Autumn 2023 Cool Courses

MELC 231: Introduction to the Qur'an

Meeting: TTh 11:30am-1:20pm

SLN: 19410

Instructor: Hamza Zafer

Catalog Description: A literary, historical, and theological introduction to the Qur'an. Looks at the historical circumstances of the text's compilation; its collection and redaction; its narrative structure; its rhetorical strategies; its major themes; it connections to and departures from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; commentary and exegesis; translation; and its impact on political and religious thought.

Credits: 5

MELC 301: Art of the Ancient Near East

Meeting: TTh 1:30pm-2:50pm

SLN: 19414

Instructor: Scott Noegel

Catalog Description: Examines the artistic remains of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (3000 BCE-550 BCE), with some attention to architecture. Topics examined include: art as ritual power, the relationship between text and image, art and cosmology, visual propaganda, and the legacy of ancient Near Eastern art.

Credits: 3

MELC 386: The Middle East through Cinema

Meeting: TTh 1:30pm-3:20pm

SLN: 18715

Instructor: Naghmeh Samini

Catalog Description: Analyzes the function of cinema in shaping communal and individual identities in Middle Eastern cultures. Examines topics including religious transformation, violence, identity, gender, immigration, and exile through film screenings, discussions, and supplementary readings.

Credits: 5

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