Graduate Online Course

TSI has developed a graduate level online course for theological and religious studies students and interested persons for 2021/22 academic year.

Date: 10th September – 10th December 2021

Course Title: “Historical Survey of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa”

Course Description
The course will undertake a critical survey of the religious and sociopolitical context of the rise of Islam in Mecca in the seventh century, Muhammad’s mission in Mecca and Medina, encounters with Christians during the formative years of Islam, and the spread of Islam during the time of the four rightly guided caliphs or Rashiduns. The survey will trace the penetration of Islam into sub-Saharan Africa, from its arrival in Abyssinia as a refugee-faith, the conquests of North Africa and the Sudan, the peaceful spread of Islam through itinerant clerics and traders, to the jihadist/reformist movements of the 18thand 19th centuries in West Africa and Muslim encounters with European colonial powers and missionaries. Both the conflictual and harmonious relations between Muslims and Christians during the post-colonial and post 9/11 eras will also be examined.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, participants should:

  • Be better informed on the pre-Islamic context from which Islam arose in Arabia.
  • Be in a position to give a good account of Muhammad’s mission in Mecca and Madina and the rule of his first four successors or caliphs.
  • Develop a critical understanding of the different phases and patterns of Islamization in sub-Sahara Africa
  • Be acquainted with different models of the encounters between Muslims and Christians in Africa.

Course Format:
This is a one semester, 3-Credit Hour ONLINE COURSE with all course materials, outlines and assignments hosted on CANVAS. Lectures will be entirely conducted via zoom in a weekly two-hourly sessions with 10mins break in-between over 12-weeks period. Lessons are scheduled for Fridays from 2.00pm – 4.00pm GMT beginning on September 10th and ending on December 10th, 2021. There are assigned readings for each lesson which will be posted on the Canvas learning platform and participants are strongly encouraged to read these in advance for each session. The sessions will generally be conducted in lecture style and group discussions employing such media as power point presentation, YouTube clips etc. Assignments will consist of short review essays, discussion forums, and a final paper all to be submitted via Canvas. Check Canvas for details of topics and due dates. This course is set up as a graduate level course but can be taken by undergraduates. It can be taken for academic credit which includes submitting all the assignments for grading or audited which does not involve assignments.

Course Requirement:
This course is set up as a 3-CREDIT HOUR course. Participants can take the course for credit or audit the course. To receive credit for the course, participants MUST complete all the assignments and keep to all required components of the course. Auditors are not required to complete the assignments but can receive a TSI certificate of participation if they attend all the sessions, actively participate in class and demonstrate engagement of the assigned texts. To successfully complete this course, participants must:

  • Attend all class sessions. Missing two class sessions will attract grade points deductions and missing more than two sessions will amount to automatic failure?
  • Complete all assigned readings and assignments
  • Participate substantively and meaningfully in class and online discussions
  • Complete all assignments and meet the criteria identified for each assignment
  • Complete and submit all work by the published deadlines

Interested parties should email Emmanuel Kwame Tettey, tetteye@tsinet.org for the syllabus and other details.

Register Here