Advanced Study of Islam
Along with modernization and globalization, Muslims are becoming a significant phenomenon in the world. Therefore, Islam is very interesting religion lately. This course is designed to give religious studies to students who have not previously-formally studied Islam a better understanding of Islam in its many expressions. A central thread that will be shown is the diversity within Islam. The diversity was contributed by different legal/ethical methods used by scholars, as well as more than a billion Muslims’ diverse cultures and geographical locations. Islam is here taken not simply as a set of legal, ethical or theological doctrines, but also as lived by Muslims.
It starts with a historical introduction about Islam since its earliest history, and the main sources of religious authority until today’s globalizing world. The second part of the course will be about how Muslims respond to contemporary topics and challenges such as political violence, the issue of gender equality, pluralism and scientific and technological advances. The last part will concentrate on Islam in Indonesia.