Department of Religious Studies

Using topics as diverse as infidelity, punk rock, and dragons, Muslim authors use novels to explore the complexity of religion in the contemporary world. This course will explore contemporary Muslim religious experiences through fiction written by Muslim authors. By using genres as diverse as science fiction, romance, historical fiction, spy thrillers, and fantasy the course will examine how Muslim authors have used fiction to represent different religious ideas and worldviews in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Texts may include Naguib Mahfouz, Children of the Alley; Bothayna al-Essa, The Censor’s Library; Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red; Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner; Abdulrazak Gurnah, Desertion; Monica Ali, Brick Lane: A Novel; Pramoedya Toer, The Girl from the Coast; Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist; and Michael Muhammad Knight, Osama Van Halen. 

Requirements: Attendance is mandatory, weekly book reviews, in-class discussion, and a final research-length project. 

CASE A&H

• A&H
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