This timely course will examine Muslim-Christian relations through the prism of literature. It will sequence major themes and also accentuate turning points in the experiences of hegemony and displacement by both communities. Six novels will form the core of the required reading as well as the class planning:
Kemal Hussein. City of Wrong
Amin Maalouf. Leo Africanus
Tariq Ali. In the Shadow of the Pomegranate Tree
Achmat Dangor. Kafka’s Curse
Michael Vatikiotis. The Spice Garden
Robert Ferrigno. Prayers for the Assassin
All students will be expected to purchase, read, and write 2-3 page critiques of each of these novels. In addition, they must choose a thematic issue or chronological trope that bridges two of the novels. It will provide the basis for an extended analysis into Christian-Muslim relations at the outset of the 21st century, to which they will dedicate a term paper of 15 pages (including a critical bibliography), due at the end of the semester. There will be no midterm or final exam.
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