Course Info

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Course Info for RELG - 218 - 01, Fall 2026
Class number: 3364 Title: Journeys of Faith Department: Religious Studies
Career: Undergraduate Component: Seminar Session: Regular
Instructor's Permission Required: No Grading Basis: Regular Units: 1.00
Enrollment limited to 19 Current enrollment: 7 Available seats: 12
Start date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 End date: Wednesday, December 23, 2026 Mode of Instruction: In Person
Schedule: TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM, MC - 303 Instructor(s): Koertner, Mareike
Prerequisite(s): None
Distribution Requirement: Meets Humanities and Global Requirements
Course Description:
This course explores the religious, historical, and cultural significance of Islamic pilgrimage practices, with emphasis on the Hajj, Umrah, and Arba’in as well as regional devotional pilgrimages across the Muslim world. Through a diverse range of textual, historical, and ethnographic sources, students examine how pilgrimages shape Muslim piety, communal identity, political and spiritual authority, and global networks from the early Islamic period to the present. The course also highlights the social, political, and economic impacts pilgrimages exert as well as the impact of modern transformations through the impact of colonialism, nation-states, mass transportation, and contemporary technologies on pilgrimage experiences.