Teaching Islamic Studies in the Age of ISIS, Islamophobia, and the Internet

How can teachers introduce Islam to students when daily media headlines can prejudice students' perception of the subject? Should Islam be taught differently in secular universities than in colleges with a clear faith-based mission? What are strategies for discussing Islam and violence without perpetuating stereotypes? The contributors of Teaching Islamic Studies in the Age of ISIS, Islamophobia, and the Internet address these challenges head-on and consider approaches to Islamic studies pedagogy, Islamophobia and violence, and suggestions for how to structure courses. These approaches acknowledge the particular challenges faced when teaching a topic that students might initially fear or distrust. Speaking from their own experience, they include examples of collaborative teaching models, reading and media suggestions, and ideas for group assignments that encourage deeper engagement and broader thinking. The contributors also share personal struggles when confronted with students (including Muslim students) and parents who suspected the courses might have ulterior motives. In an age of stereotypes and misrepresentations of Islam, this book offers a range of means by which teachers can encourage students to thoughtfully engage with the topic of Islam. Including abundant and useful references, this is a much-needed volume and a must read. Highly recommended. * Choice * Islamic studies scholars, under suspicion by both Islamophobes and Muslims for not teaching "real Islam," walk a tightrope-between combating prejudice and critical inquiry-in their course instruction. Teaching Islamic Studies in the Age of ISIS provides no easy solutions, but much fodder for thought, as well as practical hands-on ideas to try. * Reading Religion *

Foreword: From Khomeini to Trump: A Reflection on Islamic Studies in America / Richard Martin Introduction / Courtney Dorroll Part I: Approaches and Theories 1. On Teaching Islam Across Cultures: Virtual Exchange Pedagogy / Courtney Dorroll, Kimberly Hall, Doaa Baumi 2. Questions of Taste: Critical Pedagogy and Aesthetics in Islamic Studies / Manuela Ceballos 3. Training Scholars to Study Non-Scholarly Life / Benjamin Geer 4. Islamic Religious Education and Critical Thought in European Plural Societies / Mouez Khalfaoui 5. Studying Islam and the ambivalence of the concept "religion" / Alfons H. Teipen 6. Paradigm Shifts for Translation and Teaching / William Maynard Hutchins Part II: Islamophobia, and Islam and Violence 7. Interdisciplinary Education for Teaching Challenging Subjects: The Case of Islam and Violence / Laila Hussein Moustafa 8. The Immanent Imminence of Violence: Comparing Legal Arguments in a Post-9/11 World / Nathan S. French 9. Teaching Islamophobia in the Age of ISIS / Todd Green Part III: Applications 10. From Medina to the Media: Engaging the Present in Historically-Oriented Undergraduate Courses on Islam / Sabahat F. Adil 11. Muslims Are People; Islam Is Complicated / Kecia Ali 12. The Five Questions about Islam Your Students Didn't Know They Had: Teaching Islamic Studies to an American Audience / Phil Dorroll 13. Reflective Practice in Online Courses: Making Islamic Studies Interactive and Approachable / Lyndall Herman 14. Teaching Islam and Gender /Shehnaz Haqqani Bibliography Index