Religious Thought and Spirituality in Islam

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic religious practices and mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early forms of personal piety that culminated into emphasis over mystical dimensions of Islamic religious experience and practice. The course will examine the rise of Sufi orders, the systematization of Sufi teaching and the evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of Sufism in the Islamic arts and literatures. Lectures, readings and class discussions. Annotated bibliography 15%, oral presentations 25%, project (research paper) 35%, project presentation 10% and class participation 5%.