Reminder: Final Deadline for Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize

Posted on January 24, 2022 by iqsaweb

A friendly reminder that the deadline for Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize submissions has been extended to Monday, January 31, 2022, meaning you still have one week left before the call closes!

Submissions should be sent to contactus@iqsaweb.org by January 31, 2022. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article by April 1, 2022. Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA.

NEW Review of Qur’anic Research, Vol. 8 no. 1 (2022)

Posted on January 15, 2022 by iqsaweb

In the first installment of Volume 8 of IQSA’s Review of Qur’anic Research (2022), Saqib Hussain (University of Oxford) reviews Martin Whittingham’s A History of Muslim Views of the Bible: The First Four Centuries (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2021).

In the review, Hussain writes “In this compact book, Martin Whittingham presents the historical beginnings of Muslim attitudes to the Bible. Billed as the first of two volumes, this installment takes us from the Qurʾān and its position on the scriptures of the “People of the Book” to the turn of the fifth century AH / eleventh century CE, i.e., up to and including the writings of Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456/1064) and some of his contemporaries, whom Whittingham sees as marking a watershed in the way Muslims have viewed and approached the Bible. The planned second volume will continue the story to the present day. While previous studies have focused on key Muslim thinkers or specific aspects of Muslim scholarly use and/or critique of the Bible, the present work ranges far broader in its scope, seeking to present a chronology of evolving attitudes toward the Bible across a wide variety of literary genres. These attitudes are gauged both through explicit statements about the Bible from Muslim scholars, and through what may be implicitly gleaned about such attitudes from the way the Bible is utilized or discussed. The scope of the book is thus both impressive and unique, and Whittingham has produced a work that will surely be required reading for anyone interested in this field…”

Want to read more? For full access to the Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR), members can log in HERE. Not an IQSA member? Join today to enjoy RQR and additional member benefits!

Reminder: Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize 2021-22

Posted on December 22, 2021 by iqsaweb

A friendly reminder that in honor of Andrew Rippin, the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) will award a prize to the best paper delivered at the 2021 hybrid Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX by a graduate student or early career scholar (Ph.D. awarded 2016 or later).

The prize winner will receive $250. In addition, the award committee will provide him/her with detailed feedback and guidance enabling him/her to expand the paper into a scholarly article that qualifies for publication in the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), subject to peer review.

Interested scholars should submit a draft of the paper which they read at the most current Annual Meeting; this draft should be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages (or 3750 words). Submissions should be sent to contactus@iqsaweb.org by January 5, 2022. The prize winner will be announced by February 1, 2022. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article by April 1, 2022. Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA.

A Year in Sum: IQSA 2021

Posted on December 20, 2021 by iqsaweb

Despite continued challenges posed by by the global pandemic, it’s been a fruitful year for the International Qur’anic Studies Association. IQSA held its fourth biennial conference from July 4-11, 2021, hosted by the “Giorgio La Pira” Library (Palermo, Italy) for the first time in a completely virtual format. In addition, IQSA saw another first in its 2021 Hybrid Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion, bringing together both physical participants in San Antonio, Texas and colleagues signing on virtually for panels, paper presentations, business meetings, and more.

IQSA continued to build upon its publishing portfolio this year, releasing the fifth volume of the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (Lockwood Press, 2020) edited by Nicolai Sinai (Oxford University). Publishing activity also includes the Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR), the world’s only exclusive review source on critical Qur’anic Studies. Finally, our multilingual blog and discussion group links a community of scholars and students across the globe.

In addition, IQSA welcomed a new Executive Director, Hythem Sidky, following in the steps of former director Emran El-Badawi. With a new Executive Director comes a new vision for expanded membership and outreach for the organization, including an improved and updated website, membership database, and meeting hosting platforms.

IQSA membership for 2021 is still open! Choose from any of the six categories to best fit your level:

(1) Student, Contingent Faculty, Global South or Income Below $30,000 $35
(2) Assistant Professor, Junior or Retired Faculty $75
(3) Associate Professor or Midrange Faculty $100
(4) Full Professor, Senior Faculty or Professional Income $100,000+ $125
(5) Lifetime Member $2,000 (one time installment)
(6) Institutional Membership $400

Exceptions: Scholars from the global south and lower income countries unable to pay membership dues for that year have the option of contacting the executive director for a courtesy waiver.

We appreciate your membership!

U.S. taxpayers! Are you still looking to make an end-of-year tax deductible charitable donation? Consider supporting Qur’anic scholarship with a donation to IQSA. We are a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. You can donate to IQSA online by clicking HERE.

You have all made IQSA what it is today—a community of scholars and friends. Please help our community during its time of need. If each of you makes a humble donation it will go a long way to supporting our publishing and programming activity for the coming year(s).

Finally, please do not forget to follow our Blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and to join the NEW private IQSA Discussion Group. Thanks for your support!

We wish you a very Happy Holidays! كل عام وأنتم بخير

Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize 2021-22

Posted on December 6, 2021 by iqsaweb

Andrew Rippin was the inaugural president of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (2014). He is remembered as “an esteemed colleague, revered mentor, and scholarly inspiration to many members of the IQSA community.”

In honor of Andrew Rippin, the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) will award a prize to the best paper delivered at the 2021 hybrid Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX by a graduate student or early career scholar (Ph.D. awarded 2016 or later). The prize winner will receive $250. In addition, the award committee will provide him/her with detailed feedback and guidance enabling him/her to expand the paper into a scholarly article that qualifies for publication in the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), subject to peer review. Interested scholars should submit a draft of the paper which they read at the most current Annual Meeting; this draft should be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages (or 3750 words). Submissions should be sent to contactus@iqsaweb.org by January 5, 2022. The prize winner will be announced by February 1, 2022. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article by April 1, 2022. Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA. Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to receiving your submissions! © International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2021. All rights reserved.

New Publication: Solomon and the Ant (Wipf and Stock, 2021)

Posted on November 5, 2021 by iqsaweb

IQSA Member and Professor Emertius at the University of Saint Thomas, David Penchansky, has recently published a book in the field with Wipf and Stock, Solomon and the Ant (2021).

Solomon and the Ant, using the Bible as a dialogue partner, examines stories from the Qur’an, their drama, characters, and meaning. Although some qur’anic stories have close biblical parallels, here Penchansky examines stories without biblical precursors. Qur’anic narratives in dialogue with biblical texts enhance understanding. Penchansky chooses biblical stories that address similar questions about the nature of God and God’s interaction with people.

Former IQSA Executive Director, Emran El-Badawi (University of Houston), comments “his is a conversation between the Qur’an and the Bible as serious as it is simple. Applying a wealth of scholarly experience, Penchansky engages the holy texts both thematically and thoughtfully. Using his mastery of post-biblical and Islamic traditions, the author ensures a robust discussion about how readers wrestle with God through the stories of Scripture.”

Find purchasing options for this book in a variety of formats at http://www.solomonandtheant.com/where-to-buy.html

About the Author
Dr. David Penchansky is Professor Emeritus from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he taught for 29 years. While earning a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Vanderbilt University (1988) he taught in Missouri and Kentucky. Then took a position in the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas in 1989. He has written about the Bible, and now also the Qur’an from the perspective of a literary critic, attending to characterization, plot, theme, and especially gaps and fissures in a text, omissions and ambiguities. He approaches the Qur’an as a sympathetic outsider, respectful though critical.

He continues to teach in community venues, churches, the Selim Center (lifelong learning for seniors), assisted living facilities, as well as a course a year for the University. He has only begun his exploration of Qur’anic narratives. Solomon and the Ant is the first product of his research. He is active in Islamic-Christian dialogues both locally and on a national level.

Review of Qur’anic Research, Vol. 7 no. 7 (2021)

Posted on October 25, 2021 by iqsaweb

In In the latest installment of the Review of Qur’anic Research (Vol. 7, no.7), Devin J. Stewart (Emory University) reviews Sarah R. bin Tyeer’s The Qur’an and the Aesthetics of Premodern Arabic Prose (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).

In the review, Stewart writes “I have attended several presentations by Islamic art historians in which they purported to present an Islamic theory of aesthetics that drew on the Qurʾān. These talks were characterized by sweeping generalizations about the qurʾānic text, an appalling absence of concrete examples, and great leaps from the text to rather vague aesthetic principles. In contrast, Sarah R. bin Tyeer, writing from the perspective of comparative literature, has produced an antidote of sorts: a good-faith effort to detect a theory of aesthetics in the Qurʾān and to apply it to concrete examples of Arabic literature. In this complex book the author adopts a bold approach, shows a willingness to take some risks, and undertakes a lively engagement with the material, and these merits more than make up for a few technical issues and some heavy-handed opinionating…”

Want to read more? For full access to the  Review of Qur’anic Research  (RQR), members can log in  HERE. Not an IQSA member? Join today  to enjoy RQR and additional member benefits!

New Publication: ‘Mary in the Qur’an—Friend of God, Virgin, Mother’

Posted on October 18, 2021 by iqsaweb

An entire surah of the Qurʾan bears her name. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qurʾan. After Moses, Abraham, and Noah, Mary is also the person most frequently named in the Qurʾan; in other words, her name appears more frequently than those of either Muhammad or Jesus. She is portrayed in the Qurʾan with great respect and reverence, both as the mother of Jesus and as the equal of the male prophets who are found in its pages. The history of Islam is also replete with examples of Mary being seen in a positive light. From the earliest times to the present day, Mary has continued to be held in high regard by Christians and Muslims alike. Thus, one would think that Mary would be a bridging figure to promote dialogue between these two world religions, but in fact she has been the cause of much rancour and tension. She has even been turned into a protagonist for imperialist policies and something like a goddess of war.

Forthcoming from Gingko Library, this groundbreaking study by Muna Tatari and Klaus von Stosch painstakingly reconstructs the picture of Mary that is presented in the Qurʾan and shows how veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church intersects and interacts with the testimony of the Qurʾan. This sensitive and scholarly treatise is an important contribution to constructive interfaith dialogue in the 21st century.

Preorder this book now at https://www.gingko.org.uk/title/mary-in-the-quran/!

About the Authors
Muna Tatari read Islamic Studies and Theology at the universities of Hamburg and Amman. She is currently Professor of Islamic Systematic Theology at the University of Paderborn.

Klaus von Stosch is Professor of Catholic Theology and Didactics and Chair of the Centre for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies at the University of Paderborn.

Content Courtesy of the Gingko Library (gingko.org.uk)

Member Benefits: IQSA Publications

Posted on October 11, 2021 by iqsaweb

Did you know that active membership in the International Qur’anic Studies Association comes with research benefits? IQSA members receive full access to periodicals featuring the latest research from experts in the field, including the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA) and the Review of Qur’anic Research

The Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA) is a peer-reviewed annual journal devoted to the scholarly study of the Qur’an. Its goals are to

publish scholarship of high technical quality on the Qur’an, discussing its historical context; its relationship to other religious text traditions; and its literary, material, and cultural reception;
cultivate Qur’anic Studies as a growing field with a distinctive identity and focus, while acknowledging relevant linkages to the study of the Bible as well as the Islamic tradition, including tafsīr;
facilitate crucial conversations about the state of the field in Qur’anic Studies and the future of the discipline;
connect diverse scholarly communities from around the world on issues of common concern in the study of the Qur’an.

IQSA members have online access to all 5 volumes of JIQSA, including presidential addresses and responses from Annual Meetings. Read more about JIQSA, its’ submission process, and subscribe at this link!

In addition, IQSA members reeive access to the Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR), an online companion to the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA). IQSA is committed to the advancement and dissemination of high quality scholarship on the Qur’an and to the facilitation of deeper understandings of the Qur’an through scholarly collaboration. RQR is an online resource that features reviews of cutting-edge scholarship in the field of qur’anic studies and allied fields.

IQSA members have full access to all 7 volumes of RQR, containing over 70 book reviews! Read more and login at this link.

Interested in access to these resources? Become an IQSA member at members.iqsaweb.org and start reading today!

NEW Review of Qur’anic Research (Vol. 7, no.6)

Posted on September 13, 2021 by iqsaweb

In the latest installment of the Review of Qur’anic Research (Vol. 7, no.6), Gordon Nickel reviews W. Richard Oakes Jr., The Cross of Christ: Islamic Perspectives (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020).

In the review, Nickel writes “In the middle of his translation of several traditions from al-Ṭabarī’s (d. 310/923) interpretation of Q al-Nisāʾ 4:157, Richard Oakes presents a story that would likely intrigue many readers well familiar with the Gospel passion accounts but with only the most general Islamic explanation of how Jesus did not die on the cross (190–191). As recorded by Oakes in his recently published The Cross of Christ: Islamic Perspectives, al-Ṭabarī’s story begins with Allāh telling ʿĪsā that he will leave this world…”