RELIGION 154: ISLAM AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Monday through Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

Professor Thomas R. W. Longstaff
Office: Lorimer Chapel Basement; Telephone: 4643; email: tlongst@colby.edu

The aim of this course is to introduce Islam to students who know little about the religion and to enable them better to understand the religious component of Middle Eastern life in the twenty-first century. Through lectures, reading, and research projects students will explore Islam in as comprehensive a manner as possible during the four weeks of a Colby "JanPlan.". Each student will focus on some issue of particular interest to her or him and present a report on that topic to the class.

Class lectures and discussions during the first half of January are intended to provide a broad overview of and introduction to the fundamentals of Islam as one of the world's major religions. Students should prepare themselves for class by reading and should participate in class by engaging the instructor and fellow students in an informed, intelligent, and reasoned discussion of the material. Although the course will not follow the textbook mechanically, Caesar E. Farah's book, Islam, 7th Edition (Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2003) should prove to be a valuable resource for this preparation. It is, in fact, a textbook that all students are required to read and it should be completed prior to the take-home examination in mid-January. During the last two weeks of January each student will explore some aspect of Islam in greater depth and present an oral report to the class on the results of that exploration. These reports will be revised into short essays that will be submitted at the end of January. An abundance of materials is available at Miller Library. Upon request the instructor will assist students in selecting topics and locating resources for these projects.

Requirements of the course, in addition to regular attendance and participation in class (note: students are expected to discuss any absence from class with the instructor, whenever possible prior to the absence), include the following:

• Reading: Each student will read the assigned textbook and other materials which, from time to time, may be required. This reading must be reported to the instructor by email on a regular basis.
• Examinations: There will be a take-home examination in mid-January.
• Research project: Each student will study some aspect of Islam in greater depth and present a report to the class on the results of that research. The class report will then be submitted as a brief paper (about 5-6 pages) which must be handed in no later than 2 Muharram 1427 AH.
• Students are encouraged (but not required) to make use of the link created to send email to everyone enrolled in the class. This should facilitate discussion beyond the classroom and is a good way to raise questions with the instructor and with one another.
• Note: students are expected to use Islamic dates (not Gregorian) on all work submitted for this course.

This page last updated on 11/5/2005