Renison University College (University of Waterloo)

Associate Professor, Studies in Islam

A glimpse of just a few of the courses developed for Renison College and the University of Waterloo (2017-2018)

SI 101 - 302 Arabic (various levels, incl. advanced) -

SI 121 - "Islam in the World" - a thematically organized, interdisciplinary introduction to a wide range of Islam's manifestations in the world: incl. Islam in religious and world history, Islam & Muslims in the media, Islam in nature, society & political thought, art & architecture, gender & sexuality, education, science & philosophy, world literature & poetry, religious diversity (intra & inter), peace and war, modernity & secularism...

SI 131 - "Arab Culture" (newly developed course, first offered summer 2016)

RS 216 - "Islam" - historical and theological overview of the rise and development of the Islamic religious tradition

SI 316 - "Religion & War: Militancy & Martial Metaphor in Islam, Christianity and Judaism" - exploring the phenomena of martial language and imagery within Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, within a wider context of establishing justice and peace.

SI 420 - "Islamic Spirituality (Sufism) & Psychotherapy" - exploring Muslim conceptions of the soul and psychotherapy within religious and spiritual frameworks. Students place contemporary models and psychotherapeutic approaches in dynamic conversation with the psycho-spiritual strategies of traditional Sufi systems and sages, incl. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111).

SI 450 - "Reading and Interpreting the Qur'an (in translation)" - a scriptural reasoning style seminar that includes an academic intro to the question of textual history as well as a wide array of hermeneutical approaches, from traditional exegesis to new trends in the academic study of the Qur’an

SDS 420 - "Critical Encounters with Human Nature" - a inter-religious and interdisciplinary seminar exploring human nature, the human condition, and human realization (teleology) from a range of philosophical and theological perspectives.

American Islamic College

Director of Islamic Studies & Associate Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies

As Associate Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies and member of the teaching faculty, I taught a wide range of courses (Arabic, Islamic History & Civ., Islamic Ethics & Political Thought, Islamic Spirituality & Mysticism, Islamic Philosophy & Theology, Reading & Interpreting the Qur'an, World Religions, etc), at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and advised our students at all stages and levels of their academic journeys. As the Director of Islamic Studies, I also carried the administrative responsibilities of overseeing the faculty and the curriculum, which grew to be an increasingly comprehensive and coherent array of rigorous courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels (BA - MA, including a new Masters of Divinity in Islamic Studies). Together with the AIC President and Board of Trustees, I was also deeply involved in the accreditation process, institutional and community outreach, faculty recruitment & assessment, professional development, academic and strategic planning, and many other aspects of growing and managing a new university.

Wilfrid Laurier University

Special Member of the Graduate Faculty (adjunct, Psychotherapy & Spiritual Care)

In addition to my full-time position at Renison University College, University of Waterloo, I serve as a special member of the Graduate Faculty at WLU, where I teach within the graduate program in Psychotherapy & Spiritual Care, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.

York University & The Noor Cultural Centre, Toronto

Noor Chair of Islamic Studies, Noor Fellow in Arabic & Islamic Studies, Resident Scholar & Lecturer

This five-year chapter, spent in the dual service of Toronto’s York University and Noor Cultural Centre, first brought me and my family up to Toronto (from the University of Virginia) as the 2007-2008 Visiting Noor Chair of Islamic Studies and then kept me on as the 2008-2011 York-Noor Fellow in Arabic & Islamic Studies and, finally, as a resident scholar and lecturer in Islamic Studies. Guided by a vision of scholarship in the service of the wider community, the York-Noor alliance afforded me invaluable opportunities to engage the wider Muslim community as well as Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and First Nations partners in dialogue and inter-religious collaboration. I also had the privilege of serving the NCC congregation more pastorally as a resident scholar, religious education director, volunteer imam (religious leader) and khatib (homilist) throughout this period.

The Islamic Institute for Spiritual Formation

Director & Principal Teacher

website: http://instituteforspiritualformation.wordpress.com

blog: http://islamicilluminations.blogspot.ca

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

Al-Ghazālī's Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul: Unveiling the Esoteric Psychology and Eschatology of the Iḥyāʾ

Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill

This text marks a radical rethinking of the soul and the afterlife in the writings of al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), particularly within his magnum opus, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Ihyā’ulūm al-dīn). Attending closely to variations of genre and discourse mode within his works, it attempts to resolve some of the major ambiguities that have vexed al-Ghazālī’s readers for nearly nine hundred years. Beginning with his theory of multi-level, multi-genre writing and working through his theological, philosophical, and mystical positions on the soul’s true nature, the study culminates in an exploration of al-Ghazālī’s mystical “psycho-cosmology”, where some startling conclusions are drawn regarding his most intimate thoughts on the “secrets” of the soul and the Hereafter. Meticulously researched and yet engagingly written, this study speaks to both the specialist and the amateur intellectual historian.

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

Al-Ghazālī's Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul: Unveiling the Esoteric Psychology and Eschatology of the Iḥyāʾ

Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill

This text marks a radical rethinking of the soul and the afterlife in the writings of al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), particularly within his magnum opus, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Ihyā’ulūm al-dīn). Attending closely to variations of genre and discourse mode within his works, it attempts to resolve some of the major ambiguities that have vexed al-Ghazālī’s readers for nearly nine hundred years. Beginning with his theory of multi-level, multi-genre writing and working through his theological, philosophical, and mystical positions on the soul’s true nature, the study culminates in an exploration of al-Ghazālī’s mystical “psycho-cosmology”, where some startling conclusions are drawn regarding his most intimate thoughts on the “secrets” of the soul and the Hereafter. Meticulously researched and yet engagingly written, this study speaks to both the specialist and the amateur intellectual historian.

“Growing in Prayer as a Muslim: Reflections and Lessons of a Struggler”

Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives (Georgetown University Press, 2013), David Marshall and Lucinda Mosher, eds.

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

Al-Ghazālī's Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul: Unveiling the Esoteric Psychology and Eschatology of the Iḥyāʾ

Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill

This text marks a radical rethinking of the soul and the afterlife in the writings of al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), particularly within his magnum opus, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Ihyā’ulūm al-dīn). Attending closely to variations of genre and discourse mode within his works, it attempts to resolve some of the major ambiguities that have vexed al-Ghazālī’s readers for nearly nine hundred years. Beginning with his theory of multi-level, multi-genre writing and working through his theological, philosophical, and mystical positions on the soul’s true nature, the study culminates in an exploration of al-Ghazālī’s mystical “psycho-cosmology”, where some startling conclusions are drawn regarding his most intimate thoughts on the “secrets” of the soul and the Hereafter. Meticulously researched and yet engagingly written, this study speaks to both the specialist and the amateur intellectual historian.

“Growing in Prayer as a Muslim: Reflections and Lessons of a Struggler”

Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives (Georgetown University Press, 2013), David Marshall and Lucinda Mosher, eds.

"Toward a Muslim Theology of Interfaith Friendship"

FRIENDSHIP ACROSS RELIGIONS: Theological Perspectives on Interreligious Friendship (Lexington Books, 2015)

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

Al-Ghazālī's Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul: Unveiling the Esoteric Psychology and Eschatology of the Iḥyāʾ

Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill

This text marks a radical rethinking of the soul and the afterlife in the writings of al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), particularly within his magnum opus, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Ihyā’ulūm al-dīn). Attending closely to variations of genre and discourse mode within his works, it attempts to resolve some of the major ambiguities that have vexed al-Ghazālī’s readers for nearly nine hundred years. Beginning with his theory of multi-level, multi-genre writing and working through his theological, philosophical, and mystical positions on the soul’s true nature, the study culminates in an exploration of al-Ghazālī’s mystical “psycho-cosmology”, where some startling conclusions are drawn regarding his most intimate thoughts on the “secrets” of the soul and the Hereafter. Meticulously researched and yet engagingly written, this study speaks to both the specialist and the amateur intellectual historian.

“Growing in Prayer as a Muslim: Reflections and Lessons of a Struggler”

Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives (Georgetown University Press, 2013), David Marshall and Lucinda Mosher, eds.

"Toward a Muslim Theology of Interfaith Friendship"

FRIENDSHIP ACROSS RELIGIONS: Theological Perspectives on Interreligious Friendship (Lexington Books, 2015)

“Beyond Both Law and Theology: al-Ghazālī’s ‘Science of the Way of the Afterlife’ in Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn)”

The Muslim World, vol. 101 (October, 2011), pp. 597-613.

"Pillars of Islam"

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, second edition, Ed. Richard C. Martin (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2016). Gale Virtual Reference Library

“ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE: Being a Translation of Al-Ghazālī’s Introduction to His Masterwork, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn), immediately preceding his Book of Knowledge (Kitāb al-‘ilm).”

Islamic Sciences, Vol. 11 (Winter 2013) No. 2, pp. 11-18. ISSN 1929-9435 (Print); ISSN 1929-9443 (Online); © 2013 by the Center for Islamic Sciences

“Muslim Leadership: Past, Present, Future”

The Future of Religious Leadership, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, address the subject of religious leadership. The subject is of broad relevance in the training of religious leaders and in the practice of religious leadership. It is also germane to religious thought as such, where reflections on religious leadership occupy an important place. What does it mean to be a religious leader in today’s world? To what degree are the challenges that confront religious leadership the perennial challenges that have arrested the attention of the faithful and their leaders for generations, and to what degree do we encounter today challenges that are unique to our day and age? One dimension is surely unique and that is the very ability to explore these issues from an interreligious perspective and to consider challenges, opportunities and strategies across religious traditions. Some challenges confront leaders of all traditions, and therefore unite them. Studying the theme across six faith traditions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism—we recognize the common challenges to present day religious leadership. Chapters examine the nature of religious leadership in each tradition in relation to the goals of the tradition. They then present a typology of leadership in each of the traditions. These provide the background to a review of both systemic and contemporary challenges to religious leadership, and allow us to consider points of connection and intersection between the different faith traditions. This leads us to a reflection on religious leadership for the future, including the role of interfaith engagement in the profile of the ideal future religious leader.

"Sharing Wisdom: a Muslim Perspective"​

Sharing Wisdom: Benefits and Boundaries of Interreligious Learning, Alon Goshen-Gottstein, ed.

The essays collected here, prepared by a think tank of the Elijah Interfaith Academy, explore the challenges associated with sharing wisdom—learning, teachings, messages for good living—between members of different faith traditions. In a globalized age, when food, music, and dress are shared freely, how should religions go about sharing their wisdom? The essays, representing six faith traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist), explore what wisdom means in each of these traditions, why it should be shared—internally and externally—and how it should be shared. A primary concern is the form of appropriate sharing, so that the wisdom of the specific tradition maintains its integrity in the process of sharing. Authors reflect on specific wisdoms their tradition has or should share, as well as what it has to receive from other faiths. Special emphasis is placed on the themes of love and forgiveness and how these illustrate the principles of common sharing. Love and humility emerge as strong motivators for sharing wisdom and for doing so in a way that respects the tradition from which the wisdom comes as well as the recipient. This book offers a theory that can enrich ongoing encounters between members of faith traditions by suggesting a tradition-based practice of sharing the wisdom of traditions, while preserving the integrity of the teaching and respecting the identity of the one with whom wisdom is shared.

Al-Ghazālī's Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul: Unveiling the Esoteric Psychology and Eschatology of the Iḥyāʾ

Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill

This text marks a radical rethinking of the soul and the afterlife in the writings of al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), particularly within his magnum opus, Reviving Religious Knowledge (Ihyā’ulūm al-dīn). Attending closely to variations of genre and discourse mode within his works, it attempts to resolve some of the major ambiguities that have vexed al-Ghazālī’s readers for nearly nine hundred years. Beginning with his theory of multi-level, multi-genre writing and working through his theological, philosophical, and mystical positions on the soul’s true nature, the study culminates in an exploration of al-Ghazālī’s mystical “psycho-cosmology”, where some startling conclusions are drawn regarding his most intimate thoughts on the “secrets” of the soul and the Hereafter. Meticulously researched and yet engagingly written, this study speaks to both the specialist and the amateur intellectual historian.

“Growing in Prayer as a Muslim: Reflections and Lessons of a Struggler”

Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives (Georgetown University Press, 2013), David Marshall and Lucinda Mosher, eds.

"Toward a Muslim Theology of Interfaith Friendship"

FRIENDSHIP ACROSS RELIGIONS: Theological Perspectives on Interreligious Friendship (Lexington Books, 2015)

“Beyond Both Law and Theology: al-Ghazālī’s ‘Science of the Way of the Afterlife’ in Reviving Religious Knowledge (Iḥyā’ ‘ulūm al-dīn)”

The Muslim World, vol. 101 (October, 2011), pp. 597-613.

In the Light of a Blessed Tree: illuminations of Islamic belief, practice and history

Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers

In the light of A Blessed Tree presents an absolutely original, experientially textured introduction to Islamic belief, practice, and history for both the intrigued newcomer as well as for those who already possess some basic literacy in Islam. Slowly crafted over the years following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, this modest book speaks with scholarly integrity but in an everyday voice, full of real-life narratives that "illuminate" the beliefs, practices, and histories described. More, it brings the reader in touch with the psychological, social, and cultural forces that shape the way we come to the question of Islam in a wounded world, still grappling with the trauma of 9/11 and very much still in a state of war. For these and other reasons, In the Light of a Blessed Tree speaks to contemporary images and realities, even as it walks through the ancient origins of Islam.