Great Courses: Introduction to the Qur'an by Martyn Oliver

 This Great Courses lecture series contains 12 half-hour lectures of the Qur'an by Dr. Martyn Oliver.  The first lecture deals with the way Muslim people view the Qur'an.  Subsequent lectures discuss the book's origin, its basic themes, structure, portrayal of Biblical characters, and different schools of interpretation. He ends the course with discussions about difficult doctrines of Jihad and Sharia Law.  Oliver is obviously a fan of the book, and portrays it in a favorable light.  His lectures are interesting and insightful, and he is careful to indicate when he is giving an opinion that is not widely held.  Several times he includes recordings of a woman who recites passages in the original Arabic and in the traditional style.  The original version of this lecture series must contain slides because Oliver makes longer than normal pauses as he moves from one topic to another. It isn't too distracting, though, and overall, it is a very good introduction to a very important piece of literature. (2020, 6 hrs)