Activity 5: Islam

Preparation (2 hours)

This week we are learning about Islam and how it is similar to Christianity and also different, especially with respect to what we learned Monday about Christology and Trinity. As has been our priority with Christianity, we are examining primary sources in historical context and making an effort to understand the ideas of others even if we do not agree.

• Think about what you learned on your own and from others about looking for reliable introductory information about Buddhism. Be extra careful when researching Islam because there are a lot of haters on the Internet.
• Start with basic information and historical context.
  • Where and in what century did Islam begin?
  • Who is Muhammad? Is there tension between what believers say about him and what historians say about him (as we saw with historical Jesus scholarship)?
  • What is the Qur’an? Do Muslims view the Qur’an differently than how Christians view the Bible?
• Practice your primary-source reading skills on the following excerpts from the Qur’an. Expect it to take several slow reads before you stop noticing new things.
• Note similarities and shared assumptions with Christianity as you know it, either from this class or otherwise.
• Note differences with Christianity as you know it. Are the Christians portrayed here different from Christianity as you know it? What differences are most fundamental? What underlying assumptions might explain those differences?

In-Class Collaboration (20 minutes)

• Find your assigned collaborators and introduce yourself
• Compare the methods you used to research the background questions and the answers you came up with. What might explain differences in information you found?
• Discuss the similarities and differences you found in the primary source. What did others notice that you did not notice? Do you have diversity of thought within your group?

Reporting from Small Groups to the Whole Class (20 minutes = 2.5 minutes for each of eight groups)

• Introduce self and other members of the group
• Start with the most interesting similarities and differences you found in your group, especially points on which you had diversity of thought within your group or with what other groups have reported so far.
• As time permits, what sources gave the clearest information about the background questions?

Individual Written Reflection (10 minutes)

• In your own words, what is the most fundamental difference between Christianity as you know it and the argument in the primary source you studied? What might explain the difference?
• Reflect on the process of researching background, close-reading a primary source, discussing with a small group, and discussing with a large group. What did you learn about how you learn?