Religion and the Arts: The Case of Islam
RELIGION 80
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
What makes art "religious?" How might sound, visual, and literary arts help shape our understandings of "religion?" This course considers the relationship between religion and the arts through the case study of Islam. We will engage with the sound arts (recitation, music), the visual arts (calligraphy, painting, architecture, drama), and the literary arts (scripture, panegyrics, epic romances, folk tales). Given the cultural heterogeneity of Muslim societies, the course incorporates material from the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia and the voices of poets, scholars, writers, mystics, musicians, and politicians, among others. This course assumes no prior knowledge of Islam. Taught by Dr. John Nowak.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
