The Anthropology of Islam

This class provides an anthropological perspective on Islam, one that tries to understand Islam as a living tradition. There are well over a billion Muslims in the world who speak countless languages and reside in dozens of nation-states. The immense diversity of Islamic practice and Muslim life is bewildering and defies any simple generalization. However, this diversity need not blind us to the themes that connect Islam and cut across Muslim life around the world. While not an exhaustive survey of Islamic practice and ways of life, this class focuses on the themes that connect Islam across diverse regions and peoples. These themes include: Islamic authority, conceptions of gender, the importance of Islamic law, and the value of Islamic community. In this class, we look beyond local variation to understand Islam as a living tradition.