Greetings! My name is Vanessa De Gifis, and I pleased to introduce myself as the new blog coordinator for IQSA. I earned my Ph.D. in Islamic thought from the University of Chicago, and I am presently Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where I teach (among other things) a course on the Qur’an and tafsir. My own research takes place at the interface between thematic study of the Qur’an text and study of Qur’anic themes in later Islamic thought. My recent book, Shaping a Qur’anic Worldview (Routledge, 2014), is the first sustained analysis of Qur’anic referencing in the political rhetoric of the classical Caliphate. Currently my research digs deeper into the scriptural underpinnings of Muslim moral thought by taking a closer look at one of the most pervasive motifs in the Qur’an and Muslim socio-political discourse, that of divine “favor,” with an eye to better understanding the dynamics of its interpretation and ideological use.
The IQSA blog has become a popular and authoritative venue for showcasing new developments in Qur’anic studies, and I am excited to support its ongoing vitality. With that in mind, I welcome blog submissions from all members of our scholarly community. If you are interested in sharing an aspect of your current research, reviewing a new publication, or reporting on an event in Qur’anic studies, please feel free to email me at vdegifis@wayne.edu. Blog entries are typically about 500 words, and the blog format is flexible. I hope to hear from you!
If you have not already become an IQSA member, please join us! Membership is free for 2014. Simply submit a Membership Form here: http://membership.iqsaweb.org/Join.aspx.
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International Qur'anic Studies Association 
Good job Vanessa! to be a new IQSA blog coordinator and great ambitions to help us discover hard facts about the Qur’an. You are digging real foundations here by thematic study of the actual text of the Qur’an, analysis of the Qur’anic referencing, scriptural underpinnings, taking a closer look at one of the most pervasive motifs in the Qur’an , with an eye to better understanding the dynamics of its interpretation. Without a thorough understanding of those aspects of the Qur’an no progress can be made towards achieving some academic consensus on its interpretation- a crucial need of our time.
We at Advancing Rational Faith Academy and Free Qur’anic Studies welcome you and want to see you succeed in your all important objectives of study re-energizing IQSA community.