Islam - Period 6

This module provides a thorough introduction to various aspects of Islam. We consider the origins of Islam,, how it gradually became a world religion, the main scriptural sources of Islam (the Quran and Sunnah), various classical theological movements and thinkers, Islamic law, Islamic mystical tradition, art and culture. We also pay full attention to Islam in the contemporary: how have Islamic thinkers tried to relate to modernity? To which religious debates has the changing pattern of values of modernity led (secularization, position of women, rise of nation-state, etc.); what is Islamism, and what different manifestations does it have? How is Islam experienced today in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Indonesia? Finally, armed with this knowledge and insights, we look at Islam in the Netherlands and we study the development of Islamic institutions, practices and rituals in Dutch society.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) awards credits based on the ECTS system. Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.