Asian Languages & Civilization 283 - Orthodoxy/Heresy Islam

Fall
2021
01
4.00
Tariq Jaffer

TTH 03:00PM-04:20PM

Amherst College
ASLC-283-01-2122F
CHAP 210
tjaffer@amherst.edu
RELI-283-01,ASLC-283-01

(Offered as RELI 283 and ASLC 283) What is correct Islamic belief and practice? Is there such a thing? Who has been labeled a heretic, unbeliever, or apostate in the history of Islam, and why? How did Muslim “freethinkers” contest Islamic orthodoxies? We will discuss the ways that a wide variety of Muslim sects or denominations developed in the history of Islam. Our objectives are to examine how groups and individuals established, prescribed, or remade standards of Islamic belief and practice; and to examine how they faced the plurality of Muslim sects and other religions. We will pay special attention to the theme of salvation, which shaped the ways that Muslims classified sects and other religions. As we explore the above issues we will read from a range of Islamic discourses, including scripture, theology, law, and mysticism. All readings are in English. Open to all students.

Fall semester. Associate Professor Jaffer.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.