Fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities

Selected by vote of LMU students in 2008 and 2009

Professor of the Year

Editor, The Journal of the American Academy of Religion

A new online reference from Oxford University Press, appointed in 2012

Senior Editor for Oxford Handbooks Online: Religion

Fall 2016, at University of Southern California

Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies

Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities

Toward a Muslim Theology of Migration

Religious Diversity and Public Education: The Example of American Muslims

Confronting Misoislamia: Teaching Religion and Violence in Courses on Islam

Muslims

Muslims and Sexual Diversity in North America

Images of Muhammad in literature, art, and music

(Re)presenting: Muslims on North American Television

Islam

The Fire Next Time’: Sleeper Cell and Muslims on Television Post 9/11

Islam in the Plural

Listen to the Dark’: Death and Dying in Music, Film and Literature

From Tolerance to Dialogue: A Muslim perspective on interfaith dialogue with Christians

The Diaspora in the West

Listen to any news broadcast today and the message comes through loud and clear: Islam is a religion of violence and behind every Muslim there lurks a potential terrorist. Islam is a threat to values of the Christian West. They are like oil and water. Clearly, they don't mix. Oil & Water: Two Faiths One God  confronts these popular perceptions head-on. With keen insight and gentle understanding, it explores the differences between Christianity and Islam, as well as the many things these two enduring faith traditions hold in common - including, first and foremost, their belief in and desire to be faithful to the one, true God; their shared roots and scripture (from the Jewish faith); and the spiritual values of peace and social justice. Written for Christians by Muslim world-religions scholar Amir Hussain, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1, provides an overview of the Islamic faith and of the lives of Muslims in North America today. Chapters focus on the place and identity of Muslims in society, as well as on the importance and role of Muhammad, the Qur'an, and basic beliefs and practices (The Five Pillars of Islam). Having provided a foundation for understanding, the book moves on, in Part 2, to explore key points for dialogue today, including issues of violence and jihad, the roles of women and men, and the mystical tradition within Islam. The final two chapters look at interfaith dialogue and the practical aspects of being good "neighbours." In all of this, the book invites the reader to a place of reconciliation, to a place where the truth and value of each of these great faith traditions can be recognized and honoured by the other. In the end, the metaphor of oil and water is an interesting one for the reality of conflict and the hope for reconciliation between Islam and Christianity today.

Oil &amp; Water: Two Faiths: One God

Based on the bestselling two-volume World Religions: Eastern and Western Traditions, A Concise Introduction to World Religions, Third Edition, is ideal for single-semester courses. Renowned contributors trace the origins and evolution of the major traditions, explain their essential teachings, outline their practices, and examine their interactions with modern culture and society, while insightful introductory and concluding essays suggest countless avenues for further reflection and study.

A Concise Introduction to World Religions

World Religions: Western Traditions 4th edition by Oxtoby, Willard G., Hussain, Amir, Amore, Roy C. (2014) Paperback

Featuring work from expert contributors, World Religions: Eastern Traditions, Fourth Edition, provides students with an authoritative examination of Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese religions. Accessible and engaging, this acclaimed text explores the origins, central teachings, divisions and branches, rituals and practices, influences on culture, and responses to modern challenges for each tradition.FEATURES* New chapter structures better reflect the uniqueness of each tradition* A new "Recent Developments" section for every tradition provides more focus on contemporary issues* A revised and updated "Current Issues" chapter better tackles key challenges facing Eastern traditions today* Additional coverage of the role of women offers students a more inclusive overview of each tradition * Dynamic pedagogical features including "Traditions at a Glance," "Document," "Focus," and "Sites" boxes, bolded key terms, maps, photographs, timelines, sites, text extracts, and further reading lists help bring each tradition to life for students* New learning tools including chapter outlines, chapter summaries, discussion questions, and "Sacred Text" tables make difficult topics easier for students to understand* An exceptional support package includes a Companion Website at www.oupcanada.com/Oxtoby, an Instructor's Manual, a Test Generator, PowerPoint-based slides, a Student Study Guide, and moreIdeal for courses in Asian religions and comparative religions, World Religions: Eastern Traditions, Fourth Edition, combines a historically descriptive perspective with a spirit of sympathetic fascination.

World Religions: Eastern Traditions

"There has never been an America without Muslims"―so begins Amir Hussain, one of the most important scholars and teachers of Islam in America. Hussain, who is himself an American Muslim, contends that Muslims played an essential role in the creation and cultivation of the United States. Memories of 9/11 and the rise of global terrorism fuel concerns about American Muslims. The fear of American Muslims in part stems from the stereotype that all followers of Islam are violent extremists who want to overturn the American way of life. Inherent to this stereotype is the popular misconception that Islam is a new religion to America. In Muslims and the Making of America Hussain directly addresses both of these stereotypes. Far from undermining America, Islam and American Muslims have been, and continue to be, important threads in the fabric of American life. Hussain chronicles the history of Islam in America to underscore the valuable cultural influence of Muslims on American life. He then rivets attention on music, sports, and culture as key areas in which Muslims have shaped and transformed American identity. America, Hussain concludes, would not exist as it does today without the essential contributions made by its Muslim citizens.

Muslims and the Making of America

Loyola Marymount University is a top-ranked national university by U.S. News and World Report, which places LMU among the top six Jesuit universities in the country and in the top six private universities in California. Founded in 1911, LMU is a Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount university with more than 7,100 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students. LMU offers 56 undergraduate majors and 56 minor programs, along with 46 master’s degree programs, three doctorate programs and 12 credential/authorization programs. LMU’s intercollegiate athletics teams compete in the West Coast Conference with 14 Division I varsity sports.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

Loyola Marymount University

Religions of the World

Muslim/Jewish Theology

Islam in America

Islam in the Modern World

Comparative Theology

Religion and Film

Islam and Interreligious Dialogue

First Year Seminar: Islam and the Building of America

Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received a number of awards, including the university’s highest award for alumni service. For 2011 to 2015, Amir is the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the premier scholarly journal for the study of religion.  He has a deep commitment to students, and holds the distinction of being the only male to serve as Dean of Women at University College, University of Toronto. Before coming to California in 1997, Amir taught courses in religious studies at several universities in Canada. He is active in academic groups such as the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion and the American Academy of Religion. He is on the editorial boards of four scholarly journals, the Journal of Religion, Conflict and Peace; Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life; the Ethiopian Journal of Religious Studies; and Comparative Islamic Studies. Amir is also interested in areas such as religion and music, religion and literature, religion and film and religion and popular culture. In 2008, he was appointed a fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities.  Prior to his appointment at Loyola Marymount University, Amir taught at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) from 1997 to 2005. Amir won a number of awards at CSUN, both for his teaching and research. In 2001 he was selected for the outstanding faculty award by the National Center on Deafness. For the academic year 2003-04, he was selected as the Jerome Richfield Memorial Scholar. In both 2008 and 2009, Amir was chosen by vote of LMU students as the Professor of the Year. He is the co-editor for the fourth editions of World Religions: Western Traditions, and World Religions: Eastern Traditions, textbooks published in 2014 by Oxford University Press. He is also the co-editor for the third edition of A Concise Introduction to World Religions, published by OUP in 2015. Prior to those books, he wrote an introduction to Islam for North Americans entitled Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God (Kelowna: Copper House, 2006). He has published over 50 book chapters and scholarly articles about religion.

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