Course Resources Archive

This module will explore the historical and cultural characteristics of Islam, in the context of Islamic beliefs. This will include an understanding of key Islamic texts, people and places. Some consideration will be given to the variety of views surrounding Islam’s role on the world stage, as this affects the ways in which Islam is perceived.

This module investigates the richness of Islamic belief systems and contextualises them within the east: west polarisation that currently dominates many debates. The historical setting for such debates will initiate the students’ approach to Islam. This will be developed in conjunction with an exploration of the great variety of Islamic beliefs throughout the world, including Sunni and Shia. The complex relationships between culture, customs and faith-based beliefs will be explored, with an emphasis on seeking empathy and a deeper understanding of the ethics of Islam, the concept of ummah and key aspects of practical ethics for Muslims.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the commonalities and differences between different forms of Islam and can contextualise the life of the prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, worship and prayer within both the history of pre-Islamic Arabia and Islam now.

1. Identify, analyse and communicate the major controversies surrounding Islam, differentiating between opinion and evidence.
2. Show critical empathy with a variety of different forms and aspects of Islam.
3. Identify and use reliable sources that provide a balanced view of Islam, Islamic concepts and Muslim practices.

1. Develop intellectually rigorous and well evidenced discussions about Islam in the west and in the east.

1. Possesses a range of ICT skills in order to gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.