Exploring the Quran

HDS 3339 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course explores the contents of the Quran and probes its place in the history of human civilization. We will explore and critically reflect on the following subjects: 1) the Quran's core ideas, concerns, stories, laws, and arguments; 2) the historical context in which the Quran was first proclaimed and codified; 3) the relationship between the Quran and the preceding literary traditions of the ancient world, in particular the Bible and post-biblical Jewish and Christian writings; and 4) Muslims' engagement with the Quran across time and within various religious, intellectual, social, and cultural settings. To meet these goals, we will read a substantial portion of the Quran in translation and draw extensively on modern academic scholarship on the Quran. In addition, lectures will contextualize and complement our encounter with the Quranic text and secondary scholarship. By the end of the semester, students should have the ability to utilize various resources and concordances in order to independently conduct further investigations and critically evaluate claims made about the Quran. Course will have a required discussion section (and possibly an Arabic section for interested students who have at least two years of Arabic).