Curriculum
Our Innovative Approach
Designed by the Lead Faculty and National Program Director, the CPOI curriculum is divided into two ‘tracks’ — Anthropology & Material Cultures and Intellectual History.
In the Anthropology & Material Cultures track, students study Islam through contemporary lived experiences and material practices, examining how Muslims navigate their faith in modern contexts. This includes exploring anti-Muslimness in America, gender dynamics, and diverse expressions of Muslim identity across different communities, including the Ismaili tradition.
In the Intellectual History track, students examine how different Muslim communities developed diverse approaches to religious authority, Qurʾānic interpretation, and theology. The track traces these intellectual traditions from their historical origins through their evolution and transformation, with special focus on Ismaili perspectives. Through engagement with primary texts and the latest secondary literature, students gain deep insight into how Muslim thinkers across history have addressed fundamental questions of faith, authority, and interpretation.
Anthropology & Material Cultures
This track examines Islam through lived experiences, beginning with fundamental anthropological approaches to studying Muslim communities. Students explore how modern Muslims navigate their identities through critical lenses of race, gender, and social justice. The curriculum covers pressing contemporary issues including anti-Muslimness and anti-Blackness in America, the intersection of race with religion, and critical perspectives on humanitarian work through discussions on the politics of ‘help’. Students will explore diverse Ismaili traditions through a panel featuring different Ismaili communities, demonstrating how anthropological approaches illuminate varied Muslim experiences. A field trip to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights provides hands-on engagement with these themes.
Key lectures in this track include:
Approaches to the Study of Islam — Anthropological & Material Culture
Anti-Muslimness and Anti-Blackness in America
Race & Islam
Vectors of Difference within Ismaili Communities
“Of the Abrahamic faiths, Islam is probably the one that places the greatest emphasis on knowledge. The purpose is to understand God’s creation, and therefore it is a faith which is eminently logical.”
Intellectual History
The intellectual history track explores the historical development of Islamic thought, from Islamic origins and Qurʾānic studies through to contemporary interpretations. Students examine the historical evolution of both Sunni and Shīʿa traditions, with particular focus on sources of religious authority and textual interpretation. Through historical-critical approaches, students analyze how different Muslim communities have developed their own philosophical, mystical, and theological traditions throughout history. Students examine key developments in Islamic thought including theories of the Imamate, approaches to scriptural interpretation, and mystical practices. The track includes a visit to a Shīʿī community center, providing students direct engagement with a living Shīʿī tradition.
Key lectures in this track include:
Islamic Origins & the Qurʾān
Sources of Authority in Sunni Islam
Shīʿa Islam over the Centuries
Historical Ismāʿīlī Understandings of the Qurʾān
Intercession in Sunni & Shīʿī traditions
Apply Now
This year, our camp will be held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia from June 7th to June 14th.
DEADLINE: February 28th, 2025