Class Description
Voted one of TIME magazine's most influential figures in world history, Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was also a political and social leader. This course will look at the birth of Islam in the context of Late Antiquity and examine the sociopolitical factors for its success as a world religion and as an empire. The main text for this class will be Maxime Rodinson's unique psychological portrait of the prophet. After this course, students will be able to separate the historical facts about the founder of Islam from the many rumors and misconceptions that plague his life story. We will also look at the role that Muhammad's behavior and actions play in the contemporary spiritual life of Muslims.
Ms. Laurel Harig-Khan teaches courses on the culture, politics, and history of the Middle East. She received an MA from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago and a BA from Bard College and studied in Beirut and London as well. She has been teaching at the Newberry since 2018.
Materials List
Order from the Newberry Bookshop!
Recommended
First Reading
- It is not required, but it would be helpful to read Chapter 3: Birth of a Prophet before the first class session, as well as the Forward and Introduction.
Cost and Registration
4 sessions, $200 ($180 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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