Christian-Muslim Relations in Arabia: Ibadi Islam and Interfaith Theology in the Sultanate of Oman

Meeting dates
Period in Oman is from Monday, 2 January 2012, through Sunday, 15 January 2012.
Detailed schedule and itinerary will be provided during early December 2011

Instructors
Instructor of record
James Nieman, Academic Dean and Professor of Practical Theology
860.509.9536 / jnieman@hartsem.edu
Office hours — daily 10:00am to 4:00pm, by appointment only through Lorraine Browne, Executive Assistant to the Dean, at 860.509.9553 / lbrowne@hartsem.edu

On-site coordinator
Rev. Douglas Leonard, Director of the Al-Amana Centre, Sultanate of Oman
Orientation meeting — Tuesday, 29 November 2011, 2:00pm at Hartford Seminary

Schedule
Detailed schedule and itinerary will be provided during early December 2011

Objectives
a.     To explore Ibadi history, theology, ancient texts, institutions, and approaches to interfaith collaboration, as informed by local imams and scholars;
b.     To engage in interfaith dialogue with students in the Institute of Sharia Sciences, and be exposed imamate preparation and duties;
c.     To meet missionaries of the American Protestant Mission in Oman and learn about the Christian perspective of Muslim-Christian relations;
d.     To encounter a broad range of Oman's political and religious leaders in an environment of open inquiry and exchange; and
e.     To reflect upon one's own insights and transformation set in motion by an extended exposure to a cultural context other than one's own.

Procedure
The course begins with sessions for orientation and preparation of participants, held in the first half of December. Students must then read the available required texts in preparation for travel in early January. The centerpiece of course activity involves the two-week tour period in Oman, with a wide range of experiences and conversations providing on-site educational opportunities. The course concludes with preparing a final paper that will be discussed with the instructor of record following the return from Oman in mid-January.

Required reading
Eight required texts are the basis for course preparation and on-site discussion, as well as being essential for the final paper. Two other texts are strongly recommended for ample preparation and further background. All required texts are to be read in advance of travel to Oman, except those that will be provided on-site (i.e., Scudder, Skinner, and Wilkinson).

Required books
Ford, David F. and C. C. Pecknold, eds. The Promise of Scriptural Reasoning. Oxford, U.K.: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 1405146303 — pages 1-57 only
Scudder, Lewis R. The Arabian Mission's Story: In Search of Abraham's Other Son. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1998. OUT OF PRINT — provided on-site in Oman
Skinner, Raymond Frederick. Christians in Oman. Morden, U.K.: Tower Press, 1995. 0952700409 OUT OF PRINT — provided on-site in Oman
Volf, Miroslav, Ghazi bin Muhammad, and Melissa Yarrington, eds. A Common Word: Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2009. 0802863809
Wilkinson, John C. Ibadism: Origins and Early Development in Oman. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. 0199588260 — excerpts available on-site in Oman

Required articles
Al Amana Centre Handbook — publication available now as PDF from instructor of record
Bos, Michael. “Islam in Oman” — manuscript available now as PDF from instructor of record
Swidler, Leonard. “Muslims in Dialogue: The Evolution of a Dialogue” — selection available now as PDF from instructor of record

Recommended books
Ayoub, Mahmoud. A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue, ed. Irfan A. Omar. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2007. 1570756902
Michel, Thomas. A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue, ed. Irfan A. Omar. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2007. 1570758603

Grades
Throughout this course, grades for masters level students are reported on an A / B / C basis. These grades mean:
A       Exceptional in several or most ways; such work completes all tasks, is creative and even original in content, and displays mastery of expression.
B       Adequate in all basic ways; parts of the task are slighted, the content has minor weaknesses, and expression is competent yet not consistently compelling.
C       Inadequate in some ways; does not address significant tasks, shows weak or erroneous content, and expression sometimes obstructs understanding.

Course participation​ (50% of grade)
Attendance at and active participation in the entire course is expected of all students. This includes the preparatory sessions, on-site activities, and a follow-up meeting. Exceptions are only allowed if advance permission has been granted by the instructors, and only for unavoidable absences. In all cases, substantive failure to meet this requirement (e.g., by not attending the preparatory and follow-up sessions or more than 20% of the on-site activities) automatically precludes successful completion of the course. The participation grade includes active familiarity with all required readings.

Written assignments (50% of grade)
Students are expected to provide three sorts of written materials as accountability for the course learning. (1) A critical review of any three of the required or recommended books (not articles), selected by the student in conversation with the instructor of record, no longer than 1,000 words per review. (2) A reflective journal of the on-site period, the style and format of which will be determined in conversation with the instructor of record. (3) An integrative final paper that summarizes and synthesizes the student's central insights from the readings and experiences of the course, with special attention to how these relate to the student's larger program of study, no longer than 4,500 words exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Details for these assignments will be provided at the preparatory meeting with the instructor of record. All written materials must be sent by e-mail to the instructor of record by 31 January 2012.

Course extensions
Past experience has shown that timely completion of all assignments and the entire course is essential to successful completion of one's academic program. As a result, late submission of writing assignments is strongly discouraged and course extensions are not permitted.

Plagiarism warning
Plagiarism is the failure to give proper credit for the words or ideas of another person, whether published or unpublished, and is strictly prohibited. Credit will not be given for written work in this course containing plagiarism, and plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the entire course. Please consult the Plagiarism Policy on pp. 56-57 of the Hartford Seminary Catalogue 2011-2012, and/or contact the instructor with questions in this regard.