How familiar are you with the world's second-largest and fastest-growing religion? Many people in the West know little about Islam and are familiar only with the actions of a minority of radical extremists. Great World Religions: Islam helps you better understand Islam as both a religion and a way of life. In these illuminating lectures, expert Islamic scholar and Professor John L. Esposito takes you through Islamic history from the 7th century through today. Along the way you explore Muslim beliefs and practices in the context of their impact on Muslim life and society throughout the ages; how and why Muslims came to Europe and America; the issues of faith, identity, and integration that face them in their homelands; and other fascinating aspects of this great world faith.
Great World Religions: Islam
Gain an introduction to the history and practice of the world's fastest growing religion in this course taught by an award-winning professor from Georgetown University.
Rated 2 out of
5
by
nicknamenoname from
Impassioned, and somewhat informative
I attended this lecture series with an interest in the formation and development of Islam, which the presenter did, in fact, present. He obviously is well-learned in the subject. I found the course disappointingly light on the history of Islam and heavily weighted toward the present and future, mostly from a geopolitical point of view. The defensiveness of the presenter was a bit hard to endure while hoping for more academically oriented presentation of the foundational considerations of Islam.
Date published: 2024-08-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
LennyG from
Enough was written
Wow a wake up call for all Americans and other audiences to read or hear this course.
Date published: 2023-04-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
thekingspoet from
Sympathetic, but balanced view of Islam.
I can't imagine why this course has such low reviews. The professor is undoubtedly sympathetic to Islam--he has devoted his professional life to it, but he paints a highly balanced portrait. He begins with Muhammad's life, the Koran, and the fundamentals of Islamic faith before going over the emergence of different "denominations," their views, and the history of Islam. In this context, he represents the diverse views of Muslims and Muslim scholars from reactionary to progressive while correcting several Western misunderstandings and explaining their origin. The only downsides are that there are only twelve lectures, and the professor speaks quite fast, presumably due to the need to get through so much material. For certain lectures, the guidebook is essential. While Muhammad's life is covered over the course eight-lectures in Professor Muesse's course on Jesus, Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad, and another 12 lecture course was recently added on the Koran, as well as three superb surveys on the History of the Middle-East, including the Islamic Golden Age: this subject still demands a more thorough treatment and Esposito is obviously the professor worthy to deliver it: sympathetic but not apologetic or hagiographic, but balanced, thorough within the allotted time, nuanced, with convincing, easy-to-understand explanations of Western Misunderstandings of Islam. Given Islam's relevance, it is too bad that The Great Courses has produced a complete course on Buddhism, more than one course on Judaism, and a superb, but never-ending, series of courses on Christianity, but somewhat neglected this World Faith. However, given their recent addition of courses of the Koran and histories of The Middle East, I am holding out hope for a more thorough overview delivered by Professor Esposito.
Date published: 2022-03-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Antony Islam from
A great course and great professor
This course is wonderfully taught, apt, just one of the best professors. Great info.
Date published: 2021-08-16
Rated 5 out of
5
by
artin from
Amazing lectures
He brings an interesting perspective to conventional interpretations and how culture impact these interpretations
Date published: 2021-06-02
Rated 3 out of
5
by
DaGeek from
A bit pedantic for me
A bit pedantic for me, plus the presenter and the teleprompter were not on good terms. I felt like he read rather than lectured.
I had watched the course on Judaism and the one on Christianity. I was expecting another adherent of the religion, instead there was an American (I am assuming Christian) professor of the subject of Islam. On the other hand he was very knowledgeable on Islam and expressed great empathy for the religion. This is more a survey of the history of Islam than a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of the religion.
Date published: 2021-04-01
Rated 2 out of
5
by
KelpiesRule from
Boring Man
The lecturer was a bore, no idea how to make an audience interested in a subject, and seems like it never crossed his mind that that might even be relevant.
Date published: 2021-02-12
Rated 1 out of
5
by
ChrisMac from
Please Remove This Course and Replace It
For this to be Great Courses' only dedicated course on Islam is unacceptable. The need for a deeper understanding, a more nuanced presentation, and a deeper dive into tough issues has grown immensely in the 18 years since Professor Esposito recorded this. I appreciate generally what he was trying to do at that time, but it is simply outdated. What may have been a satisfactory introductory course in the past, simply comes across now as insufficient, clumsy, and painfully American-centric. Furthermore, there are simple edit problems with this video - not the least of which is misspelling "b-Ismi Allah, ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" which is frankly an egregious mistake. Professor Esposito's inability to pronounce this properly, (along with nearly every other term in Arabic which he mutilated through his powerful New York accent) further degrades the quality of the course. Some of the other professors teaching related topics would excel at teaching an introductory course like this and I recommend highly that Great Courses Plus makes this happen as soon as possible. In the meantime, I request that it is retired from the panoply of courses in the name of damage control.
Date published: 2021-02-01
Overview
About
Dr. John L. Esposito is University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, and Professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He earned his B.A. at St. Anthony College, his M.A. at St. John's University, and his Ph.D. at Temple University. Professor Esposito is Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He has served as President of the Middle East Studies Association of North America, and the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies. A specialist in Islam, political Islam, and the impact of Islamic movements from North Africa to Southeast Asia, Dr. Esposito serves as a consultant to the Department of State as well as multinational corporations, governments, universities, and the media worldwide. In 2005, Professor Esposito won the American Academy of Religion's prestigious Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. This award honors a scholar who has been exemplary in promoting the public understanding of religion. A prolific writer, Professor Esposito is the author of over 25 books, including What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, and Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Oxford History of Islam, and The Oxford Dictionary of Islam.
Trailer
01: Islam Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
The diversity of cultural and religious practices of Islam is reflected by the geographic expanse of the Muslim world. Islam's more than 1 billion followers live in 56 countries around the world, yet many in the West know little about it and are familiar only with the actions of a minority of radical extremists. This lecture outlines the second-largest and fastest-growing of the world's religions,...
32 min
02: The Five Pillars of Islam
All Muslims accept and follow the Five Pillars of Islam, the core beliefs that unite all Muslims across time and space and are the hallmarks that distinguish Islam from other faiths. This lecture describes them....
30 min
03: Muhammad-Prophet and Statesman
Muhammad's significance is the result of his dual roles as God's messenger and as the perfect living model of the Quran's teachings. After 10 years of persecution and resistance in Mecca, Muhammad and the early Muslims moved to Medina, where Muhammad served as prophet, political ruler, military commander, chief judge, and lawgiver....
31 min
04: God's Word-the Quranic Worldview
Muslims believe that the Quran represents both the original and final revelation of God to humankind, making Islam the oldest, rather than the newest, of the monotheistic faiths. The Quran reveals the compassion and justice of God, the role and responsibilities of human beings, and relations between men and women....
30 min
05: The Muslim Community-Faith and Politics
The development of Islam and Muslim history enables us to appreciate the remarkable political and cultural achievements of the Golden Age of Islamic civilization and to understand the sources of sectarianism, religious extremism, and conflict between Islam and Christianity, epitomized by the Crusades....
30 min
06: Paths to God-Islamic Law and Mysticism
Piety and the desire for reform resulted in the development of Islamic law (the Shariah) and Islamic mysticism (Sufism). Islamic law reflects Islam's emphasis on orthopraxy (correct practice), rather than orthodoxy (correct belief). Sufism emphasizes personal spirituality and devotion and has aided the spread of Islam through missionary activities....
31 min
07: Islamic Revivalism-Renewal and Reform
From the 17th to the 20th centuries, the Muslim world experienced both internal disintegration and upheaval and the external aggression of the European colonial era. Muslim responses to these challenges varied from jihad against European colonialism to acceptance and blind adoption of the West. Islamic modernists called for a synthesis of Islam and Western thought in order to achieve legal, educat...
30 min
08: The Contemporary Resurgence of Islam
In the last decades of the 20th century, a series of political events and economic realities led to the desire of many Muslims to achieve greater authenticity and self-definition through a revival of Islam. Reformist movements have worked within mainstream society for change, but extremists have resorted to violence and terrorism to achieve their goals....
30 min
09: Islam at the Crossroads
Like members of other faith communities, contemporary Muslims face the challenge of defining the role, meaning, and relevance of Islam. At the heart of the "struggle for the soul of Islam" between conservatives and reformers, mainstream Muslims and extremists, is the question of who should interpret Islam and how reform should be achieved. Major issues include the relationship of religio...
30 min
10: Women and Change in Islam
The status of women in Islam is a hotly contested issue, both in the Muslim world and in the West. Muslim women are often viewed through Western stereotypes or the policies of extremists, such as the Taliban. Although some critics claim that Islam oppresses women, others view Islam as a source of women's empowerment. Even the wearing of the veil has diverse meanings for wearers and observers....
30 min
11: Islam in the West
Islam is now the third largest religion in the United States and the second largest in Europe. Muslims in Europe and America represent a cross-section of national, ethnic, and racial backgrounds and socioeconomic classes. They, like religious minorities before them, face issues of faith and identity, integration and assimilation....
31 min
12: The Future of Islam
At the close of the 20th century, it appeared that the future of Islam could be one of new opportunities for peace, democracy, expanded human and women's rights; political, social, and economic empowerment; and an increasing acceptance in Western societies of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. The September 11, 2001, hijacking of Islam by militant extremists shattered the hopes and dreams of m...
31 min
