New Approaches to Islamic Thought
| Module title | New Approaches to Islamic Thought |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARAM103A |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Istvan Kristo-Nagy (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 5 |
|---|
Module description
This required core seminar will provide a foundation for further research of MA students in four key respects: (1) to give a overview of several key areas of "Islamic thought" (understood as the intellectual, written formulations of various Islamic cultural traditions in various historical settings) in their actual social and historical contexts; (2) to train students in the methods of close, reading appropriate to each of the specific Islamic intellectual traditions covered in this course; (3) to acquaint students with some of the pioneering secondary studies in each selected area of Islamic thought; and (4) to offer students an opportunity to develop their expository skills in oral, classroom presentation of their research and reading. The actual seminar topic and assigned readings will be adjusted each year to match the background and research interests of incoming MA students.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This required core seminar will provide a foundation for further research of MA students in four key respects: (1) to give a overview of several key areas of "Islamic thought" (understood as the intellectual, written formulations of various Islamic cultural traditions in various historical settings) in their actual social and historical contexts; (2) to train students in the methods of close, reading appropriate to each of the specific Islamic intellectual traditions covered in this course; (3) to acquaint students with some of the pioneering secondary studies in each selected area of Islamic thought; and (4) to offer students an opportunity to develop their expository skills in oral, classroom presentation of their research and reading. The actual seminar topic and assigned readings will be adjusted each year to match the background and research interests of incoming MA students.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some of the most important methodological and interpretive models in relevant areas of Islamic thought;
- 2. and with some of the major texts and seminal thinkers (in translation) in at least two key areas of Islamic thought.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of fundamental issues, approaches and challenges in several related historical areas of Islamic thought and a general understanding of their underlying historical and social contexts.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches.
Syllabus plan
We will study classical Islamic thought and society (with a focus on political thought and historiography) in the context of world history. For each week, we will read approximatively 150 pages. Every lecture will consist of three presentations of 20 minutes by students followed by 20 minutes of discussion. Each of the three presentations will summarise 50 pages of the text required for the lecture. The weekly schedule will be discussed at the introduction class.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 hours | Classroom hours |
| Guided independent study | 128 hours | Independent study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short weekly ungraded 'reaction papers' on assigned readings | Weekly | 1-4 | Oral and or written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 4,000 words | 1-4 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (4,000 words) | 1-4 | Next reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Antony Black, The West and Islam: religion and political thought in world history (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). Available online through the University Library.
Michael A. Cook, A brief history of the human race (New York: W.W. Norton, 2003).
M. A. Cook, The Koran: a very short introduction, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).
Patricia Crone, Pre-industrial societies (Oxford, GB and Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell, 1989).
Patricia Crone, God’s Rule: Government and Islam (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004) [Published in the UK as: Medieval Islamic Political Thought (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)].
Chase F. Robinson, Islamic historiography (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | ARAM102 (2nd core module for MA in Islamic Studies) |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2007 |
| Last revision date | 28/08/2012 |