{"id":105669,"date":"2022-10-29T14:38:17","date_gmt":"2022-10-29T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/?p=105669"},"modified":"2022-10-29T14:38:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T14:38:17","slug":"the-quran-as-utopian-text-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/29\/the-quran-as-utopian-text-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Qur\u2019an as Utopian Text"},"content":{"rendered":"

Response papers<\/span><\/span><\/span>
These papers build on discussions of the Qur\u2019an in lectures, synchronous classes and<\/span>
discussion sections. Each paper should be structured like an argumentative essay: you should<\/span>
have a thesis that responds to the questions asked in the prompt, and you should defend that<\/span>
thesis. Please indicate which prompt you\u2019re responding to at the top of your paper.<\/span><\/span>
You don\u2019t have to do any research for this paper, beyond a thoughtful reading of the<\/span>
Qur\u2019an itself. However, prompts 1-4 build on secondary readings assigned for the course, and<\/span>
you are encouraged to reflect on those works to build your argument for this paper. Canvas<\/span>
modules include additional essays and links to ebooks, to give you a chance to explore beyond<\/span>
the assigned readings if you\u2019re interested.<\/span><\/span>
Prompts 5 and 6 are based on our discussion of the structure of the Qur\u2019an, rather than on<\/span>
secondary readings. I have provided some resources to help you think through those prompts,<\/span>
although those are not assigned readings.<\/span><\/span>
Citations of the Qur\u2019an will strengthen your discussion and make your thesis more<\/span>
compelling. But don\u2019t include lengthy quotations. This is a short writing exercise, and long<\/span>
quotations will only take up valuable space that you need for discussion. Please identify passages<\/span>
using standard citation practice (e.g. 7:157 = sura 7, verse 157).<\/span><\/span>
If you discuss secondary works, please provide bibliography and citation:<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> If you\u2019re citing an assigned reading, copy and paste the citation provided in the Invitations<\/span>
doc into your bibliography (see Canvas > Assignments > Invitations). Use in-text citations<\/span>
with author, date and page number in your paper. For example, if you\u2019re citing Ahmed\u2019s<\/span>
Sharia Compliant<\/span>, your citation should look like this: (Ahmed 2018, 23).<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> If you\u2019re citing a work you found in the module but not assigned for the class, include the<\/span>
bibliographical entry that you\u2019ll find in Canvas > Files > Assignments > Bibliography and<\/span>
use in-text citations as above.<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> If you\u2019re citing a work not included in the course bibliography, please supply the<\/span>
bibliographical details and use in-text citations as above.<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> To cite a lecture for this class, use an in-text citation giving the date, like this: (lecture, March<\/span>
29). You don\u2019t need to add this to your bibliography.<\/span><\/span>
Please double space your response paper. Each should be about 1,000 words long. You<\/span>
may choose to respond to any prompt you like, but you must respond to three different prompts<\/span>
in the course of the semester. Response papers are due at midnight on February 1, February 24,<\/span>
and March 31. Keep in mind that you may revise one of these response papers for your final<\/span>
project when choosing which prompts to discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span>Prompts<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Think about the questions and how they help you to understand Qur\u2019anic themes. You don\u2019t need<\/span>
to answer all the questions! They are there to get you thinking. Other questions relevant to the<\/span>
prompts will be discussed in class, as well.<\/span><\/span>
1.<\/span> How do feminist readings open up new interpretations of gender in the Qur\u2019an? How<\/span>
does the Qur\u2019an understand gender? Does the Qur\u2019an challenge us to respond to changes<\/span>
in gender roles between the era of revelation and the 21<\/span> st<\/span> century? How does this context<\/span>
affect our reading of both prescriptive passages (like 2:222-23 or 4:34) and feminine<\/span>
figures in the Qur\u2019an (like Mariam\/Mary)? Does the Qur\u2019an prescribe normative gender<\/span>
roles, or is it potentially open to non-binary gender identities? Does it condemn<\/span>
homosexuality, or is it open to any type of sexual relationship, as long as that relationship<\/span>
respects the dignity and humanity of both (all) partners?<\/span> Note:<\/span> If you choose this topic, I<\/span>
encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the \u201cFeminist readings,<\/span>
gender, LGBTQ readings\u201d module and discussed in class on January 25, February 17 and<\/span>
March 24.<\/span><\/span>
2.<\/span> What role does community play in the life of the believer, according to the Qur\u2019an? What<\/span>
responsibility does the community have to the individual; and what does the individual<\/span>
owe to the community? How does the Qur\u2019an speak to believers; disbelievers; hypocrites<\/span>
(<\/span>munafiqun<\/span>); Jews and Christians?<\/span> Why<\/span> does the Qur\u2019an speak to communities beyond its<\/span>
own constituency \u2013 unlike the Jewish and Christian Bibles?<\/span> Note:<\/span> If you choose this<\/span>
topic, I encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the \u201cCommunity,<\/span>
pluralism, anti-racism\u201d module and discussed in class on January 13, March 8 and March<\/span>
17.<\/span><\/span>
3.<\/span> What does the Qur\u2019an tell us about human responsibility to the natural world? How do<\/span>
ecotheological readings open up new post-human interpretations of the Qur\u2019an? What<\/span>
key words (like \u201cearth,\u201d \u201ccorruption,\u201d \u201caccounting,\u201d or \u201csustenance\u201d) does the Qur\u2019an<\/span>
use to talk about environmental issues? What environmental messages does it express,<\/span>
using those key words? How do non-human life forms and natural phenomena contribute<\/span>
to creation, according to the Qur\u2019an? Does the Qur\u2019an speak to non-human<\/span>
consciousness?<\/span> Note:<\/span> If you choose this topic, I encourage you to read and cite some of<\/span>
the essays posted to the \u201cEco-theology and the posthuman\u201d module and discussed in class<\/span>
on February 10.<\/span><\/span>
4.<\/span> How does the Qur\u2019an legislate social and racial justice? How do Qur\u2019anic statements on<\/span>
justice inspire 21<\/span>st<\/span> -century understandings of racial and social equity? Does the Qur\u2019an<\/span>
speak to modern concepts of race or ethnic bias? How do emergent multi-ethnic Muslim<\/span>
communities in North America challenge traditional Muslim conceptions of Muslim<\/span>
identity and traditional readings of the Qur\u2019an?<\/span> Note:<\/span> If you choose this topic, I<\/span>
encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the \u201cCommunity, pluralism,<\/span>
anti-racism\u201d module and discussed in class on January 13, March 8 and March 17, as<\/span>
well as Ali, \u201cQur\u2019anic literacy as women\u2019s empowerment,\u201d which we will discuss on<\/span>
March 24.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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5.<\/span> Analyze Qur\u2019anic narrative<\/span>:<\/span> what role does story-telling play in the Qur\u2019an? What<\/span>
familiar storytelling strategies does the Qur\u2019an use? Why does it sometimes interrupt or<\/span>
challenge sequential narrative? Why does the Qur\u2019an tell some stories more than once?<\/span>
How do the Qur\u2019an\u2019s experimental narrative strategies challenge us to see new meanings<\/span>
in the stories it tells?<\/span> Note:<\/span> For this assignment, you may use the resources posted to the<\/span>
\u201cNarrative and historical event\u201d module.<\/span><\/span>
6.<\/span> How does the Qur\u2019an understand history? How does the Qur\u2019anic text intersect with<\/span>
historic event? How does it reflect different historical eras (including the era of<\/span>
revelation) and speak to different historical eras? How does the peculiar reverse<\/span>
chronology of the text \u2013 with the earliest revelations at the end of the assembled book,<\/span>
and the later revelations at the beginning \u2013 affect the experience we have as readers?<\/span>
How does it challenge simplistic notions of \u201cbefore and after\u201d or \u201ccause and effect\u201d?<\/span>
How does the complex chronological order of the book affect the way that you see the<\/span>
central surah of the text, surah 18, as fulcrum for the book? This prompt invites you to<\/span>
reflect on your experience of reading the Qur\u2019an through from beginning to end, and on<\/span>
the kinds of narrative possibilities it allows you to imagine.<\/span> Note:<\/span> For this assignment,<\/span>
you may use the resources posted to the \u201cNarrative and historical event\u201d module.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Grading rubrics<\/span><\/span>
Note on our grading rubrics: While knowledge of the Qur\u2019an is obviously important in<\/span>
this course, grading is weighted toward analysis and synthesis in order to encourage engagement<\/span>
with the Qur\u2019an. You\u2019ll get more credit for thinking carefully about the passages you read than<\/span>
for citing other, similar passages or supplying context from hadith and sunna.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Total possible points: 100<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Knowledge and organization: 15 points<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Excellent (14-15 points): Clear and complete description of Qur\u2019anic passages as<\/span>
foundation of argument; well-organized and focused<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Adequate (12-13 points): Accurate and sufficient use of the Qur\u2019an to support argument;<\/span>
well-organized<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Intermediate (10-11 points): Some knowledge of the Qur\u2019an, but inadequate to support<\/span>
analysis; poorly organized or incomplete<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Not there yet (9 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent description of Qur\u2019anic<\/span>
citations; insufficient understanding of key concepts; inadequate or confused organization<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Analysis: 35 points<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Excellent (32-35 points): Thorough and accurate understanding of Qur\u2019anic themes and<\/span>
rhetorical features; solid grasp of course themes; evidence of independent thought and<\/span>
analysis; builds to a clear and focused conclusion<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Adequate (28-31 points): Accurate analysis of thematic and rhetorical features of the<\/span>
Qur\u2019an; coherent argument and conclusion, but may be unconvincing<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2022<\/span> Intermediate (25-27 points): Includes some analysis and interpretation, but does not build<\/span>
to a coherent conclusion<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Not there yet (24 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent analysis of the text and of<\/span>
course themes; no conclusion or conclusion insufficiently supported by analysis<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Synthesis: 50 points<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Excellent (45-50 points): Compelling, original and insightful discussion, based on<\/span>
thoughtful reading of the Qur\u2019an and course materials; well-organized and convincing<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Adequate (40-44 points): Thoughtful and well-organized, but does not go beyond topics<\/span>
discussed in class; conclusions are well-grounded in evidence, but not insightful or<\/span>
compelling<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Intermediate (35-39 points): Discussion is not sustained from beginning to end, not<\/span>
supported by the evidence given, or is grounded on errors in reading<\/span><\/span>
\u2022<\/span> Not there yet (34 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent discussion; unconvincing<\/span>
conclusion<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Response papersThese papers build on discussions of the Qur\u2019an in lectures, synchronous classes anddiscussion sections. Each paper should be structured like an argumentative essay: you shouldhave a thesis that responds to the questions asked in the prompt, and you should defend thatthesis. Please indicate which prompt you\u2019re responding to at the top of your paper.You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research-paper-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105669"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105670,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105669\/revisions\/105670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}