A Cultural Studies Approach to Understanding Islam Essay -- Interpret

In todays world, given the turmoil that sometimes work throughms to be caused by religiousdifferences, it is easy to see each worship as a monolithic entity existing disjoint fromother religions, and thus representing starkly polar worldviews. Often, such notions ariseas a result of not utilizing a cultural studies approach towards studying religion, which isarguably the best approach for understanding the role of religion in unmatchables daily life. Thecultural studies approach, which examines the contingent context in which one typifyshis or her religion, is evently important when it comes to understanding religions likeIslam, whose adherents come from vastly different backgrounds. Through the culturalstudies approach, which is arguably oft more interdisciplinary than the textualapproach, we see that ones interpretation of religion is strongly influenced by factorsincluding social, political, educational, and economic aspects of life, as well as onesparticular historical background signal this then makes the arts and literature a unique window bywhich we can observe a particular cultures comprehension of the religion (Infidel ofLove 10). These creative responses thus are my own response to my understanding ofIslam, and intertwined in these works, then, are not altogether lessons from the classroom, butmy own personal experiences, which retain themselves been shaped by the economic,social and cultural backdrop in which I have grown up. Asides from the different cultural backdrops in which one can interpret Islam, itis also crucial to understand the fundamental divisions that have persisted in Islam, fromSufism, Shia, to Sunni groups. Understanding these different communities of interpretation is thus cruci... ...m Understandings of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2013.Asani, Ali. In Praise of Muhammad Sindhi and Urdu Poems. Religions of India in Practice. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1995.Asani, Ali. Lecture sexual urge and Islam. ae sthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Asani, Ali. Lecture Pillars of Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Asani, Ali. Lecture Reform Revival Iran. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Chelkowski, Peter. Taziyeh rite and Drama in Iran. New York University Press, 1979.Handout Week 4 The Quran on the Attributes of Muhammad and the Names of God.Hussain, Rokeya Shakhawat. Sultanas stargaze and Selections from The Secluded Ones. New York Feminist Press, 1998.Iqbal, Mohammad. heraldic bearing and Answer. Trans. By A.J. Arberry. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York Pantheon, 2003. A Cultural Studies Approach to Understanding Islam Essay -- Interpret In todays world, given the turmoil that sometimes seems to be caused by religiousdifferences, it is easy to see each religion as a monolithic entity existing separate fromother religions, and thus representing starkly polar worldviews. Often, such notions ariseas a result of not utilizing a cultura l studies approach towards studying religion, which isarguably the best approach for understanding the role of religion in ones daily life. Thecultural studies approach, which examines the particular context in which one interpretshis or her religion, is particularly important when it comes to understanding religions likeIslam, whose adherents come from vastly different backgrounds. Through the culturalstudies approach, which is arguably much more interdisciplinary than the textualapproach, we see that ones interpretation of religion is strongly influenced by factorsincluding social, political, educational, and economic aspects of life, as well as onesparticular historical backdrop this then makes the arts and literature a unique window bywhich we can observe a particular cultures comprehension of the religion (Infidel ofLove 10). These creative responses thus are my own response to my understanding ofIslam, and intertwined in these works, then, are not only lessons from the classro om, butmy own personal experiences, which have themselves been shaped by the economic,social and cultural backdrop in which I have grown up. Asides from the different cultural backdrops in which one can interpret Islam, itis also crucial to understand the fundamental divisions that have persisted in Islam, fromSufism, Shia, to Sunni groups. Understanding these different communities of interpretation is thus cruci... ...m Understandings of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2013.Asani, Ali. In Praise of Muhammad Sindhi and Urdu Poems. Religions of India in Practice. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1995.Asani, Ali. Lecture Gender and Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Asani, Ali. Lecture Pillars of Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Asani, Ali. Lecture Reform Revival Iran. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54.Chelkowski, Peter. Taziyeh Ritual and Drama in Iran. New York University Press, 1979.Handout Week 4 The Quran on the Attributes of Mu hammad and the Names of God.Hussain, Rokeya Shakhawat. Sultanas Dream and Selections from The Secluded Ones. New York Feminist Press, 1998.Iqbal, Mohammad. Complaint and Answer. Trans. By A.J. Arberry. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York Pantheon, 2003.