Overview
Instructions are attached in a word document as well:
Write a thoughtful and well-organized essay that engages with primary texts discussed in the course. The essay should be approximately 7 pages, typed, and double-spaced. You are expected to respond to the topic by writing answers that make frequent and specific reference to the text in order to support your argument using direct quotations. You may also use indirect references as needed but these don’t supplant the need for using direct textual evidence. Remember to cite the text where appropriate using Chicago style footnotes.
Do not respond to the topic with a simple summary of the text and do not provide your informal and personal opinions on the questions. You must make your arguments through a careful analysis of the text, relying on textual evidence to build your case, in the form of quotations, paraphrases etc. All arguments and claims you make must be supported by an interpretation of the text. It is essential that you synthesize your thoughts about the question into a critical assessment of the issue, encapsulated in a THESIS. The best papers will present and defend a sharp, argumentative thesis about the texts, rather than recounting or restating the arguments in the texts.
Topic: How is religious formation shaped by its social and political context? Carefully analyze the writings of these two thinkers: Sayyid Qutb, and Leila Ahmed.
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