REL 231(F) The Origins of Islam: God, Empire and Apocalypse (Same as History 209)*
The rise of Islam in the seventh-century C.E. is usually seen, by both Muslim
and non-Muslim historians, as a total break with the past. This course will challenge that assumption by placing the rise of Islam in the context of the history of
late antiquity (c. 300-700 C.E.). The first half of the course will examine the impact of Judeo-Christian monotheism in the ancient world, the rise of confessional empires, articulation of new ideas about holiness and its relation to sexuality
and the transformations undergone by Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and
Manichaeism. We shall examine the conversation of these traditions with classical paganism and philosophy, the internal struggle within traditions to define
rules of interpretation, the impact of ascetic, iconoclastic and apocalyptic ideas
and, finally, polemics among the traditions. Special attention will be given to
borderlands (Armenia, Syria, and Arabia), where the problems of regionalism
and religious diversity were prominent. We will then examine the career of Muhammad (PBUH) in the context of Arabia, the spread of the Islamic empire into
Christian and Iranian worlds, the impact of apocalyptic expectations, the fixation
of religious decision-making within the tradition and the question of conversion
and religious diversity within the commonwealth of Islam. The course will end
with the flourishing of the Abbasid empire in the ninth century. This course will
make use of the Antioch 2000 exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum.
Requirements: one 5-page paper, self-scheduled final, and a final research project. Each class will use a case study approach focusing on one textual, artistic, or
architectural artifact.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30 (expected: 20).Open to all.