Teaching Islam

Teaching the Significance of Sufism and the Arts

Meena Sharify-Funk
Associate Professor
Wilfrid Laurier University

In my last two blogs, I have been sharing some thoughts on teaching Sufism and contemporary Sufism, giving special consideration to the importance of helping students actively explore different elements of Sufi tradition and culture in the different Islamic periods. For this blog Read more →

Interrogating the Legacies of Colonialism and Orientalism in an Introductory Course on Islam

SherAli Tareen
Assistant Professor
Franklin & Marshall College

In this blog, I want to continue with the theme that animated my last post “Genealogically Attuned teaching in an Introductory Course on Islam.” To remind, the question I had engaged had to do with the problem of presenting in an undergraduate Read more →

Teaching Contemporary Sufism: Some Considerations

Meena Sharify-Funk
Associate Professor
Wilfrid Laurier University

Why and how has Sufism become such a contested topic in the 20th and 21st centuries, and what does “authentic” Sufism look like today? Why are historical Sufi shrines in Pakistan, Mali, and Iraq being destroyed by Muslims? Why do some Muslim governments Read more →

Contemplative Pedagogy in Islamic Studies

Joshua Canzona
Georgetown University

My teacher training focused on goals and assessment. When I conduct workshops on teaching and whenever I am asked for advice on teaching, I tell instructors to clarify goals and work backward. Two years ago I gave a presentation on technology in the classroom. I included. Read more →