The Quran in History

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course surveys the various theories, methods and approaches to the Qur’an employed by modern scholars as well as its textual history and vast interpretative tradition. We will explore the Qur’an from multiple perspectives including classical exegesis, history, translation, Islamic law, and spirituality. Students will gain an understanding of the Qur’an’s genesis as an oral revelation and its compilation and transformation into a written and canonized text. We will also spend much of the course discussing major themes, including creation; the phenomenon of prophecy; the relationship between Muhammad and biblical prophets; the varying interpretations of key verses related to women and gender; and classical and modern interpretations of jihad and violence. Qur’anic verses will be examined in their historical context in addition to how they have been interpreted and appropriated by various claimants to religious authority. Throughout the course, we will gauge the subjective values and assumptions of interpreters that contribute to their interpretation of the Qur’an.