RELG 008B. The Qur’an and Its Interpreters

This course will include detailed reading of the Qur’an in English translation. This course conceives of the Qur’ān as a living text in constant flux through interactions with the lived experiences of Muslims and other religious traditions. It focuses on developing an understanding of the Qur’ān’s form, style, and content through a close reading of comparable religious texts. Major topics covered include the Qur’ānic theory of prophecy, its treatment of the Biblical tradition (both that of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible), and its perspective on pre-Islamic religion. The central goals of the course include the ability to: (a) analyze primary these religious sources from a critical and literary perspective and (b) construct coherent arguments based on concrete evidence from the textual sources.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for MDST
Spring 2025. al-Jamil.
Spring 2026. al-Jamil.
Catalog chapter: Religion
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/religion

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