People living in a multicultural society owe it to one another to make some effort to learn about their neighbours.
While no doubt true that doing so promotes mutual understanding and helps bridge the gaps between people of disparate backgrounds and cultures, learning about other cultures is also a way of enriching one’s own understanding of the world.
Trinity College Dublin’s Introduction to Islamic Civilisations is one such opportunity for learners to uncover a treasure-trove of fascinating historical fact and cultural insight.
This course provides a broad introduction to the history, texts and cultural contexts that have guided the development of Islamic civilisations from their origins in the Arabian peninsula to their present dispersion across the globe. Students will study the Qur an and the Ahadith in some depth and will also consider relevant examples of intricate Islamic art and its famously expressive architecture. They will study its literature too.
On the first part of the course students will focus on engaging with Islamic thinking through the study of primary texts and artefacts. Part two of the course we will use this knowledge to analyse and better understand Islam in its contemporary forms.
Though the course will hold great appeal to students of religion and culture, it is certain to illuminate the understanding and thinking of even those with only a passing interest.
