Great World Religions: Islam

✍ Scribed by John L. Esposito

• Publisher: The Teaching Company
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 75
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

University professor and international government and media consultant John L. Esposito guides you through the facts and myths surrounding Islam and its more than 1.2 billion adherents. How familiar are you with the world's second largest and fastest-growing religion? Many in the West know little about the faith and are familiar only with the actions of a minority of radical extremists

This course will help you better understand Islam's role as both a religion and a way of life, and its deep impact on world affairs both historically and today. It is important to understand what Muslims believe, and also how their beliefs are carried out privately and publicly as individuals as well as members of a larger community

Learning about Islam: What Does the Future Hold?

What does the future hold for Islam and the West in the new century? How will it change under the influence of conservatives, reformers, and extremists?

"The focus of this course will be to better understand Islam's role as a religion and as a way of life," says Professor Esposito. "In 12 lectures, moving from Muhammad to the present, from the 7th to the 21st centuries, we will explore Muslim beliefs, practices, and history in the context of its significance and impact on Muslim life and society through the ages, as well as world events today."

You will learn about:

Muhammad
Jihad
Muslim beliefs about other faiths
Whether the Quran condones terrorism and what it says about God
The contributions to mathematics, science, and art made by a flourishing Islamic civilization
The role of women in Islam
Whether Islam is compatible with modernization, capitalism, and democracy.

✦ Table of Contents

Lecture One  Islam Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Two  The Five Pillars of Islam
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Three  Muhammad-Prophet and Statesman
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Four  God’s Word-The Quranic Worldview
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Five  The Muslim Community-Faith and Politics
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Six  Paths to God-Islamic Law and Mysticism
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Seven  Islamic Revivalism-Renewal and Reform
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Eight  The Contemporary Resurgence of Islam
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Nine  Islam at the Crossroads
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Ten  Women and Change in Islam
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Eleven  Islam in the West
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Lecture Twelve  The Future of Islam
     Outline
     Supplementary Reading
     Questions to Consider

Timeline
Glossary
Biographical Notes
Bibliography