HRVB0118EU Material Culture and Aesthetics in Contemporary Islam

Volume 2025/2026
Education

Udbydes til:

  • Fagstudieordning Bacheloruddannelsen i religionsvidenskab, 2019
  • Fagstudieordning Bachelordelen af sidefaget i religionsvidenskab, 2019
  • Fagstudieordning Bachelortilvalg i religionsvidenskab, 2019
  • Fagstudieordning Kandidattilvalg i religionsvidenskab, 2019

 

Content

Throughout Islamic history, Muslims have practised and expressed their religion through aesthetic productions and by material means in diversified ways across geographies. In contemporary Islam, as well, aesthetics and materialities play a key role when Muslims express, communicate, perform and practice their religiosity. 

Material culture and aesthetics in contemporary Islam, its role and background is what this course will engage with. We will examine the manifold ways in which Islam ‘materializes’ and discuss how these materialities are being shaped, why and by whom, and how they in turn shape Muslim life and sentiments as well as ideas about Islam. While contemporary aesthetic and material practices will be the main focus of the course, we will also look into their roots and foundations in the history of Islamic art.
We will, for example, look into the following themes:

  • The Quran in sound and writing (calligraphy)
  • Islamic architecture
  • Islamic visual art and artifacts
  • Islamic art in museums
  • Traditions, rituals and celebrations
  • Contemporary Islamic popular music
  • Islamic literature in Scandinavia
  • Islamic clothing
  • Islam and contemporary consumption culture (the ‘marketization’ of Islam)

 

During the course, we will engage theories and analytical approaches that can help us understand and analyse Islamic material culture and aesthetics. Especially, we will rely on theories and concepts from the research field of material religion.

We will also discuss methodological approaches to the study of material and aesthetic religion as well as the epistemological consequences of methodological choices. During the course, students will be requested to do small exercises focusing on methodologies.

The course will thus include the following working methods:

Lectures (including guest lectures)

Individual work

Class discussions

Group work and student exercises

Student presentations in groups based on individual or group exercises

Fieldwork exercises

Writing sessions with peer feedback

Museum visit(s)

Field visit(s)

 

The overall aim of the course is thus that students

  • Are introduced to the rich contemporary material and aesthetic Islamic culture and its historical foundations as well as its different geographical expressions
  • Are familiar with the research field of material religion
  • Are able to analyse and contextualize examples of Islamic material culture and aesthetic practice and expressions and present them orally and in writing
  • Are able to make methodological choices and understand their consequences to the analysis and its conclusions
  • Are able to make theoretical choices and understand their consequences to the analysis and its conclusions
  • Are able to structure academic analyses and arguments in writing.
Learning Outcome

BA 2019-ordning
Valgfrit område (aktivitetskode HRVB00151E)
Valgfrit område med sprogudprøvning (aktivitetskode HRVB00171E)
Bachelorprojekt (aktivitetskode HRVB00181E)

BA Sidefag 2019-ordning
Valgfrit område med sprogudprøvning (aktivitetskode HRVB10151E)

BA Tilvalg 2019-studieordning
Valgfrit område (aktivitetskode HRVB10231E)

KA Tilvalg 2019-studieordning
Frit valgt emne (aktivitetskode HRVK13001E)

Exchange student BA
Individually Studied Area (acitvity code HRVB10231E) 

Exchange student MA 
Free Topic 1 (activity code: HRVK13001E)

Please see detailed exam information for international exchange students below.

To be announced in Absalon

In order for students at the BA or BA sidefag program in Religious Studies to use the exam code for Valgfrit område med sprogudprøvning (HRVB00171E or HRVB10151E), students must have passed their mandatory foreign language courses, alternatively be engaged in preparing their final language exam.
Lectures and discussions
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 84
  • Preparation
  • 328,5
  • Total
  • 412,5
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Aid
Only certain aids allowed (see description below)
Criteria for exam assesment
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Aid
All aids allowed
Criteria for exam assesment

Academic targets

At the examination, the student can demonstrate:

Knowledge of: 

  • a delimited subject area or complex within the study of religion.
  • the most important basic sources for the selected field.
  • theoretical and methodological issues and relevant key concepts. 

 

Skills in:

  • applying and reflecting on theories and methods in the study of religions in connection with a well-defined area on one’s own.
  • managing academic literature and source material in complex argumentation.
  • formulating a relevant problem within the study of religion in the form of a clear and coherent analysis.
  • identifying sub-issues in relation to challenges in the study of religion.

 

Competencies in:

  • planning and carrying out an analysis in the field of the study of religion on one’s own.
  • identifying and assessing key research positions in the area studied.
  • arguing in favour of one’s choice of theory, method and source material.
  • formulating and communicating subject matter related to the study of religion clearly and intelligibly.

 

Syllabus:

The student compiles his/her own syllabus of 1,000 standard pages of historical and specialised literature as well as source material of 50 standard pages as a rule. The scope may vary from 20 to 200 standard pages depending on the nature of the sources, however. The syllabus must be approved by the examiner. See deadlines and rules for the submission of the syllabus to the Student Counselling Centre under Examination - Find time and place and Examination - Exam form and rules - Syllabus.

Teaching and working methods:

Class instruction with student participation or self-study with individual supervision. 

Exam provisions:

Form of exam: Take-home assignment, optional subject.
Scope: 16–20 standard pages. 
Assessment: Internal exam with a single examiner with assessment based on the 7-point grading scale. 
Regulations for group exams: The exam can be taken individually or as a group (max. 3 students) with individual assessment. If several students work together on an assignment, each individual contribution must constitute a distinct unit that can be identified and assessed separately. The joint part must not exceed 50% of the total.
Group exam: 2 students: 24–30 standard pages. 3 students: 32–40 standard pages. 
Exam language(s): English or Danish
Permitted exam aids: All. 
Make-up exam/resit: Conducted in the same manner as the ordinary exam.

 

Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Aid
All aids allowed
Criteria for exam assesment

Academic targets

At the examination, the student can demonstrate:

  • Knowledge and understanding of
  • a selected topic in the sociology of religion or the history religion and how to identify, explain and discuss this topic. 

 

Skills in:

  • explaining the sociological or historical aspects of religion relating to the problem chosen
  • communicating one’s knowledge and reflections in writing and orally in a well-structured manner and with linguistic proficiency, precision and clarity. 

 

Competencies in:

  • reflecting critically on various theoretical and methodological approaches to the field 

 

Syllabus:
The student compiles his/her own syllabus of 1,200 standard pages of historical and specialised literature as well as source material of 50 standard pages as a rule. The scope may vary from 20 to 200 standard pages depending on the nature of the sources, however. The syllabus must be approved by the examiner. See deadlines and rules for the submission of the syllabus to the Student Counselling Centre under Examination - Find time and place and Examination - Exam form and rules - Syllabus.

Teaching and working methods:
The instruction alternates between lectures, seminars, text discussions and student presentations. 

The subject element consists of specialised studies of a topic or a small group of topics, determined by a historical period, a religious belief, a religious institution, a religious phenomenon, a population group, a religious text or text group, the material culture of religions culture or the like. 

Exam provisions

Form of exam: Take-home assignment, optional subject. 
Scope: 21–25 standard pages 
Assessment: Internal exam with a single examiner with assessment based on the 7-point grading scale. 
Regulations for group exams: The exam can be taken individually or as a group (max. 3 students) with individual assessment. Each individual’s contribution must constitute a distinct entity that can be identified and assessed individually. The participants’ joint part must not exceed 50% of the total assignment.
Scope of take-home assignments for group exams: 32–38 standard pages (2 students) or 42–50 standard pages (3 students).
Exam language(s): Danish or English. 
Permitted exam aids: All. 
Make-up exam/resit: Conducted in the same manner as the ordinary exam.