Common Elements Among Existing Programs
Based on the available course descriptions, syllabi, and curriculum requirements, I composed a diagram identifying the common points among study programs in Christian-Muslim Relations (see diagram below). As noted above, some programs require general theological education alongside the concentration in Christian-Muslim Relations, while others focus solely on the field. This could be attributed to the circumstance that three of the schools offering such programs are seminaries and the other three are secular universities. Some program information is not available, making the comparison somewhat more difficult.[1]
(note, this table will be re-formatted shortly to include the Exeter information)Table 1: Course Offerings in Master’s Level Christian-Muslim Relations Programs
|
Course |
LSTC |
Luther |
Hartford |
Birmingham |
Georgetown |
Exeter |
|
Intro Islam |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
World Religions |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Arabic |
Yes (2) |
Yes (3) |
Yes (4) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
History of C/M Relations |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Islamic History |
No |
Yes |
Yes (multi) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Church History |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Qur’anic Text |
(comparative only) |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Biblical Text |
Yes (4) |
Yes (4) |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Muhammed |
Comparative only |
Not specified |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Jesus |
(Gospels) Comparative |
(Gospels) |
(Gospels) |
N/A |
Yes |
N/A |
|
Hadith |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
|
Islamic Thought |
No |
Yes |
Yes (multi) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Christian Theology |
Yes (2) |
Yes (2) |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
N/A |
|
Practice of Islam or law |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (multi) |
|
Women/Gender |
Curricular[2] |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
N/A |
|
Shi’a, Sufism |
No |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Contemporary Issues |
No |
Yes |
Yes (multi) |
Yes |
Yes (multi) |
Yes |
|
Study Tours |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Internship |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Field Studies |
No |
Yes |
Chaplaincy |
No |
No |
No |
|
Interfaith Skills |
No[3] |
Yes |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Curricular[4] |
|
Key: Yes—course is offered (no distinction between required and elective) No—course is not offered or listed in materials N/A—information requested but not received as of publication date (#)—number of courses or levels offered |
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[1] All pertinent information has been requested, but not yet received as of publication.
[2] As part of the larger LSTC curriculum, most of these courses include at least one session on women’s roles.
[3] There is no identifiable interfaith dialogue skills module in any of the courses offered in the program.
[4] As described on the program’s website, interfaith skills are intentionally taught ‘across the curriculum,’ see footnotes 31, 32.
Interpretation
Some commonalities among the programs are to be expected: Each program offers World Religions, Arabic, an introduction to Islam, and to the history of Christian-Muslim Relations. Most of the schools offer courses on contemporary issues. (LSTC has offered one course, ‘Israelis and Palestinians,’ although it has been cancelled the past two years). Only Luther offers a field studies opportunity for its M.A. students, although it is not required. No programs offer supervised internship opportunities. Only two advertise study tours in the field of Christian-Muslim Relations, although the other schools may offer trips to the Middle East with other emphases (Holy Land, Biblical sites, etc). Programs vary on whether and how they teach the skills of interfaith dialogue, from not addressing them specifically, to integrating them throughout the curriculum, to specific courses on skills-building. Required specific courses vary; some programs require only the number of courses to be completed out of many options, while others such as Luther Seminary have a substantial required core.