REMINDERS + NOW ONLINE – Program Book for San Antonio, Nov 18-21

REMINDERS + NOW ONLINE – Program Book for San Antonio, Nov 18-21

Dear Friends,

We are now days away from the fourth Annual Meeting of the International Qur’anic Studies Association taking place in San Antonio, November 18-21. We are looking forward to another exciting meeting of scholars and friends. For a complete showcase of our events, participants and sponsors we are proud to present the official AM 2016 PROGRAM BOOK (PDF). Viewers are encouraged to further circulate the program book. (Program Book link: https://iqsaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/iqsa-programbook-2016.pdf)

Reminders — Please make sure to attend the following events or perform the needed duties outlined here:

  1. If you want to gain access to all IQSA session in San Antonio as well as our exclusive member benefits please RENEW your 2016 IQSA MEMBERSHIP immediately here (http://members.iqsaweb.org/Sys/Login). It is not too late!
  2. The FRIDAY sessions are FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC. So do not forget to attend the AFTERNOON PANEL, KEYNOTE ADDRESS “‘These are my Daughters’: Lot and His Offer—A Lover/ Scholar Reflects on one of the Qurʾan’s More Awkward Moments”, RECEPTION & FILM SCREENING of “Jesus and Islam / Jésus et l’islam” all on Friday Nov 18. See program for details.
  3. On Saturday Nov 19 Graduate students should attend the Doctoral Dissertation “Lightning Talks” 11:45am-12:45am. See program for details. Only a handful of spots remain. RSVP now contact@iqsaweb.org
  4. On Sunday Nov 20 I call upon all IQSA members to fulfill their duty by attending our Business Meeting at 11:30am-12:15pm. See program for details.
  5. Finally, it will come as no surprise to any of us that the world’s political climate continues to change. Our work is now more important than ever. Please support IQSA and DONATE (http://members.iqsaweb.org/donate). Meanwhile do not forget to enjoy this VIDEO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg-W3Asj3R8) and share accordingly — thank you.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Standing Committees and our partners we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all friends of IQSA, and we look forward to seeing you this Friday.

Sincerely,

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2016. All rights reserved.

Qur’anic Studies, a Political Philology?

neuwirth2

Cover of Koranforschung – eine politische philologie? (Walter de Gruyter, 2014)

In the latest installment of the Review of Qur’anic Research 2 no. 5, Mareike Koertner reviews Angelika Neuwirth’s Koranforschung – eine politische Philologie? (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2014). In this book Neuwirth presents a concise work of her larger theories of contextualizing the qur’anic text within the intellectual framework of Late Antiquity. She suggests that the study of the reception of biblical materials in the Qurʾan must be analyzed by considering the cultural and religious context in which the Qurʾan emerged and evolved. The qur’anic text heavily interacted with its audiences and is a result of a process of cultural re-negotiation that included elements from the environment in Mecca, the living heirs of the biblical traditions who resided in Medina, and, Muhammad and his community. In answering her question of if the qur’anic studies is a political philology, Neuwirth explains the various meanings of “political.”

Full access to the Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR) is available in the members-only area of our IQSA website. Not an IQSA member? Join today to enjoy RQR and additional member benefits!

REMINDERS + NOW ONLINE – Program Book for Atlanta, Nov 20-23

Dear Friends,

We are now days away from the third Annual Meeting of the International Qur’anic Studies Association taking place in Atlanta, November 20-23. We are looking forward to another exciting meeting of scholars an friends. For a complete showcase of our events, participants and sponsors we are proud to present the official AM 2015 PROGRAM BOOK (PDF). Viewers are encouraged to further circulate the program book. (Viewers may alternately access the program book by visiting IQSAWEB.ORG >> Meetings >> Program Book AM 2015)

Please do not forget our first Panel, Presidential/Keynote Address and General Reception all taking place on Friday, Nov 20 (one day before the official start of AAR or SBL). Our Presidential/Keynote Address is on “Qurʾan and the Problematic of Prophecy,” and will be delivered by IQSA president prof. Reuven Firestone, with a Response by IQSA council member prof. Ebrahim Moosa at 4:00-5:15 pm in Marriott – M104 (Marquis Level). All Friday events are FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Furthermore, I invite all IQSA members to fulfill their duty as members by attending our Business Meeting, Sunday, Nov 22 at 11:30 am in Marriott – M105 (Marquis Level). This will be immediately followed by the Graduate Student Reception at noon in L504-L505 (Lobby Level) – Marriott. If you have not already please visit IQSAWEB.ORG in order to become a Member, subscribe to our Blog and join the private IQSA Discussion Group. Finally don’t forget to enjoy our new an improved video with Arabic subtitles!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Standing Committees and our partners we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all friends of IQSA, and we look forward to seeing you this Friday.

Sincerely,

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2015. All rights reserved.

An Open Letter to Members of SBL

Since its press release in May 29, 2012 the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) has received the support of the academy as well as the public. In the months following, the media took much interest in IQSA, as well as SBL’s instrumental role in supporting this Qur’anic Studies initiative. Thanks to this widespread recognition, university professors, graduate students and academic institutions around the world continue to reach out to us and form valuable partnerships with IQSA. As co-directors of this initiative, we understand that forming meaningful relationships with sister organizations will be key to the success and growth of IQSA in the long term. We would like to take this opportunity to reach out to the members of SBL especially, and inform them about the vision of this initiative and their role within it.

On November 18-19, 2012 IQSA will hold its first organizational meeting in Chicago. Its co-directors and steering committee will discuss several important matters, including governance, publishing, relationship building, fund raising and planning our first meeting in 2013, alongside SBL’s annual meeting. Our provisional plan is for our annual  meetings to alternate between North America (alongside SBL) and a site in the Islamic world. We also plan on establishing a journal, a newsletter, and a monograph series that will publish in English as well as Arabic. We want IQSA to be ‘the place’ where Qur’anic Studies scholars from around the world, especially those in Western and Islamic countries, talk to one another, share cutting edge research, collaborate and publish their work. The collegial environment we will work towards will also make IQSA a center that fosters respect and mutual understanding through scholarship.

One of the program units to be housed at IQSA conferences will explore the Qur’an’s dialogue with Biblical Literature; another will likely study the text in light of Semitic Linguistics. These areas of scholarship will prove to be a ‘bridge’ between members of IQSA and those of SBL. Scholars of Biblical Studies will have the opportunity to learn how Biblical traditions were adapted within the Qur’anic milieu. And scholars of Qur’anic Studies can learn how the text belongs to ‘the world of the Bible.’ You are invited to visit the initiative’s blog (http://iqsaweb.org), subscribe to IQSA’s e-mail list and keep up to date with our news and posts. We thank SBL for its support and look forward to working with its members.

Sincerely,

Emran El-Badawi, codirector

Gabriel Said Reynolds, codirector

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2012. All rights reserved.

IQSA in the News

By Gabriel Reynolds

The establishment of a consultation dedicated to the foundation of a learned society for Qurʾanic Studies– the International Qurʾanic Studies Association (IQSA) – was announced on May 29, 2012. Since that time a number of media outlets have published articles on IQSA, which will become the first learned society dedicated to the study of the Qurʾan when it is formally founded in 2015. The following may be of particular interest:

– “For Koranic Studies, a Scholarly Society is Born.” The Chronicle of Higher Education (June 6,
2012).
– “Across Religions, Persistent Battles Over What the Faithful May Read.” The New York Times
(June 8, 2012)
– “Anti-Muslim Video – One More Reason for Independent Scholarship on the Qurʾan.” The
Christian Science Monitor (September 14, 2012).

On this blog we will be regularly adding posts on a range of engaging topics connected to the study of
the Qurʾan: from the world of academia, popular culture, and international affairs. By following IQSA
by email, facebook, or twitter (see the fields on the left-hand column of the blog) you will be notified
immediately when new posts appear. You will also be included among the IQSA community of scholars,
and be the first to receive information regarding our developing plans for conferences and publications on
the Qurʾan. We are eager to reach out to all those who are interested in the study of the Qurʾan!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2012. All rights reserved.