Berkley Center

This course looked to theology for insight into Muslim views on politics and the good society. How is God’s rule to be represented in the polity, especially when governance has taken different forms over the centuries (dynastic, democratic, caliphal, sultanic, etc.)? Certainly, Muslims, like all peoples, pursue ideals and interests within the concrete realities of history, but there have also been recurring even if varied patterns in Muslim thinking on the nature and purpose of rule. The class considered both perennial themes but also case studies from both the classical past and contemporary present. This class (THEO 355) was taught by Paul Heck as a Doyle Seminar (small upper-level classes that foster deepened student learning about diversity and difference through research and dialogue). Please refer to the current course catalog for an up-to-date description of the course.