RELI 2070

A very easy class, average gpa for my semester was a 3.85 and fulfills non-western. Lecture attendance is not necessary nor is reading. Just memorize your exam answers based on the study guide he gives. But if you want a good understanding of Islam or a non-bias account I would not take it. As a Muslim, who took the class with a lot of Muslim friends, the professor's account of so many things were way different than what we learned growing up. He seems to have an agenda against Islam and gets very defensive when asked questions.

The course covers a historical perspective on the development of Islam and several related issues such as judiciary and canons. So it is not hard after you read about the history and understand specific topics and related terms. The professor is very knowledgeable, approachable and able to deliver points clearly in lectures and in answering questions. Definitely a great class even for the sake of exploration.

Really cool professor. He approaches the course with a historical perspective, which makes for some very interesting lectures. Tests are very fair consisting of essay questions and term IDs. There's also a short term paper that you can write about pretty much anything that is covered in the class. He respects his students and openly welcomes questions. I recommend to all regardless of major. This is one of those classes that gives you a real sense of the diverse and intellectual community at UVA.
I wish other students respected him as much as he respects them. I was always annoyed by several students who would rudely stand up and leave in the middle of the lecture.

The professor is very soft-spoken, but very knowledgeable. He really cares for the students and even admits when he doesn't know something (which I've found is kind of rare in a lot of professors here). The grading was fair and he even gave potential exam questions to help prepare for the midterm and final. There was also a small paper we had to write, but that's dependent on what your TA wants, so definitely go to office hours for that. Overall, a worthwhile class and quite unbiased too in terms of the material covered.

This is a good class to take before taking other Middle East courses. The material is interesting if you're interested in the Middle East/Islamic world. Lectures are a bit bland, but he gives clear expectations going into exams, so they end up being easy.