RELIGION 1803 / HDS 3339 – Exploring the Quran

Semester: Fall
Offered: 2025
Instructor: Mohsen Goudarzi
Meeting Time: T 3:00pm – 6:00pm

This course explores the contents of the Quran and probes its place in the history of human civilization. Students will learn about and critically reflect on the following subjects: 1) the Quran’s core ideas, stories, laws, parables, and arguments; 2) the historical context in which the Quran was first promulgated and codified; 3) the relationship between the Quran and the preceding literary traditions of the ancient world, in particular the Bible and post-biblical Jewish and Christian writings; and 4) Muslim utilization of the Quran towards religious, intellectual, social, and cultural ends. To meet these goals, we will read a substantial portion of the Quran in translation and draw extensively on modern academic scholarship on the Quran. In addition, lectures will contextualize and complement our encounter with the Quranic text and secondary scholarship. By the end of the semester, students should have the ability to utilize various resources and concordances in order to independently conduct further investigations and critically evaluate claims made about the Quran.

Jointly offered with: Harvard Divinity School as HDS 3339

For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.