This course is about how ordinary Muslims understand, practice, and relate to their religious tradition in their everyday lives. We will examine ethnographies set in three countries – Egypt, Indonesia and France – that illuminate in contrasting ways the intersections of lived Islam with contemporary issues, from bio-ethics and medical technologies to media and globalization to secularism and gendered citizenship. As we dive into specific social worlds, we will consider how we can think about “Islam” as a historically situated religion, as a theological, ethical, and legal tradition, and as an object of anthropological study. Throughout the course we will discuss terrorist groups like ISIS and both popular and academic debates around how to understand its use of violence. We will examine in class different kinds of media produced by or about Muslims that enhance our understanding of the assigned texts.