreters of the Qur'an, and new translations of the Qur'an by Carl Ernst.
For those who want additional background or textbook-style information, see the Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia article "Islamic World," by Marilyn Waldman (on electronic reserve); it is a superb summary. 

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Tour of Islamic art exhibit at Ackland Art Museum
• Extensive use of films from UNC's large collection of films on Islam and the Middle East
• Guest lectures by distinguished American and international scholars
• Use and evaluation of Internet materials on Islam

This page maintained by Carl Ernst. Please contact the author if you have problems with this page. 
Last modified:  August 22, 2004