Units timetabled for 2013 and 2014 are provisional only, and details of semester and time will change. The official timetable for each year is released on 1 September of the prior year.

Archived unit descriptions for 2011 are available here.

Islam in the Modern World

Unit Code: 
OAR366
RTI: 
United Faculty of Theology
Unit Value: 
15 points

This unit aims to present a more objective and unbiased understanding of Islam than the superficial and frequently stereotypical image of Islam presented by the media. After a short introduction to the historical origins of Islam, the course will focus on the concerns that have dominated the writings of Muslim reformers from the eighteenth century to the present day. Special attention will be given to the pressing issues facing contemporary Muslims who live in a modern, secular and pluralist society.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate some understanding of the historical origins of Islam
  2. Indicate the recent historical events that have provided the background to the emergence of modern Muslim reform movements
  3. Describe the key concerns of significant reform movements that have emerged in the Muslim world from the eighteenth century up to the present day
  4. Discuss the most important issues that Muslims are grappling with in a modern, secular and pluralist society
  5. Evaluate the range of Christian responses to Islam in recent times.
Lecturer/s: 
Herman Roborgh
Timetabling
Semester: 
Semester 2
Unit Frequency: 
Biennial
Years Offered: 
2010
Years Offered: 
2013
Unit Fields
Courses: 
Graduate Diploma in Theology
Courses: 
Master of Divinity
Courses: 
Master of Theological Studies
Field: 
Field A Humanities
Disciplines: 
Religious Studies
MDiv Field: 
Theology and the Public Realm
Department Name: 
Department of Moral and Practical Theology
Unit Level
GradDip Field: 
Elective
MDiv Type of Study: 
Integrative
Prerequisites: 

30 points of Foundational study in Christian Thought and History

Mode of Teaching: 
Online
Teaching Methods: 

There are six fortnightly sessions covering Islam in the Modern World. Each session consists of guided reading from the set texts, additional reading resources and some notes, together with an online tutorial. Students will be expected to contribute to the discussions in each session.

Workload
Total workload hours per week: 
0
Assessment
Assessment TypeWeightingLearning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Type: 

1 x 2500 word essay

Weighting: 
40%
Assessment Type: 

1 x 2500 word essay

Weighting: 
40%
Assessment Type: 

Participation in each of the six online tutorials, comprising intentional, reflective and critical interaction with lecturer and peers to the equivalent of 1000 words

Weighting: 
20%
Recommended reading: 

* = set texts recommended for purchase

  • Armstrong, Karen. Islam A Short History. London: Phoenix, 2000.
  • Bonnery, Richard. Jihad: From Qur’an to bin Laden. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
  • El Fadl, Khaled Abou. The Great Theft, Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. San Francisco: Harper, 2007.
  • Kamrava, Mehran (ed.). The New Voices of Islam; Reforming Politics and Modernity – a Reader. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2006.
  • Lumbard, Joseph E. B. (ed.). Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition; essays by Western Muslim Scholars. Bloomington: World Wisdom, 2004.
  • Rahman, Fazlur. Islam and Modernity, Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.
  • Ruthven, Malise. Islam in the World. New ed. London: Granta Books, 2006.
  • Saeed, Abdullah. Islamic Thought, an Introduction. London: Routledge, 2006.
  • Said, Abdul Aziz et al (eds). Contemporary Islam; Dynamic, not Static. New York: Routledge, 2006.
  • Safi, Omid (ed.). Progressive Muslims; on Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. Oxford: Oneworld,     

© United Faculty of Theology, 2008-2012.