This course uses literatures of Muslim societies to introduce students to themes from the history of Islam that are often neglected in discussions of the religion. Two themes in particular will be explored: travel and transgression. Students will study the famous and famously complex Thousand and One Nights from a variety of perspectives. This work will help students to think about the space covered by premodern Islam, meaning both the imagined geographical space through which characters travel and the wide range of expressions of Islam in the premodern period. The class will then study modern appropriations of the work to see how it continues to inspire possibilities for Muslim expression in the present. As a Seminar in Scholarly Inquiry 1, students will analyze various kinds of sources. They will practice reading closely and critically. Special attention will be given to how scholars in various disciplines develop questions, rely on those who have gone before them, and come up with novel answers. Students will apply these skills to their own scholarship. Written and oral assignments in this course will foster students' abilities to enter scholarly conversations by training them to ask questions, develop theses, and defend ideas. Affiliate department: Religious Studies.

Seminar in Scholarly Inquiry 1
Course UID
006187.1
Course Subject
Catalog Number
178
Long title
Muslim Fictions