Islam Politics in SE Asia

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This module examines Islam as it is experienced and disseminated through various forms of institutions, scholarly currents, movements, the media and sites across Southeast Asia. Students are exposed to the defining factors and forces that shape Muslim life in the region in the context of modernity, globalization and secularization. The major topics that will be examined include the roles of the ulama (religious scholars), the place of women in society, Muslim-non-muslim relations, Islamic popular culture and the nexus between traditionalism and reformism, among others. The module also seeks to deepen perspectives on Islam in Southeast Asia through the employment of theoretical tools such as those derived from anthropology, sociology of religion, religious studies and historical sociology.