Religion and the Arts: The Case of Islam

Harvard FAS

What makes art "religious?" How might sound, visual, and literary arts help shape our understandings of "religion?" This course considers the relationship between religion and the arts through the case study of Islam. We will engage with the sound arts (recitation, music), the visual arts (calligraphy, painting, architecture, drama), and the literary arts (scripture, panegyrics, epic romances, folk tales). Given the cultural heterogeneity of Muslim societies, the course incorporates…