Recommended Reading

The Koran, N.J. Dawood, trans., Penguin Books, 1983.

Islam: The Straight Path, 3rd edition, John L. Esposito, Oxford University Press, 1998.

The Word of Islam, J. Alden Williams, University of Texas Press, 1984.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory study of the structure, beliefs and practices of Islam. Special emphasis will be placed on a study of the theology of the Koran. The student will read and study the entire Koran along with important selections from the Hadith, Shari`a material and Sufi writings. The actual historical manifestations of contemporary Islam will be explored with a special emphasis on Islam in the African context. Throughout the course there will be a concern to demonstrate how Islamic thought is different from Christian thought and how the gospel can be most effectively communicated to members of the Islamic faith, the second largest and fastest growing religion in the world today.

Hitti, Philip K. The Arabs: A Short History, NY: The McMillan Company, 1951.

LeBon, G. The World of Islamic Civilization, Tudor Publishing Co. 1974.

Lewis, Bernard, Ed. Islam and the Arab World, Alfred A. Knopf, 1976.

Patai, Raphael. The Arab Mind, Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY, 1973.

Steward, Desmond. Mecca, Newsweek, NY, 1980.