Universität Wien

010029 VU The Muslim Eve: Images of the First Woman (2017S)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 1 - Katholische Theologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: English

Lecturers

Classes

Montag 29.05.2017 09:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Dienstag 30.05.2017 09:00 - 14:00 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Mittwoch 31.05.2017 09:00 - 11:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Mittwoch 31.05.2017 16:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Donnerstag 01.06.2017 09:00 - 12:45 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Freitag 02.06.2017 08:30 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG


Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Course description
1. Aims, contents and method of the course
Eve is a highly significant character in all societies and cultures influenced by the 'Abrahamic' religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). However, her image and its multiple implications, differ significantly among these. Whereas the Bible (Genesis 3) depicts Eve as feeding the forbidden fruit to Adam, the Qur'anic Paradise narrative altogether lacks the seductive female motif. Nevertheless, later Islamic sources do reflect demonisation of the feminine body and spirit. Perceived as the archetypal woman to this day, the image of Eve has influenced gender relations and the representation of women in numerous aspects of society. Through use of (translated) primary and secondary sources, as well as class discussions, this course will explore the complex character and many depictions of Eve (Hawwa') in Islam, from a fallen figure to a prophetess; and examine how these religious and literary images serve to legitimise other perceptions of womanhood in Islam. The course is a mixture of lectures and seminar discussions.

Assessment and permitted materials

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Assessment
The mode of assessment is listed in the section below. The language of instruction and discussion is English. Students are expected to engage in class discussion.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
The course assessment comprises two items:
- Class participation (20%)
- Final essay (80%).

Examination topics

Reading list

Selected Readings
- Bauer, Karen. Gender hierarchy in the Qur'an: Medieval interpretations, modern responses. London: Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2015.
- Bronson, Catherine. "Eve in the Formative Period of Islamic Exegesis: Intertextual boundaries and hermeneutic demarcations." In Tafsir and Islamic intellectual history: Exploring the boundaries of a genre, edited by Andreas Görke and Johanna Pink, 27-61. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Calderini, S. "Woman, sin and lust." In Religion and Sexuality, edited by M.A. Hayes, Wendy Porter and David Tombs, 46-63. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998.
- Caspi, Mishael and Mohammad Jiyad. Eve in three traditions and literatures: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Edwin Mellen Press, 2005.
- Hadromi-Allouche, Zohar. "Creating Eve: Feminine fertility in medieval Islamic narratives of Eve and Adam." In In the Arms of Biblical Women, edited by John T. Greene and Mishael M. Caspi, pp. 35-72. Gorgias Press, 2013.
- Smith, Jane I. and Yvonne Y. Haddad. "Eve: Islamic image of a woman." Women's Studies int. Forum 5 (1982): 135-144.
- Spellberg, D. A."Writing the unwritten life of the Islamic Eve: Menstruation and the demonization of motherhood." Int. J. Middle East Stud. 28 (1996): 305-324.
- Stowasser, Barbara Freyer. Women in the Qur'an, Traditions, and Interpretation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Association in the course directory

066 800 M2,

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:26