• Dziri Amir Ben Noureddine
• Schmid Hansjörg
• Schneuwly Purdie Mallory

As an emerging field in contemporary research on Islam, Islamic Studies is becoming a discipline in its own right. In German-speaking countries, as well as in the English-speaking and in the French-speaking world, Islam is studied from a variety of perspectives often showing complementary views and results. Far from being a methodological inconsistency, this diversity of disciplines is reflected in the multiplicity of epistemological questions: history, theology, social sciences or law propose methods and concepts to apprehend the facets not only of a religion, but also its different individual and collective expressions. What are the sources and mechanisms of Islamic normativity? How do people of Muslim faith or culture ‘make’ a community? What are the ethical resources of Islam to respond to contemporary societal challenges?

The objective of this course is to introduce students to a selection of approaches and methods used in Islamic Studies. This focused overview will enable students to critically consider their reciprocal contributions and to consider the strengths and weaknesses of interdisciplinarity in the study of Muslim discourses and actions.

Students will be able to

- identify and contextualise theological and social science approaches to the study of Islam,

- recognise the research methods adapted to their epistemological questioning.

Shahab Ahmed, What Is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic, Princeton 2016.

Armando Salvatore, The Sociology of Islam: Knowledge, Power and Civility, Hoboken 2016.

John Renard, Islamic Theological Themes : a Primary Source Reader, Oakland 2014.