Jon Brockopp, Professor of History, Religious Studies, and Philosophy

From the Prophet Muḥammad to Süleymān the Magnificent, exemplary leaders in the history of Islam are remembered for their actions and their piety. This act of remembrance creates a template of how to be a Muslim today, and modern leaders, such as Malcolm X or Amina Wadud, build their own authority on their use of this template. Their followers and students grant them authority, in part, because they wield a vocabulary and set of symbols, ranging from Qurʾān quotations to modes of dress and comportment, that add substance to their aura of power.

Refreshments will be served.