Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean

The Great Mosque of Cordoba; Begun 786 CE (Caliphate of Cordoba); Al-Andalus/Central Spain.

Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean - IST 2253

Online/Hybrid Course in "Comparative Religious Traditions"

Winter Term 2021 - 4 Credits

Start Date: Monday January 4th, 2021

End Date: Friday March 12th, 2021

Instructor: Prof. Albert Hernández, Ph.D. Email: ahernandez@iliff.edu

Office Hours:--- By appointment on Zoom or on mobile-call.

Teaching Assistant: Ms. Mona Moayedi, Doctoral Student in I.S.T. and D.U. Joint Doctoral Program in Study of Religion. Email: mmoayedi@iliff.edu

Map of the "Dar Al-Islam" - "The House of Islam" ca. 622 to ca. 750 CE

Course Description/Synopsis:

This is a comparative course examining the emergence of Islam in the social, religious, and historical context of the Medieval Mediterranean from the Arab conquest of Egypt to the rise of the Ottoman Empire and the fall of the Caliphate of Granada in Spain. We will examine tensions and collaborations between Islam and Christianity, like the region’s influential centers for the preservation, translation and dissemination of ancient books alongside the accomplishments of Islamic science and Sufi mysticism. This course also examines the importance of these comparative legacies for understanding today’s ongoing religious and political conflicts across the region.

Jerusalem Cross_Medieval.jpg

Course Objectives & Degree Learning Goals: 

I.S.T. Masters Degree Learning Goals in Comparative Religious Traditions (CR):----

To demonstrate basic awareness of a range of religious traditions and an emerging capacity to engage in comparative analysis between traditions around a particular topic.

Course Objectives and Learning Goals for "Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean" (IST 2253):----

Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of Islamic beliefs, sacred scriptures, practices and holy days, history and philosophy, and different Muslim sects or theological traditions.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the commonalities and differences among different Islamic religious and cultural traditions, or among different regional or sectarian groups.
Students will be able to think critically about both medieval legacies and contemporary stereotypes about Islam and Muslims originating in the traditional theological and territorial conflicts between Islam and the nations/cultures of the Mediterranean region, particularly with an emphasis on Islamic relations with Christianity and European nations.
Students will be able to discuss the position of women’s roles among the various Islamic religious traditions, cultures, and sectarian groups of the Mediterranean region.
Students will be able to identify and discuss the existence of medieval dialogues of mutual edification within the theme or tradition known as “The Children of Abraham” across the medieval Mediterranean regions/cultures covered in the course, and then to apply these insights/resources to different potential scenarios of contemporary inter-religious dialogue and inter-faith collaboration.

 Evaluation, Required Assignments, & Grading Procedures

CANVAS - GROUP DISCUSSIONS/OPEN FORUMS : 40%

Students will participate in and complete FOUR separate on-line class discussions/open forums on different topics/themes selected by the instructor during the course.

Each one of the four class discussions/open forums will be worth approximately 10 points for a total of 40% of the Final Grade in this course.   

In order to earn full-credit on each of the Group Discussion Assignments, each student must log-on and post responses two separate times to each group discussion topic/theme by the respective deadlines.

Posting a late initial response to the week's discussion topic will result in a point deduction for that week's Group Discussion Forum. Be sure that your first posting arrives in a timely manner so as not to hold-up or delay the discussion forum for the rest of the class. 

Please remember to log back in to the Group Discussion/Open Forum to post your second required response to the respective week's theme or topic, and to extend the conversation by engaging your classmates before moving on to next week's course topics and reading materials.

Students will be expected to have read the assigned textbook sections, and the assigned primary or secondary source readings for each respective discussion topic/theme, and to have viewed the week’s recorded lecture(s) before participating in the respective class discussion assignment posted on Canvas. For further details see the Guidelines for Class/Group Discussion under the "Course Procedures & Expectations" section of the syllabus.

 

PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE/SYNCHRONOUS CLASS SESSIONS WEEKS TWO, FIVE & EIGHT: 15%

"Islam in the Medieval Mediterranean" (IST 2253) will be meeting on Zoom on the following Winter Term 2021 dates/times:

Thursday Week Two---January 14th---2:30 pm to 3:45 pm (MST)

Thursday Week Five---February 4th---2:30 pm to 3:45 pm (MST)

Thursday Week Eight--February 25th--2:30 pm to 3:45 pm(MST)  

Student attendance in these three synchronous class sessions is required, and participation in all three sessions accounts for 15% of the Final Grade in this course.    

 

MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT: 15 % (Book or Article Review on topic to be announced---DUE: Week Six of Winter Term).  

***Details about assignment and due date coming very soon***

 

FINAL ASSIGNMENT OPTIONS - (Choose ONLY One):

Option 1 - Final Exam 30%:  Best option for all first-year students. Each student who chooses this option will complete and submit a take-home final exam by the due date comprised of comprehensive essay questions on the material covered in the course. Students will be allowed to choose several questions from a list of essay topics and then develop and discuss each answer separately.   Students will be expected to write a total of 9 to 12 pages for this final assignment option. The final exam will be distributed to students via Canvas by the instructor. The due date for submitting/uploading the final exam to Canvas is 11:59 PM (MST) on Saturday evening March 13th, 2021. 

Option 2 – Final Research or Reflection Paper 30%:  If you have already taken an advanced or survey/breadth course at I.S.T. in comparative religious traditions, or another advanced course with Prof. Hernandez at I.S.T., then this final assignment option might be the best choice for you this term.  Each student who chooses this option will write a Final Research Paper, or a Final Reflection Paper/Essay, based upon her/his proposed topic.  Papers should not exceed a total of 9 to 12 pages in length.   All final Research or Reflection Papers will be submitted/uploaded to Canvas by the assigned deadline. The due date for submitting/uploading the Final Papers to Canvas is 11:59 PM (MST) on Saturday evening March 13th, 2021. 

Required Textbook and Additional Course Readings:

Brian Catlos, Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain. Basic Books, 2018. Available in both hardcover [ISBN: 978-0465055876] and Kindle formats as well as in audio book format.

Additional Required Readings:---- All other readings from primary or from secondary sources, will be made available to students as PDF's on the "Files" tab of our Canvas course site, and will be listed in the "Course Summary" section of the Syllabus for each week of the course in which the reading is due to be completed with full author, title, and page number information. Any relevant internal or external links to required readings available in the public domain will also be listed in the "Course Summary" of the Syllabus for each secondary source or for each excerpt from a primary source text.

Suggested Optional Readings:----(Not required to purchase)

Kevin Madigan, Medieval Christianity: A New History . Yale University Press, 2015.

Jacob Lassner and Michael Bonner, Islam in the Middle Ages: The Origins and Shaping of Classical Islamic Civilization. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010.

Course Procedures and Expectations:

Accessing and Regularly Checking our Canvas Course Site:

Before the start of the Winter Term 2021: Students are expected to use the Canvas course site/page to familiarize themselves with the entire course syllabus, the required weekly reading assignments from the different primary and secondary sources, and with the instructions and deadlines of all required and graded assignments and online group discussions throughout the duration of the course.
Checking Canvas Regularly: Students are expected to check the Canvas course site/page regularly for important announcements or updates from the instructor.
Handouts and Resources: Historical timelines, relevant images from the historical periods covered in the course, and links to additional web-based resources are also available on the Canvas course site/page and on the "Files" tab for the course.
Inclusive Language: It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language and appropriate pronouns in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to fostering an effective and respectful classroom community.
Pass/Fail Grading Option: Masters students wishing to take the class Pass/Fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second week of class.
Technology Issues/Concerns : If you need assistance managing Canvas please email the HELP DESK or call them at 303-909-9321. Please leave a message and the staff will get back to you as soon as possible. They are typically available from about 8:30 AM to about 4:30 PM in the Central Mountain Time Zone.

Guidelines for Online Group Discussions/Open Forums:

In order to participate effectively with their peers, and with the instructor and teaching assistant, in each required/graded Group Discussion, students will be expected to have read the assignments for each week of the course, and to have viewed the respective video lecture(s) for the week of the class discussion
A paragraph or so, or four to six complete sentences, is sufficient to receive credit. You can always do more if you like, but the idea is to generate conversation with each other while reflecting on the discussion topic.
Each required/graded Group Discussion/Open Forum is structured on Canvas so that you must first post your reply to the actual discussion topic, and then the next time you log-in to post you will be permitted to see others’ replies to the topic.
Please remember to log back in to the Group Discussion/Open Forum to post your second required response to the respective week's theme or topic, and to extend the conversation by engaging with at least two of your classmates before moving on to next week's course topics and reading materials.
You will get credit/points for doing the discussion assignment, and you will receive no credit/points if you don't do it, and if you don't log back in to engage at least two of your peers you will then receive less credit/points for that week's group discussion/open forum assignment ---simple as that.
Late postings or incomplete participation in the online Group Discussions will result in a point deduction.
Students are expected to participate respectfully in the online Discussions by interacting in both positive and critically thoughtful ways with their peers, with the instructor and the teaching assistant.

Writing Lab:

Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments. Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab . , which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.

Academic Integrity and Core Values:

All students are expected to abide by Iliff's Policies & Statement on Academic Integrity as published in the Masters Student Handbook , or the D.U. & I.S.T. Joint Doctoral Program's Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook and as appropriate. All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Core Values.

Incomplete Grades:

Incomplete Grade petitions will be granted only in the case of documented and verifiable medical circumstances or other personal or family related emergencies. In the event a student requires this option, the final grade for the course will be assigned as a "Pass" (P) or "Fail" (F) grade.

Additional Policies & Services:

For information about A.D.A. Accommodations , or for information about additional Iliff School of Theology "Policies & Services" go to this tab/section of our Canvas course page or go there by clicking on this Link.