top of page
BTI Consortium | Last Updated July 8, 2026 - 3:00PM
Hartford International University
for Religion and Peace
School
Hartford International
AM-550
Qur'an Recitation/Tajweed I
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA26
This course is designed for Muslim leaders and chaplains and anyone who is interested in learning and improving their Quranic recitation. Students will gain important knowledge on recitation of the Quran. In this course, the instructor will focus on correct pronunciation of Arabic letters and words with consistent application of tajweed rules.
Class time will be divided between teaching a tajweed lesson and group Tilawah, an exercise during which the teacher reads aloud and the students repeat after the teacher. There will be time for listening to the students’ recitations, as well.
Once each student understands and is comfortable with the application of the tajweed rules, s/he can complete recitation of the entire mushaf at a better and faster pace and more independently, in sha Allah.
This course may be accompanied by the spring semester course AM-551: Quran Recitation/Tajweed II. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dogan/Ghassal
M
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
HI-539, Sect 1
Interrogating Abraham: Examining Intersections between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
BTI Category
Semester
Interreligious Learning
FA26
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have often been called the Abrahamic Religions, as they all claim the Patriarch Abraham?. To what extent do these three faiths identify with him, define him, and share him? This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to problematize the Abrahamic identities of early Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, their views of the Patriarch, and how such identities have guided and affected past and contemporary inter-communal relations. Attention will be given to how sacred scripture, contemporary literature and film shapes and provide meaning for relations today. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Religious Pluralism
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC: Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy: Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Grafton
M
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
SC-522, Sect 1
Hebrew Bible Survey
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA26
This course will examine the content and theology expressed in the Hebrew Bible. We analyze scripture using historical-critical methodologies that consider the biblical material in light of its ancient Near Eastern context. We also investigate how the Hebrew Bible has been interpreted by different faith communities. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS – Ministerial Studies: Scripture
MAIRS – Islamic Studies: Pluralism
MAIRS – Interreligious Studies Elective
MAC – Chaplaincy Elective
MAC – Islamic Chaplaincy Elective (in consultation with Program Director)
Professor
Class Day & Time
Robertson
T
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
WS-605, Sect 1
Rites of Passage
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
FA26
Rites of passage are the hinges of human life, allowing individuals and communities to negotiate complex transitions meaningfully in relationship to one another, to the roles and responsibilities of one’s community, to the land and creatures among whom one lives, and to the transcendent dimension of human experience. Yet as traditional cultural and religious traditions erode, many individuals, families, and communities are left without the psychic/ communal structures these rites once provided. This course will examine the importance of rites of passage in human development, the impact of their widespread loss in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood today, and the creation of new or renewed forms of such rites for healthy and resilient human-ecological flourishing. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies Elective
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Arts of Ministry
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAC - Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dahill
T
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
IP-613
Identity and Otherness in Religious Communities
BTI Category
Semester
Interreligious Learning
FA26
There is a tendency within individuals and societies to organize and collectively define themselves along dimensions of difference and sameness. This course uses the framework of “otherness” and “belonging” to explore how othering becomes structured and embedded within religious communities. In other words, what are the dynamics, processes, and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality within our own religious communities? We will use an intersectional, interdisciplinary, and dialogical approach to examine essential concepts such as individual and group identity formation, expression, and boundaries; the dual sides of social cohesion and internal conflict; prejudice and power within religious communities; dealing with the emotional and social costs of leading justice-oriented change; and how identity, power, and privilege varies across contexts. In addition to investigating these forces that contribute to othering, we will also identify the interventions that may mitigate some of these forces, turning toward sustainable solutions that address othering through experiential learning such as site visits and MAP project-related ethnographic study. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC - Chaplaincy Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
MAP - Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Norton
W
9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
RS-525, Sect 2
American Religious Realities: Spiritual Leadership in Time of Crisis
BTI Category
Semester
Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills
FA26
As part of the MAIRS curriculum, this course facilitates an understanding of the scope of America’s religious diversity: the nature of its current complexity and factors contributing to its emergence; the mutually influencing interactions between religious communities (their convictions, practices, and structures); and the American contextual trends, such as immigration, political issues, and social drivers like race, ethnicity, or gender. This course is taught with faculty of different traditions or backgrounds, and builds knowledge and skills for study within a multifaith setting. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Core course
Professor
Class Day & Time
Ansari/Watts
W
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
TH-553, Sect 2
Introduction to Islamic Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA26
This course provides an introduction to the breadth and depth of Islamic theology, through a close reading of primary texts, supplemented by secondary literature for historical context and further analysis. The foundational Islamic beliefs and concepts (God, Prophets, Life after Death, the nature of faith, theodicy) are discussed with reference to the role of reason and scriptural texts (Qur'an and Hadith), as well as the competing methodologies of different Islamic theological schools. We also examine theology's interaction with and impact on Sufism, philosophy, law, and society, including the concept of orthodoxy, and theological developments in the modern world. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Foundational Fields
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
TBD
W
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
WS-600, Sect 2
Eco-Spirituality
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA26
Eco-Spirituality: This course invites students into experiential immersion in the sacred wild as a central dimension of human spiritual and/or religious life. Focusing on themes of beauty, biophilia (and biophobia), and love, the course encompasses eco-philosophy, science, and a range of religious and non-religious spiritual voices relating to love of Earth and one’s local place, along with weekly outdoor practices inviting students into practices of encounter and deepening relationship with creatures, places, and the divine. At the heart of this course is the relation between human environmental- and generational-justice questions and the destruction of beauty in late capitalism – along with examples and resources for sustaining hope, action, and the renewal of the beauty that sustains all that is. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC - Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dahill
R
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
DI-550
Introduction to Interreligious Studies
BTI Category
Semester
Interreligious Learning
FA26
The gateway course to the MA in Interreligious Studies and a required course for the MA in Peacebuilding curriculum, Introduction to Interreligious Studies is an intersectional, integrative course that promotes deep understanding of worldviews different from one’s own. The course integrates theory and practice in exploring how diverse individuals and groups understand “religion” and how those with differing understandings relate to one another. The course cultivates the dynamic link between theory and practice as it engages in critical investigation of relations between people (whether individuals or groups) who orient around “religion” differently. As an introduction to Interreligious Studies, this course explores such themes as the meaning of “religion,” the discourse of “othering” and theologies of religious difference, comparative theology, interreligious hermeneutics, urban social history methodologies, interreligious dialogue, faith-based collaboration, and more. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Core course
MAP - Core course
Professor
Class Day & Time
Mosher
R
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
HI-539, Sect 2
Interrogating Abraham: Examining Intersections between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
BTI Category
Semester
Interreligious Learning
FA26
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have often been called the Abrahamic Religions, as they all claim the Patriarch Abraham?. To what extent do these three faiths identify with him, define him, and share him? This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to problematize the Abrahamic identities of early Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, their views of the Patriarch, and how such identities have guided and affected past and contemporary inter-communal relations. Attention will be given to how sacred scripture, contemporary literature and film shapes and provide meaning for relations today. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Religious Pluralism
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC: Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy: Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Grafton
M
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
SC-522, Sect 2
Hebrew Bible Survey
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA26
This course will examine the content and theology expressed in the Hebrew Bible. We analyze scripture using historical-critical methodologies that consider the biblical material in light of its ancient Near Eastern context. We also investigate how the Hebrew Bible has been interpreted by different faith communities. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements: Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS – Ministerial Studies: Scripture
MAIRS – Islamic Studies: Pluralism
MAIRS – Interreligious Studies Elective
MAC – Chaplaincy Elective
MAC – Islamic Chaplaincy Elective (in consultation with Program Director)
Professor
Class Day & Time
Robertson
T
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
WS-605, Sect 2
Rites of Passage
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
FA26
Rites of passage are the hinges of human life, allowing individuals and communities to negotiate complex transitions meaningfully in relationship to one another, to the roles and responsibilities of one’s community, to the land and creatures among whom one lives, and to the transcendent dimension of human experience. Yet as traditional cultural and religious traditions erode, many individuals, families, and communities are left without the psychic/ communal structures these rites once provided. This course will examine the importance of rites of passage in human development, the impact of their widespread loss in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood today, and the creation of new or renewed forms of such rites for healthy and resilient human-ecological flourishing. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies Elective
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Arts of Ministry
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAC - Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dahill
T
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
RS-525, Sect 1
American Religious Realities: Spiritual Leadership in Time of Crisis
BTI Category
Semester
Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills
FA26
As part of the MAIRS curriculum, this course facilitates an understanding of the scope of America’s religious diversity: the nature of its current complexity and factors contributing to its emergence; the mutually influencing interactions between religious communities (their convictions, practices, and structures); and the American contextual trends, such as immigration, political issues, and social drivers like race, ethnicity, or gender. This course is taught with faculty of different traditions or backgrounds, and builds knowledge and skills for study within a multifaith setting.
This offering, taught by a sociologist and a theologian with extensive experience in religious anthropology methodology, will feature case studies, field work, and ethnography. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Core course
Professor
Class Day & Time
Ansari/Watts
W
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
TH-553, Sect 1
Introduction to Islamic Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA26
This course provides an introduction to the breadth and depth of Islamic theology, through a close reading of primary texts, supplemented by secondary literature for historical context and further analysis. The foundational Islamic beliefs and concepts (God, Prophets, Life after Death, the nature of faith, theodicy) are discussed with reference to the role of reason and scriptural texts (Qur'an and Hadith), as well as the competing methodologies of different Islamic theological schools. We also examine theology's interaction with and impact on Sufism, philosophy, law, and society, including the concept of orthodoxy, and theological developments in the modern world. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Foundational Fields
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
TBD
W
7:00-9:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
WS-600, Sect 1
Eco-Spirituality
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA26
Eco-Spirituality: This course invites students into experiential immersion in the sacred wild as a central dimension of human spiritual and/or religious life. Focusing on themes of beauty, biophilia (and biophobia), and love, the course encompasses eco-philosophy, science, and a range of religious and non-religious spiritual voices relating to love of Earth and one’s local place, along with weekly outdoor practices inviting students into practices of encounter and deepening relationship with creatures, places, and the divine. At the heart of this course is the relation between human environmental- and generational-justice questions and the destruction of beauty in late capitalism – along with examples and resources for sustaining hope, action, and the renewal of the beauty that sustains all that is. Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAC - Chaplaincy Elective
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dahill
R
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
BTI Category
Semester
Professor
Class Day & Time
Grading Option
Credits
Professor Approval Req'd?
Online?
Prerequisites?
Notes
bottom of page