Course content

In this course we study how Norwegian Islamic institutions transmit academic disciplines, schools representing specific methodologies, and artistic and musical forms, which are related to Islam’s history and global presence. The teaching highlights particularly how both Islamic and our "standard" academic discourses about Islam use sources, theories, and methods from different disciplines to identify problems for society and individuals and try to find solutions. For example, inclusion of different groups in the political community, war and peace, colonization and imperialism, tolerance, administration of diverse systems of law, individual and family economy, international finance institutions and national debt, sex and gender, etc.

We also discuss to what extent Islamic academic formulations of problems can contribute to "standard" academic problem areas, and the roles that official definitions of Norwegian national identity can play in this context.

The course readings introduce the historical and global Islamic institutions, disciplines and schools, with India-Pakistan as illustration of their development in a specific region and modern nation-state, since Norway’s oldest Muslim communities have origins in Pakistan. Students then select topic for exam assignment and readings related to Norwegian Islam through consultation with the teacher.

Learning outcome

According to the course curriculum, a candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome (defined as knowledge, skills and general competence):

Knowledge

The student has

• overview of Islamic institutionalised disciplines and schools within Quran exegesis, Prophetic tradition, law and jurisprudence, theology, rituals, ethics, history, and rhetoric, and related theories and methods
• in-depth knowledge about a selected Islamic discipline and school and its development in Norwegian context, including artistic and musical forms
• analytic understanding of the relationship between state policy and problem formulations within Islamic and other academic disciplines and studies

Skills

The student can

• identify and describe the institutionalized Islamic disciplines and schools in context
• analyse Islamic disciplines and academic studies of these, focusing on problem formulations, theory, method, and relations with state policy
• present Norwegian Islam through a historical perspective and a selected Islamic institution, discipline and school, relevant academic studies, and state policy

General competence

The candidate has

• experience in planning and executing a written essay with a defined length and through successive stages

Learning methods and activities

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. The lectures sketch a framework for topics treated in the readings and the relevant problem formulations. The seminars are intended for students’ work with readings and their own exam assignments.

To take the exam students must participate in at least 80% of the seminars and make three passed oral presentations in seminar. For more information about obligatory activities, see Blackboard.

The obligatory activity can only be approved in the semester when the course is taught, but is valid in this and the subsequent term. Obligatory activities which are older than two semesters can be accepted but must be applied for and assessed for alignment with current obligatory activities and requirements for exam preparation.

Compulsory assignments

• 80 % attendance in seminars
• Up to three passed oral presentations in seminar

Recommended previous knowledge

Studies at the level of 60 credits and including basic courses in Religious studies - especially RVI1010 Theories of Religion and RVI1030 Middle East Religions or corresponding courses.

Students who have not taken introductory courses about Islam must read a relevant primer, such as Anne Sofie Roald, Islam (Pax Forlag, 2012) or a corresponding one, before the course starts.

Course materials

The required reading list will be available at the beginning of the semester.