Jul
01
2010
Free Online Course on Islam
Some of you might be interested in this free online course, taught by Dr. Timothy Tennent—formerly of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and now President of Asbury Theological Seminary. (Dr. Tennent wrote the article on “The Bible and Islam” for the ESV Study Bible.)
Here’s a description of the course:
This course is an introduction to the religion of Islam. There are 24 separate lectures totaling approximately 16 hours. These lectures were given at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.
The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory study of the structure, beliefs and practices of Islam. Special emphasis will be placed on a study of the theology of the Koran. The student will read and study the entire Koran along with important selections from the Hadith, Shari`a material and Sufi writings. The actual historical manifestations of contemporary Islam will be explored with a special emphasis on Islam in the African context. Throughout the course there will be a concern to demonstrate how Islamic thought is different from Christian thought and how the gospel can be most effectively communicated to members of the Islamic faith, the second largest and fastest growing religion in the world today.
If you take the class, here are the assigned textbooks:
- The Koran, translated by N.J. Dawood (Penguin Books, 1983).
- John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, 3rd edition (Oxford University Press, 1998).
- J. Alden Williams, The Word of Islam (University of Texas Press, 1984).