| Submitted to Program Units |
|---|
| 1: Middle Eastern Christianity Unit |
The central question for this roundtable discussion is, How do we, as scholars of religion, teach about the Middle East? This question recalls the deep historical roots of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions in the region and the contemporary diversity of those communities. This question is also pressing in light of the current events and the requests for information that many of us are receiving from other scholars, students, and members of our broader communities. What pedagogical approaches should we consider for courses focusing specifically on the Middle East, for courses that can only touch briefly on the region, or for other venues in which we may be asked to teach about the Middle East? What resources are available – including textbooks, audio/visual sources, and digital tools – for teaching and understanding the region and its religious communities?
The session features the following contributions, followed by our roundtable discussion:
- Fran Hassencahl (Old Dominion University): Legal and Practical Considerations for Faculty when Teaching or Having Classroom/or Campus Discussions about the Middle East
- Abdulla Galadari (Khalifa University): Teaching about Middle Eastern Christianity in a Predominantly Muslim Classroom
- Angela Bernardo (Sapienza University of Rome): Decoding Narratives: Insights from a Teaching Experience on Pluralism, Religious Freedom, Discrimination, and Conflict
- Mourad Takawi (University of the Incarnate Word): Exploring the Middle East Through Contemporary Arabic Literature: Pedagogical Approaches in Religious Studies
- Monica Mitri (University of Southern California): Teaching Religion, Encounter, and the Medieval Middle East
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
The central question for this roundtable discussion is, How do we, as scholars of religion, teach about the Middle East? This question recalls the deep historical roots of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions in the region and the contemporary diversity of those communities. This question is also pressing in light of the current events and the requests for information that many of us are receiving from other scholars, students, and members of our broader communities. What pedagogical approaches should we consider for courses focusing specifically on the Middle East, for courses that can only touch briefly on the region, or for other venues in which we may be asked to teach about the Middle East? What resources are available – including textbooks, audio/visual sources, and digital tools – for teaching and understanding the region and its religious communities?