Summer 2012

The Mediterranean is often divided into the Christian and Islamic sides, implying a religious uniformity that did not exist on either shore.  This course focuses on the history of the Islamic Mediterranean as a multi-religious space where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived, traded, and even worshipped together.  Beginning in the Middle Ages, the course uses documents from the Cairo Geniza to illuminate the day-to-day interactions of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in medieval Egypt and beyond.  It covers the Ottoman Empire through the nineteenth century, looking at the Ottomans as among the most religiously diverse empires in world history.  The course seeks to introduce students to Middle Eastern history while challenging preconceptions about the religious makeup of the region.  Through the history of the Mediterranean, this course explores how pre-modern people of different faiths lived together before the widespread belief in values like tolerance and religious equality.

Imagine a congregation where 10,000 people gather each week for worship, where church budgets are $15 million a year and where thousands of people volunteer for programs weekly. Welcome to the world of megachurches. The past thirty years have seen a proliferation of these massive congregations throughout the nation. There are over 1,500 of these congregations in the U.S., and while less than half a percent of all congregations, they attract more attention than all other religious communities in the nation combined. This course will look at the phenomenon to understand the common characteristics of megachurches, how they function, why they are attractive. In so doing, we will focus on what lessons can be learned and used effectively by churches of all sizes and denominational traditions.

King David presents an excellent opportunity to study leadership in a multicultural context. The Israelites and the kingdom of Israel emerged during the early Iron Age when the land of Canaan consisted of multitude of people competing for a space of their own. David emerges as the successful leader who is able to forge a multi-people kingdom and Saul is portrayed as the failed leader. We will examine characteristics of leaders and circumstances of contexts that make some types of leadership effective and others ineffective. We will reflect on questions like:  What are essential characteristics of a good leader?  What are important features of a successful leader in a multicultural context?  To what extent can a leader recognize and heed God’s voice and to what extent do the practical and strategic interests of an organization muffle this voice?  In addition to David and Saul, other leaders from the David story and the book of Judges will be examined.

This high level course offers an in-depth exploration of the theological and spiritual writings of one of the most fascinating – and controversial – thinkers of classical lslam: the Mamlûk mufti and theologian Taqî al-Dîn Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). Key texts will be read in the original Arabic, translated orally, explained grammatically, commented on ideologically, and discussed, by the students as well as by the professor. A good knowledge of Classical Arabic is highly recommended to maximize the learning in this course. Some background information about the history of the Middle East since the Crusades and the Mongol invasions will also be useful. Bibliographical references will be provided.

In this class we will explore the spirituality of Muslim women past and present. We will begin with a study of the lives of female companions of the Prophet Muhammad. How did their concerns and perspectives affect the process of revelation and the spiritual development of the early Muslim community? Over the centuries, what roles did women play in the establishment of religious institutions and spiritual orders? What challenges have Muslim women faced in fulfilling their spiritual needs? What forms does female spiritual leadership take across diverse Muslim societies and cultures? Wise scholars, Medieval saints and contemporary Qur’an reciters will be our guests in chronicles and in person as we share in the spirituality of Muslim women.