Papers by Elliott Bazzano
Religious Studies News ("Spotlight on Teaching"), hosted by the American Academy of Religion, 2017
In this set of essays, three authors provide different perspectives on whether personal religious... more In this set of essays, three authors provide different perspectives on whether personal religious sensibilities and identities affect the ways we teach religion. Elliott Bazzano discusses how, as a white Muslim convert teaching at a Catholic college, he incorporates selective autobiographical anecdotes into his classes as a way to problematize the meaning of “insider” and “outsider,” and pushes his students to recognize the many layers of identity that any given person embodies at a given time. In the second essay, Audrey Truschke explains why she makes no reference to her own religious beliefs or affiliations in class as part of her strategy to demonstrate how students can study any religion regardless of personal convictions. In the third essay, Jayme Yeo explores the benefits of discussing personal religious identity as a means to resist the categories of “inside” and “outside,” which she sees as heterogeneous concepts that do not always offer explanatory power upon close examination.
This article explores the variety of normative claims that both Muslims and non-Muslims have held... more This article explores the variety of normative claims that both Muslims and non-Muslims have held about the Qur’an by asking two key questions: (1)What separates normative and non-normative approaches to scholarship? (2)What separates study of a tradition from contribution to that tradition? By surveying a multiplicity of scholars—spanning two millennia and disparate geographical regions—this article argues that objectivity is scarcely if ever possible in Qur’anic studies scholarship and that scholars of the Qur’an, Muslim or not, almost always have a normative agenda, whether implicit or explicit.Because the epistemological boundaries between insiders and outsiders are often fluid, recognizing the similarities between so-called insider and outsider approaches to Qur’anic exegesis across the centuries contributes to debates about normative scholarship by helping us to re-imagine boundaries of identity, authority, and the struggle for normativity in religious studies scholarship.
Ibn Taymiyya has aroused a spectrum of both positive and negative perceptions in the pre-modern a... more Ibn Taymiyya has aroused a spectrum of both positive and negative perceptions in the pre-modern and modern worlds. His heterodox legal, political, and theological views routinely upset religious and state authorities, and throughout his life (661/1263-728/1328), his unpopular opinions led him to prison on a number of occasions, including the final months before he died. Despite his enemies, his admirers were also many, and according to some accounts, hundreds of thousands attended his funeral. By all accounts, such conf licted perceptions remained across the centuries. Contemporary scholarship, moreover, continues to cast Ibn Taymiyya in polarizing manners. Some see him as a social and intellectual deviant while others draw on him as a key source of inspiration in both political and religious realms. 'Salafi' and 'Wahhabi' movements have selectively adopted his views, ranging from jihād to anti-Sufi tendencies and the promotion of state-sponsored Islamic law (sharī'a). The complex polymath, however, wrote prodigiously on numerous topics including theology, political theory, qur'anic exegesis, jurisprudence, and mysticism. This article surveys Ibn Taymiyya's life with particular attention to biographical perceptions in the pre-modern and modern worlds. The second part of this article explores Ibn Taymiyya's intellectual contributions to a number of debates in his lifetime and following, with particular attention to how secondary scholarship has framed his work.
Part one of this two-part article surveys Ibn Taymiyya's life with particular attention to biogra... more Part one of this two-part article surveys Ibn Taymiyya's life with particular attention to biographical perceptions in the premodern as well as modern worlds. The second part hones in on Ibn Taymiyya's intellectual contributions to a number of debates in his lifetime and following, with particular attention to how secondary scholarship has framed his work. Contemporary authors often reduce Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) to a modern political inspiration by giving attention to his inf luence on allegedly puritanical religio-political movements in the modern world. Participants in these movements, including 'Salafis' and 'Wahhabis,' have selectively adopted his views on issues ranging from jihād to anti-Sufi tendencies and the promotion of state-sponsored Islamic law (sharī'a). The complex polymath, however, wrote prodigiously on numerous topics including theology, political theory, qur'anic exegesis, jurisprudence, and mysticism. Although he espoused violence in some situations, he was a pacifist at other times. This, combined with his attention to independent legal reasoning (ijtihād), often offended authorities and landed him in jail on more than one occasion. Just as he upbraided certain Sufis, moreover, he also espoused a type of Sufism in accord with his own persuasions. We must therefore recognize the Damascene polymath for his abilities to adroitly navigate and contribute to all manners of debates in his time, regardless of-although relevant to-how modern scholars have understood his writings.
Teaching Documents by Elliott Bazzano
My name is Syllabus, and I will be your friend and guide for the rest of the semester. I'm here t... more My name is Syllabus, and I will be your friend and guide for the rest of the semester. I'm here to make your experience in this course efficient, organized, and clear-all so that you can fully enjoy and appreciate your learning experience, in this course specifically and in college more generally. Unfortunately, many students don't pay attention to me. Not only does that make me feel lonely, but it puts those students at a disadvantage compared to the students that do give me proper attention. Importantly, college is about asking questions. Some questions don't have easy answers, but some do. And you're in luck, because I'm in the business of answering many of your easy questions. "Reading through a gazillion pages doesn't sound fun!" you might think, but please give me a chance before judging me too harshly. In return, I promise I'll do my best to help you in this course. Even though you will read me thoroughly in time for the quiz on the second day or third day of class, you will not memorize my contents completely; and neither will your professor. You should therefore consult me as a reference throughout the entire term. Your instructor will often consult me as well, to reference assignment due-dates, evaluate course policies, and even enjoy some late-night pleasure reading. Lastly, your instructor wants you to learn how to ask meaningful questions. So I encourage you to ask your professor questions throughout the semester. But do check me first, especially if the question is logistical. If I can't answer your question, then please ask a classmate. And if you're still at a loss, Professor Bazzano is happy to respond to your query. In fact, he appreciates your curiosity. On that note, I am not an arbitrary document and your professor considers it a duty to makes sure his Syllabus makes sense and offers reasonable expectations. It's also your right as a student to understand the syllabus, so I always encourage you to question my logic. (Professor Bazzano is authorized to speak on my behalf.) Please note: there are several hyperlinks throughout this document, which are underlined in blue. Keep in mind that you'll need an electronic copy of this document handy to access those links.
This is a syllabus for an introductory course on Islam.
Publications in public media by Elliott Bazzano
The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary (HarperOne, 2015) represents years of effort fr... more The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary (HarperOne, 2015) represents years of effort from a team of dedicated translators and editors (Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Joseph Lumbard, Maria Dakake, Caner Dagli, and Mohammad Rustom). The book is a remarkable achievement. The text features a complete new translation of the Quran as well as multiple complementary essays written by leading scholars of Quranic studies. The tome also includes over a million words of running commentary from Muslim exegetes across the centuries including contributions from Sunni, Shii, and Sufi schools of thought among others. This feature, in particular, showcases its encompassing and truly oceanic scope. The text proves noteworthy as well, given its intersection between confessional scholarship and Western academic approaches to Islamic studies. The text has already begun to make waves across North America and beyond and has set a new precedent as not only a translation but also a reference work on Quran. Its user-friendly organization, moreover, will make the text accessible to just about anyone as it offers levels of depth according to what the reader seeks.
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Papers by Elliott Bazzano
Teaching Documents by Elliott Bazzano
Publications in public media by Elliott Bazzano