“Contemplating the Qur’an (Tadabbur al-Qur’an)” Howard University School of Divinity Washington, DC

March 25-26, 2013

The conference organizers invite paper proposals for a unique conference on the Qur’an that combines intellectual rigor with community engagement. The conference encourages proposals in all areas of Qur’anic studies, but the conference organizers are particularly interested in proposals that demonstrate diverse ways of reading the Qur’an, from intertextual and thematic studies to close textual analyses that explore the relationship between structure and meaning in the Qur’an. We also encourage proposals that engage the Islamic intellectual and exegetical tradition while seeking new ways of reading the Qur’an in light of contemporary religious, ethical, and social challenges.

One of the key aims of the conference is to foster discussion between academics, community leaders, and students regarding the Qur’an and its various interpretations. To this end, successful proposals will reflect theoretical and methodological sophistication and engagement with existing scholarship, while also being accessible to non-specialists. We especially invite papers on the following topics:

o The Qur’an in dialogue with Jews and Christians
o The Qur’an between faith and critical thinking
o Qur’anic ethics
o Gender in the Qur’an
o Intertextual readings of the Qur’an
o Thematic or stylistic analysis of individual surahs or textual units

Method of Submission & Deadline:
Please email abstracts (maximum 300 words) to Contemplatingthequran@gmail.com by September 1st, 2012.

Questions?
Zainab Alwani
Howard University
zainab.alwani@howard.edu

Maria Dakake
George Mason University
mdakakem@gmu.edu

Younus Y. Mirza
Millsaps College
ymirza3131@aol.com

(Un grand merci à notre ami AbdelMadjid Benhabib de l’Université de Tlemcen)