This course examines discourses on women and gender in the foundational Islamic  sources and their interpretations from the time of the Prophet to the present. Concepts of maleness, femaleness, masculinity, femininity, and positions on social questions such as marriage, divorce, slavery, modesty and veiling, and homosexuality articulated by traditional scholars and the responses of contemporary Muslim female scholars will be analyzed. The diversity of interpretations in Islam around women, gender, and sexuality and on Muslim women’s own articulations of their experiences will be a focus throughout. For those entering religious ministry, planning to work with Muslim communities, or for those pursuing advanced scholarship, this course provides important textual and  contextual knowledge of debates and understandings related to gender and sexuality in Islam.