MR555/655: Folk Islam (4 units)

J. Dudley Woodberry, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Islamic Studies
Summer 2006 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

This course is to help students understand the actual beliefs and practices of popular Islam, develop a biblical perspective concerning them and the role of power encounter in meeting the beings and forces they express, and to discern the felt needs of devotees, redemptive analogies in their beliefs and practices and other elements in their world view that will help in contextualizing the gospel presentation to them.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Understanding of the basic phenomena in the folk Muslim worldview.
• Ability to contextualize the gospel message so that it is seen to be relevant to folk Muslim needs.

COURSE FORMAT: This course meets as a one-week intensive.

REQUIRED READING: Available in class syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. A log (not notes) of your reading.
2. An Outline: following the outline of the course give a biblical perspective with references for as many phenomena as possible. The passages with notes from the Jerusalem Bible in section 4.1 “Biblical Perspective” in the Syllabus and Lecture notes should be helpful. If additional sources are desired, see Clinton E. Arnold, Ephesians: Power and Magic (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), Susan R. Garrett, The Demise of the Devil: Magic and the Demonic in Luke's Writings (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989), and Robert A. Guelich, “Spiritual Warfare: Jesus, Paul and Peretti” Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, 13, No. 1 (Spring 1991): 33-64; C. Peter Wagner, Blazing the Way (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1995), 152-182 (Acts 19).
3. Do one of the following: A reader of articles on an area or topic in which you collect about 10 hard-to-obtain articles (UCLA or USC will be helpful), summarize them, indicate what has been studied, and what needs to be studied and the missiological implications. The extensive bibliography in the syllabus will be helpful.

Or choose an area of the world and, using the readers and books on reserve or in my personal library, supply illustrations for as many topics in the course outline as you can, and indicate their missiological implications.

Or write a paper on a relevant topic with the professor's approval.

4. ThM. Students also write a 1250 word interaction report on Musk.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAM: None.

Last Date Edited: March 22, 2006.