HDS 3349 – Before and After Muhammad: The Rise and Rivalry of Monotheisms in Late Antiquity

HDS 3349 – Before and After Muhammad: The Rise and Rivalry of Monotheisms in Late Antiquity

Semester: Spring
Offered: 2025
Instructor: Mohsen Goudarzi
Meeting Time: T, 3:00 – 5:00pm

The period known as Late Antiquity (c. 3rd-9th cent. CE) witnessed major religious transformations that still define our world today, including most importantly the rise of rival monotheisms, the “Abrahamic” traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. After suffering initial persecutions, Christianity gained imperial favor and grew rapidly in Asia, Europe, and Africa, supplanting traditional cults and overtaking other religions. During this same period, the rabbinic movement developed its foundational texts and became the chief expression of Judaism. Finally, ardent monotheists from Arabia conquered much of West Asia and North Africa and founded a distinct religion, Islam, to which the majority of the populations of these conquered regions eventually converted. This course examines some of the important figures, texts, trends, and controversies involved in these transformations, especially the rise of these rivals. We will also study how different religious communities—Christians, Jews, and Muslims, among others—interacted with each other during these centuries. Topics include revelation, theology, persecution, taxation, warfare, ethnic identity, polemic, law, and conversion.

For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.