Annual Conferences
Our annual Islamic Philosophy Conference was initiated at Harvard University (April 2019) with participants coming from around the globe to present papers and engage in discussion over two days. The conferences are open to all interested scholars working on Islamic Philosophy and Theology. In addition to a general call for papers, conferences will include specialized panels organized by theme from 2023 to 2025.
Upcoming Conference
Sixth Annual Islamic Philosophy Conference
December 2024, Dates TBD – Harvard University
We invite submissions of academic studies of scholars, methods, institutions, texts, and topics typically considered within the domain of philosophy, as well as those that treat kalam-theology, Islamic legal philosophy (usul al-fiqh), or other intellectual trends that at times may be seen as distinct from philosophy. Papers may be within specific disciplines (Philosophy, Islamic Theology, Religious Studies, etc.) or may be interdisciplinary. Active engagement with contemporary issues via the methods of various forms of Islamic philosophy is also welcomed and encouraged. It will be a hybrid conference, with some papers presented online via Zoom, and some in person on the Harvard campus. More details about the conference are forthcoming.
Past Conferences
Dec. 1 – 3, 2023
Cambridge, MA
This conference examined: After Mustafa Sabri: What Does a Robust Kalam Engagement with Contemporary Philosophy and Theology Look Like Today?” This year’s conference aims to continue to explore the interface between Islamic Philosophy and Theology and contemporary issues.
Dec. 2 – 4, 2022
Cambridge, MA
This conference explored the interface between Islamic Philosophy and Theology and contemporary issues. It included academic studies of scholars, methods, institutions, texts, and topics typically considered within the domain of philosophy, as well as those that treat kalam-theology, Islamic legal philosophy (usul al-fiqh), or other intellectual trends that at times may be seen as distinct from philosophy.
Dec. 3 – 5, 2021
Cambridge, MA
Islamic Rational Sciences and the Tools of Knowledge (logic, rhetoric, debate, etymology, etc.) are both tools in the service of sacred knowledge as well as the often-overlooked domain of sustained philosophical inquiry since the 13th century CE. This conference focused on questions that arise primarily from within the Islamic tradition and the rationalist responses via the practice of taḥqīq (verification).
November 5-6, 2020
Cambridge, MA
This conference addressed both the epistemological foundations of Islamic theology and philosophy (rational, empirical, and Divine revelation) and foundational “big questions” that arise from faith commitments in conversation with the broader philosophical tradition (e.g., existence, God, the nature of knowledge, etc.).
April 22, 2019
Cambridge, MA
We invited academic studies of scholars, methods, institutions, texts, and topics typically considered within the domain of philosophy, as well as those that treat kalam-theology, philosophy of science, Islamic legal philosophy (usul al-fiqh), political philosophy, or other intellectual trends that at times may be seen as distinct from philosophy.
Future Conferences
- 2025 Conference theme: Teaching Islamic Theology without Bi-Furcation