Martyrs, virgins, and hell's angels: Islamic eschatology in context (U04198)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : DIV-3-MVH

Islamic eschatology has an ongoing, perhaps even increasing, relevance in Muslim religious thought and practice. This course charts the evolution of Muslim ideas about the apocalypse and the hereafter, addressing important issues such as Muslim messianism, the perceived sensuality of the Muslim Paradise (whether real or as an Orientalist construct), spiritual (Sufi) visions of Paradise and Hell, and the question of grave sins and uncertainty of salvation in Muslim theology.

? Keywords : Islam, eschatology, apocalypse, martyrdom, messianism, Islamic theology, Sufism.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Religion 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B or by permission of the course organiser.

? Costs : Course reader, approx £10

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Religious Studies, (School of Divinity, Schedule B)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
23/09/2008	14:00	15:50	Room 2.17, McIntyre Room, New College	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have learned to distinguish between different kinds of eschatological thought in Islam and locate them in their historical and social context. On the basis of an enhanced understanding and appreciation of Muslim eschatological teachings, they will have gained a critical distance vis-à-vis attempts to essentialize the Islamic tradition, in particular its notions of the apocalypse and hereafter.