Religious Movements and Communities: Selected Topics: Mysticism, Islam and Lit

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Identify major themes, figures, and literary forms associated with Islamic mysticism and Sufi literature.

• Explain how Sufi authors use poetry, parable, allegory, biography, song, and symbolic language to communicate religious and mystical ideas.

• Analyze short passages from Sufi literary texts through close reading, with attention to imagery, metaphor, voice, structure, ambiguity, and meaning.

• Compare different expressions of Sufi literature across languages, genres, regions, and historical contexts, including Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Punjabi, and modern global forms.

• Evaluate how translation, performance, popular reception, and modern adaptation shape the meanings of Sufi texts and traditions.

• Construct clear, evidence-based interpretations of assigned texts in weekly reading check-ins, discussion posts, and a close reading essay.

Goals

This course introduces students to Islamic mysticism, commonly known as Sufism, through literary texts and traditions. Students will explore how Sufi authors and communities used poetry, parable, allegory, biography, song, and modern literature to express ideas about the self, love, longing, spiritual discipline, divine presence, and the relationship between human beings and God.

Rather than treating mysticism only as abstract theology or doctrine, the course approaches Sufism as a literary and imaginative tradition. Students will examine how mystical ideas are communicated through metaphor, symbolism, narrative, voice, performance, and translation. The course also considers how Sufi literature has traveled across languages, regions, and historical periods, from Arabic and Persian texts to vernacular songs and modern global receptions.

Objectives

1. Read selected primary texts from major Sufi authors and traditions, including poetry, allegory, saintly biography, and song.

2. Engage short scholarly readings that introduce key concepts, genres, and interpretive methods in the study of Sufism and literature.

3. Complete weekly reading check-ins that demonstrate careful reading and thoughtful engagement with assigned texts.

4. Practice close reading by selecting and analyzing specific passages from the assigned materials.

5. Reflect on the relationship between literary form and mystical meaning.

6. Consider how Sufi literature moves across languages, cultures, and media, including oral performance, translation, modern fiction, and popular spirituality.

7. Develop interpretive questions about difficult, symbolic, or ambiguous religious texts.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Weekly Reading Check-in	60%
Discussion Posts	20%
Close Reading Essay	20%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
≥ 94%	A
90.0-93.9%	A-
87.0-89.9%	B+
83.0-86.9%	B
80.0-82.9%	B-
77.0-79.9%	C+
73.0-76.9%	C
70.0-72.9%	C-
60.0-69.9%	D
<60.0%	F

Attendance/Participation:

This is an online asynchronous course, which means there are no required live class meetings. Attendance is therefore measured through regular participation in the weekly modules rather than physical presence in a classroom.

Students are expected to log in to Canvas regularly, complete the assigned readings, review weekly course materials, and submit all assignments by the posted deadlines. Because this is an 8-week course, the pace is faster than a full semester course. Falling behind even one week can make it difficult to catch up.

Participation in this course includes:

Completing the required readings for each module.

Watching or reviewing any posted lecture materials, instructor notes, or media.

Submitting weekly reading check-ins on time.

Demonstrating thoughtful engagement with the assigned texts.

Reading instructor feedback and applying it to future work.

Communicating with the instructor in advance if circumstances interfere with course participation.

Weekly reading check-ins serve as the main record of attendance and participation. A submitted check-in shows that the student has completed the module’s work and engaged with the readings. Missing check-ins may therefore affect both the student’s assignment grade and their record of participation in the course.

Students who anticipate difficulty completing work on time should contact the instructor as early as possible. Because this is a compressed online course, students should not wait until the end of the term to raise concerns about missing assignments, technical issues, or other challenges.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Students are not required to purchase any course materials. The instructor will provide all course materials via Canvas.