4 Enoch: : The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism, and Christian and Islamic Origins - User contributions [en]

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:23:22Z

CarlosSegovia:

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Upcoming Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:22:15Z

CarlosSegovia:

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, École Pratique des Hautes Études]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpeg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Upcoming Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:19:40Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Board of Directors */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:18:24Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Board of Directors */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:18:06Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (EPHE, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:16:58Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (EPHE, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Mardirossian, Amir]] (EPHE, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:15:55Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (EPHE, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Hoffmann, Thomas] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*Mardirossian, Amir (EPHE, France, EU)
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-06-08T07:14:06Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Board of Directors */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (EPHE, France, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-05-31T11:41:59Z

CarlosSegovia:

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://nyu.academia.edu/AlmudenaAriza Ariza Armada, Almudena] (New York University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2016-05-31T11:40:21Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Upcoming Projects (2015-) */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg|thumb|300px]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://iis.academia.edu/AsmaHilali Asma Hilali] (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, EU)
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[https://emich.academia.edu/AlexanderMirkovik Mirkovic, Alexander] (Eastern Michigan University, USA)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://cambridge.academia.edu/ChristianSahner Christian Sahner] (University of Cambridge, UK, EU)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[https://faculty.utah.edu/u0035180-PETER_VON_SIVERS/biography/index.hml von Sivers, Peter] (University of Utah, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, UK, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2016-)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2016)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

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CarlosSegovia:

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-08-11T07:03:52Z

CarlosSegovia:

Early Islamic Studies Seminar EISS (2013-), learned society

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CarlosSegovia: CarlosSegovia moved page Early Islamic Studies Seminar EISS (2013-), learned society to Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society over redirect

#REDIRECT [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society]]

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

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CarlosSegovia: CarlosSegovia moved page Early Islamic Studies Seminar EISS (2013-), learned society to Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society over redirect

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

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CarlosSegovia: CarlosSegovia moved page Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society to Early Islamic Studies Seminar EISS (2013-), learned society

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-08-06T07:34:03Z

CarlosSegovia:

Carlos A. Segovia, scholar

2015-07-26T21:02:03Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Articles */

'''Carlos A. Segovia''' (b.1970) is a British-born Spanish scholar. He is currently lecturer in Biblical and Quranic and studies in the Humanities Division at Saint Louis University in Spain, and lecturer in moral philosophy at Loyola University Maryland in Spain.

E-mail address: [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu]

==Biography==

Carlos A. Segovia was born in London, England, on May 22, 1970. In 2004 he earned his PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain).
From 2007 to 2011 he was Visiting Professor in Islamic Studies at the National University of Distant Education and the Camilo José Cela University, Research Associate in Comparative Religious Studies at the University of Seville from 2008 to 2011, and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the Camilo José Cela University from 2011 to 2014. He is now lecturer in Biblical and Quranic Studies in the Humanities Division at Saint Louis University in Madrid and lecturer in Moral Philosophy at Loyola University Maryland in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
In 2009 he was appointed Associate Editor in charge for Spanish scholarship on Second Temple Judaism and Christian origins on '''4 Enoch'''. From 2009 to 2012 he joined Book Reviews Commission of the journal ''[[Henoch]]'', and in 2011 the Board of Directors of the [[Enoch Seminar]]. In 2012 he launched the Camilo José Cela University International Research Seminar [http://sites.google.com/site/origenesdelcristianismo Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity] with [[Pamela Michelle Eisenbaum]] (2013), [[Daniel Boyarin]] (2014), and [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (2015); the seminar is co-sponsored by, and hosted at, the Xavier Zubiri Foundation in Madrid. He is also Associate Editor in charge for [[Early Islamic Studies]] on '''4 Enoch'''.
He chiefly works on early Islam in its Jewish-Christian setting and has recently launched with [[Guillaume Dye]] (Free University of Brussels [ULB]), [[Emilio González Ferrín]] (University of Seville), [[Manfred Kropp]] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz), and [[Tommaso Tesei]] (University of Notre Dame) the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki2/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies_Seminar_(2013-),_learned_society#Members Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur'an and Islamic Origins], an academic group of international specialists associated to the [[Enoch Seminar]] who aim at exploring afresh different issues on the early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new methods put forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity in close dialogue with scholars working in this latter field of research.

==Courses==

*[[The Qur'an and the Bible (Spring 2015 Segovia), course]]
*[[The Qur'an and the Bible (Fall 2015 Segovia), course]]
*[[Jesus in the Qur'an (Spring 2016 Segovia), course]]

==Works on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, and Islamic Origins==

====Monographs====
*''Re-Imagining Islam in the Late 7th Century.'' With Guillaume Dye. In Progress.
*''The Quranic Noah and the Making of the Islamic Prophet: A Study of Intertextuality and Religious Identity Formation in Late Antiquity.'' JCIT 4. Berlin and New York: De Gruyter. Forthcoming in October 2015.
*[[Pablo de Tarso, ¿judío o cristiano? (Paul of Tarsus: Jew or Christian? / 2013 Segovia), book]].
*[[Por una interpretación no cristiana de Pablo de Tarso: El redescubrimiento contemporáneo de un judío mesiánico (Rereading Paul as a Messianic Jew / 2013 Segovia), book]].

====Miscellaneous Volumes====
*''Liminalia: Studies on Early Islamic Texts and Ideas and Their Jewish and Christian Subtexts and Sources.'' In progress.

====Edited Volumes====

*[[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? (2012 Segovia, Lourié), edited volume]]
*[[Paul the Jew: A Conversation between Pauline and Second Temple Specialists (2015 Segovia, Boccaccini), edited volume]]

====Translations====

*[[Espacios fronterizos: Judaísmo y cristianismo en la Antigüedad tardía = Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity (2013 Boyarin / Segovia), book (Spanish ed.)]]
*[[El Corán: Religión, hombre y sociedad. Antología temática (The Qur'ān: A Thematic Antology / 2007 Segovia), book]].

====Book Chapters====
*"Friends, Enemies, or Merely Rulers: Reassessing the Early Jewish Sources Mentioning the Arab Conquest and the Rise of Islam." In ''Jews and Judaism in Northern Arabia'', edited by Haggai Mazuz. The Brill Reference Library of Judaism. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017,
*"Identity Politics and Scholarship in the Study of Islamic Origins: The Inscriptions on the Dome of the Rock as a Test Case." In ''Identity, Politics, and Scholarship: The Study of Islam and the Study of Religions'', edited by Matt Sheedy. Culture on the Edge. Sheffield, UK, and Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing, 2016.
*"Discussing/Subverting Paul: Polemical Rereadings and Competing Supersessionist Misreadings of Pauline Inclusivism in Late Antiquity: A Case Study on the Apocalypse of Abraham, Justin Martyr, and the Qur'ān" / In: [[Paul the Jew: A Conversation between Pauline and Second Temple Specialists (2015 Segovia, Boccaccini), edited volume]].
*"John Wansbrough and the Problem of Islamic Origins in Recent Scholarship: A Farewell to the Traditional Account." / In: [[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? Studies on the Rise of Islam and Various Other Topics in Memory of John Wansbrough (2012 Segovia/Lourié), edited volume]], xix-xviii.
*"Thematic and Structural Affinities between 1 Enoch and the Qur'an: A Contribution to the Study of the Judaeo-Christian Apocalyptic Setting of the Early Islamic Faith." / In: [[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? Studies on the Rise of Islam and Various Other Topics in Memory of John Wansbrough (2012 Segovia/Lourié), edited volume]], 231-67.

====Articles====
*"Mythopoiesis at Work: Ibn Isḥāq’s/Ibn Hišām’s Legend about ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s Digging of the Zamzam Well in Mecca and the Sealing of Salvation History." In progress.
*"What Did it Mean to Be an Arab-Christian and an Arab-Muslim in the Late-Antique Near East? Some Symptomatic Reflections on Qur'an 2:124 and Cyril of Scythopolis's ''Vita Euthymii'' 10." In progress.
*"Rḥmnn w-Msḥ-hw in CIH 541, DAI 2002-20, and Ry 506: A Brief Reassessment of Alfred Beeston’s, Irfan Shadid’s, Iwona Gajda’s, and Jonn Block’s interpretations of Abraha’s Christological Formula (with a note on the latter’s relevance for the study of Islam’s origins).” / In: ''Oriens Christianum''. Forthcoming.
*"En torno a Mahoma como mesías: una nueva mirada a las raíces cristianas del islam" <Muḥammad and the Messiah Son of Man: A New Look at the Christian Roots of Islam>. / In: ''Erebea'' 5. Forthcoming.
*"'Those on the Right' and 'Those on the Left': Rereading Qur'ān 56.1-56 (and the Founding Myth of Islam) in Light of Apocalypse of Abraham 21-2." / In: ''Studia Islamica''. Forthcoming.
*"Del simulacro al laberinto: Los orígenes del Corán" <The Scholarly Labyrinth beyond the Pseudo-Scholarly Simulacrum: A New Look at the Origins of the Qur'ān> / In: ''Revista de Libros'' 193 (2014). [http://www.revistadelibros.com/articulos/del-simulacro-al-laberintolos-origenes-del-coran]
*"Pablo de Tarso, Israel y los gentiles: El nuevo enfoque radical sobre Pablo y el caríz judío de su mensaje" <Reassessing Paul's Jewishness: Israel, the Nations, and the Radical New Perspective on Paul> / In: ''Bandue'' 7. Forthcoming in 2013.
*"El judeocristianismo: Una nueva hipótesis; seguido de un resumen de la ''Demostración'' 17 de Afraates (sobre la divinidad de Cristo" <Jewish-Christianity: A New Hypothesis; Followed by a Summary of Aphrahat's 17th ''Demonstration'' (on the Divinity of Christ)>. / In: ''Isidorianum'' 37 (2010) 83-108.
*"Noah as Eschatological Mediator Transposed: From 2 Enoch 71-72 to the Christological Echoes of 1 Enoch 106:3 in the Qur'ān." / In: ''[[Henoch]]'' 33 (1/2011) 134-45.
*"La biblioteca de Qumrán y los esenios" <The Library from Qumran and the Essenes>. / In: ''Historia National Geographic'' 88 (2011) 40-48.

====Congress Papers====
*"A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?" To be presented at the 4th Nangeroni Meeting / 1st EISS Conference of the Enoch Seminar (Milan, 2015): "Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?"
*"Discussing/Subverting Paul: Polemical Rereadings and Competing Supersessionist Misreadings of Pauline Inclusivism in Late Antiquity: A Case Study on the Apocalypse of Abraham, Justin Martyr, and the Qur'ān." Presented to the 3rd Nangeroni Meeting of the Enoch Seminar (Rome, 2014): "Rereading Paul as a Second-Temple Jewish Author." [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar Online]
*"'Those on the Right' and 'Those on the Left': Rereading Qur'ān 56.1-56 (and the Founding Myth of Islam) in Light of Apocalypse of Abraham 21-2." Presented to the symposium "Apocalyptique et figures du mal," Université Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels, 2013).
*"Which Theologies in Conflict? Some Suggestions for a Symptomatic Rereading of 4 Ezra in Light of P. Sacchi's and E.P. Sanders' Contribution to the Study of Early Judaism, with a Final Note on the Hodayot from Qumran and Paul." Presented to the 6th Enoch Seminar (Milan, 2011): "2 Baruch - 4 Ezra: 1st Century Jewish Apocalypticism." [http://www.enochseminar.org/drupal/milan-2011---papers Enoch Seminar Online]
*"Noah as Eschatological Mediator Transposed: From 2 Enoch 71-72 to the Christological Echoes of 1 Enoch 106:3 in the Qur'ān." Presented to the 5th Enoch Seminar (Naples, 2009): "Enoch, Adam, Melchizedek: Mediatorial Figures in 2 Enoch and Second Temple Judaism." [http://www.enochseminar.org/drupal/naples-2009---papers Enoch Seminar Online]

====Dictionary Entries====
*"[[Life of Adam and Eve]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.
*"[[Psalms of Solomon]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.
*"[[Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.

====Interviews/Forums====
* "Repensando la identidad de judíos, cristianos y musulmanes: Entrevista con [[Daniel Boyarin]]" <Thinking Jews, Christians, and Muslims Differently: A Short Interview with [[Daniel Boyarin]]>. / In: [http://www.trotta.es/blog/ Editorial Trotta. Blog]. 05/24/2013.
* "Paul the Jew." A forum/collective interview with [[Gabriele Boccaccini]], [[William S. Campbell]], [[James H. Charlesworth]], [[Kathy Ehrensperger]], [[Paula Fredriksen]], [[Larry W. Hurtado]], [[Mark D. Nanos]], [[Isaac D. Oliver]], [[Anders Klostegaard Petersen]] and [[Antonio Piñero Sáenz]]. / In: [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar Online].
*"1 Henoc y el estudio contemporáneo de la apocalíptica judía: Una conversación con [[Gabriele Boccaccini]]" <1 Enoch and the Study of Jewish [[Apocalypticism]]: A Conversation with [[Gabriele Boccaccini]]>. / In: ''ΕΠΙΜΕΛΕΙΑ'' 35-36 (2009) 7-28.

==Academic Projects==
*[[Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society]] (EISS)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies_Seminar_(2013-),_learned_society#DISCURSIVE_STRATEGIES_AND_IDENTITY_MAKING_IN_THE_QUR.27.C4.80N_AND_THE_EARLY_ISLAMIC_SOURCES Discursive Strategies and Identity Making in the Qur'ān and the Early Islamic Sources (EISS Workshop)]
*[[Re-Reading Paul as a Second-Temple Jewish Author / Third Nangeroni Meeting (2014 Rome), conference]]
*[[Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity (2013- Madrid), conference]]

==Original contributions to 4 Enoch==

*[[Early Islamic Studies]] (in collaboration with [[Guillaume Dye]], [[Tommaso Tesei]] and [[Emilio González Ferrín]])
*[[Spanish Scholarship]]
*[[Spanish Scholars]]

==External links==
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Academia.edu]
*[http://spain.slu.edu/fac/segoviaca.html Saint Louis University]
*[https://sites.google.com/site/origenesdelcristianismo International Research Seminar Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity]
*[https://www.facebook.com/segoviaenroute Facebook]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Andrés_Segovia Wikipedia (English)]
*[http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Andrés_Segovia Wikipedia (Spanish)]

[[Category:Scholars|Segovia]]

[[Category:Spanish|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Spanish Scholars|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:British|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:British Scholars|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Born in the 1970s| 1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Second Temple Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Second Temple Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Pauline Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Pauline Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Early Islamic Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Early Islamic Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

Carlos A. Segovia, scholar

2015-07-26T21:01:40Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Articles */

'''Carlos A. Segovia''' (b.1970) is a British-born Spanish scholar. He is currently lecturer in Biblical and Quranic and studies in the Humanities Division at Saint Louis University in Spain, and lecturer in moral philosophy at Loyola University Maryland in Spain.

E-mail address: [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu]

==Biography==

Carlos A. Segovia was born in London, England, on May 22, 1970. In 2004 he earned his PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain).
From 2007 to 2011 he was Visiting Professor in Islamic Studies at the National University of Distant Education and the Camilo José Cela University, Research Associate in Comparative Religious Studies at the University of Seville from 2008 to 2011, and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the Camilo José Cela University from 2011 to 2014. He is now lecturer in Biblical and Quranic Studies in the Humanities Division at Saint Louis University in Madrid and lecturer in Moral Philosophy at Loyola University Maryland in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
In 2009 he was appointed Associate Editor in charge for Spanish scholarship on Second Temple Judaism and Christian origins on '''4 Enoch'''. From 2009 to 2012 he joined Book Reviews Commission of the journal ''[[Henoch]]'', and in 2011 the Board of Directors of the [[Enoch Seminar]]. In 2012 he launched the Camilo José Cela University International Research Seminar [http://sites.google.com/site/origenesdelcristianismo Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity] with [[Pamela Michelle Eisenbaum]] (2013), [[Daniel Boyarin]] (2014), and [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (2015); the seminar is co-sponsored by, and hosted at, the Xavier Zubiri Foundation in Madrid. He is also Associate Editor in charge for [[Early Islamic Studies]] on '''4 Enoch'''.
He chiefly works on early Islam in its Jewish-Christian setting and has recently launched with [[Guillaume Dye]] (Free University of Brussels [ULB]), [[Emilio González Ferrín]] (University of Seville), [[Manfred Kropp]] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz), and [[Tommaso Tesei]] (University of Notre Dame) the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki2/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies_Seminar_(2013-),_learned_society#Members Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur'an and Islamic Origins], an academic group of international specialists associated to the [[Enoch Seminar]] who aim at exploring afresh different issues on the early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new methods put forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity in close dialogue with scholars working in this latter field of research.

==Courses==

*[[The Qur'an and the Bible (Spring 2015 Segovia), course]]
*[[The Qur'an and the Bible (Fall 2015 Segovia), course]]
*[[Jesus in the Qur'an (Spring 2016 Segovia), course]]

==Works on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, and Islamic Origins==

====Monographs====
*''Re-Imagining Islam in the Late 7th Century.'' With Guillaume Dye. In Progress.
*''The Quranic Noah and the Making of the Islamic Prophet: A Study of Intertextuality and Religious Identity Formation in Late Antiquity.'' JCIT 4. Berlin and New York: De Gruyter. Forthcoming in October 2015.
*[[Pablo de Tarso, ¿judío o cristiano? (Paul of Tarsus: Jew or Christian? / 2013 Segovia), book]].
*[[Por una interpretación no cristiana de Pablo de Tarso: El redescubrimiento contemporáneo de un judío mesiánico (Rereading Paul as a Messianic Jew / 2013 Segovia), book]].

====Miscellaneous Volumes====
*''Liminalia: Studies on Early Islamic Texts and Ideas and Their Jewish and Christian Subtexts and Sources.'' In progress.

====Edited Volumes====

*[[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? (2012 Segovia, Lourié), edited volume]]
*[[Paul the Jew: A Conversation between Pauline and Second Temple Specialists (2015 Segovia, Boccaccini), edited volume]]

====Translations====

*[[Espacios fronterizos: Judaísmo y cristianismo en la Antigüedad tardía = Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity (2013 Boyarin / Segovia), book (Spanish ed.)]]
*[[El Corán: Religión, hombre y sociedad. Antología temática (The Qur'ān: A Thematic Antology / 2007 Segovia), book]].

====Book Chapters====
*"Friends, Enemies, or Merely Rulers: Reassessing the Early Jewish Sources Mentioning the Arab Conquest and the Rise of Islam." In ''Jews and Judaism in Northern Arabia'', edited by Haggai Mazuz. The Brill Reference Library of Judaism. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017,
*"Identity Politics and Scholarship in the Study of Islamic Origins: The Inscriptions on the Dome of the Rock as a Test Case." In ''Identity, Politics, and Scholarship: The Study of Islam and the Study of Religions'', edited by Matt Sheedy. Culture on the Edge. Sheffield, UK, and Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing, 2016.
*"Discussing/Subverting Paul: Polemical Rereadings and Competing Supersessionist Misreadings of Pauline Inclusivism in Late Antiquity: A Case Study on the Apocalypse of Abraham, Justin Martyr, and the Qur'ān" / In: [[Paul the Jew: A Conversation between Pauline and Second Temple Specialists (2015 Segovia, Boccaccini), edited volume]].
*"John Wansbrough and the Problem of Islamic Origins in Recent Scholarship: A Farewell to the Traditional Account." / In: [[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? Studies on the Rise of Islam and Various Other Topics in Memory of John Wansbrough (2012 Segovia/Lourié), edited volume]], xix-xviii.
*"Thematic and Structural Affinities between 1 Enoch and the Qur'an: A Contribution to the Study of the Judaeo-Christian Apocalyptic Setting of the Early Islamic Faith." / In: [[The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? Studies on the Rise of Islam and Various Other Topics in Memory of John Wansbrough (2012 Segovia/Lourié), edited volume]], 231-67.

====Articles====
*"Mythopoiesis at Work: Ibn Isḥāq’s/Ibn Hišām’s Legend about ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s Digging of the Zamzam Well in Mecca and the Sealing of Salvation History." In progress.
*"What Did it Mean to Be an Arab-Christian and an Arab-Muslim in the Late-Antique Near East? Some Symptomatic Reflections on Qur'an 2:124 and Cyril of Scythopolis's ''Vita Euthymii'' 10." In progress.
*"Rḥmnn w-Msḥ-hw in CIH 541, DAI 2002-20, and Ry 506: A Brief Reassessment pf Alfred Beeston’s, Irfan Shadid’s, Iwona Gajda’s, and Jonn Block’s interpretations of Abraha’s Christological Formula (with a note on the latter’s relevance for the study of Islam’s origins).” / In: ''Oriens Christianum''. Forthcoming.
*"En torno a Mahoma como mesías: una nueva mirada a las raíces cristianas del islam" <Muḥammad and the Messiah Son of Man: A New Look at the Christian Roots of Islam>. / In: ''Erebea'' 5. Forthcoming.
*"'Those on the Right' and 'Those on the Left': Rereading Qur'ān 56.1-56 (and the Founding Myth of Islam) in Light of Apocalypse of Abraham 21-2." / In: ''Studia Islamica''. Forthcoming.
*"Del simulacro al laberinto: Los orígenes del Corán" <The Scholarly Labyrinth beyond the Pseudo-Scholarly Simulacrum: A New Look at the Origins of the Qur'ān> / In: ''Revista de Libros'' 193 (2014). [http://www.revistadelibros.com/articulos/del-simulacro-al-laberintolos-origenes-del-coran]
*"Pablo de Tarso, Israel y los gentiles: El nuevo enfoque radical sobre Pablo y el caríz judío de su mensaje" <Reassessing Paul's Jewishness: Israel, the Nations, and the Radical New Perspective on Paul> / In: ''Bandue'' 7. Forthcoming in 2013.
*"El judeocristianismo: Una nueva hipótesis; seguido de un resumen de la ''Demostración'' 17 de Afraates (sobre la divinidad de Cristo" <Jewish-Christianity: A New Hypothesis; Followed by a Summary of Aphrahat's 17th ''Demonstration'' (on the Divinity of Christ)>. / In: ''Isidorianum'' 37 (2010) 83-108.
*"Noah as Eschatological Mediator Transposed: From 2 Enoch 71-72 to the Christological Echoes of 1 Enoch 106:3 in the Qur'ān." / In: ''[[Henoch]]'' 33 (1/2011) 134-45.
*"La biblioteca de Qumrán y los esenios" <The Library from Qumran and the Essenes>. / In: ''Historia National Geographic'' 88 (2011) 40-48.

====Congress Papers====
*"A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?" To be presented at the 4th Nangeroni Meeting / 1st EISS Conference of the Enoch Seminar (Milan, 2015): "Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?"
*"Discussing/Subverting Paul: Polemical Rereadings and Competing Supersessionist Misreadings of Pauline Inclusivism in Late Antiquity: A Case Study on the Apocalypse of Abraham, Justin Martyr, and the Qur'ān." Presented to the 3rd Nangeroni Meeting of the Enoch Seminar (Rome, 2014): "Rereading Paul as a Second-Temple Jewish Author." [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar Online]
*"'Those on the Right' and 'Those on the Left': Rereading Qur'ān 56.1-56 (and the Founding Myth of Islam) in Light of Apocalypse of Abraham 21-2." Presented to the symposium "Apocalyptique et figures du mal," Université Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels, 2013).
*"Which Theologies in Conflict? Some Suggestions for a Symptomatic Rereading of 4 Ezra in Light of P. Sacchi's and E.P. Sanders' Contribution to the Study of Early Judaism, with a Final Note on the Hodayot from Qumran and Paul." Presented to the 6th Enoch Seminar (Milan, 2011): "2 Baruch - 4 Ezra: 1st Century Jewish Apocalypticism." [http://www.enochseminar.org/drupal/milan-2011---papers Enoch Seminar Online]
*"Noah as Eschatological Mediator Transposed: From 2 Enoch 71-72 to the Christological Echoes of 1 Enoch 106:3 in the Qur'ān." Presented to the 5th Enoch Seminar (Naples, 2009): "Enoch, Adam, Melchizedek: Mediatorial Figures in 2 Enoch and Second Temple Judaism." [http://www.enochseminar.org/drupal/naples-2009---papers Enoch Seminar Online]

====Dictionary Entries====
*"[[Life of Adam and Eve]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.
*"[[Psalms of Solomon]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.
*"[[Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs]]." / In: ''Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions''. Edited by L. Fried, J. W. Knust, E. Orlin and M. Satlow. London and New York: Routledge. Forthcoming.

====Interviews/Forums====
* "Repensando la identidad de judíos, cristianos y musulmanes: Entrevista con [[Daniel Boyarin]]" <Thinking Jews, Christians, and Muslims Differently: A Short Interview with [[Daniel Boyarin]]>. / In: [http://www.trotta.es/blog/ Editorial Trotta. Blog]. 05/24/2013.
* "Paul the Jew." A forum/collective interview with [[Gabriele Boccaccini]], [[William S. Campbell]], [[James H. Charlesworth]], [[Kathy Ehrensperger]], [[Paula Fredriksen]], [[Larry W. Hurtado]], [[Mark D. Nanos]], [[Isaac D. Oliver]], [[Anders Klostegaard Petersen]] and [[Antonio Piñero Sáenz]]. / In: [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar Online].
*"1 Henoc y el estudio contemporáneo de la apocalíptica judía: Una conversación con [[Gabriele Boccaccini]]" <1 Enoch and the Study of Jewish [[Apocalypticism]]: A Conversation with [[Gabriele Boccaccini]]>. / In: ''ΕΠΙΜΕΛΕΙΑ'' 35-36 (2009) 7-28.

==Academic Projects==
*[[Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society]] (EISS)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies_Seminar_(2013-),_learned_society#DISCURSIVE_STRATEGIES_AND_IDENTITY_MAKING_IN_THE_QUR.27.C4.80N_AND_THE_EARLY_ISLAMIC_SOURCES Discursive Strategies and Identity Making in the Qur'ān and the Early Islamic Sources (EISS Workshop)]
*[[Re-Reading Paul as a Second-Temple Jewish Author / Third Nangeroni Meeting (2014 Rome), conference]]
*[[Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity (2013- Madrid), conference]]

==Original contributions to 4 Enoch==

*[[Early Islamic Studies]] (in collaboration with [[Guillaume Dye]], [[Tommaso Tesei]] and [[Emilio González Ferrín]])
*[[Spanish Scholarship]]
*[[Spanish Scholars]]

==External links==
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Academia.edu]
*[http://spain.slu.edu/fac/segoviaca.html Saint Louis University]
*[https://sites.google.com/site/origenesdelcristianismo International Research Seminar Rethinking the Making of a Difference: Jewish-Christian Boundary Drawing in Late Antiquity]
*[https://www.facebook.com/segoviaenroute Facebook]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Andrés_Segovia Wikipedia (English)]
*[http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Andrés_Segovia Wikipedia (Spanish)]

[[Category:Scholars|Segovia]]

[[Category:Spanish|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Spanish Scholars|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:British|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:British Scholars|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Born in the 1970s| 1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Second Temple Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Second Temple Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Pauline Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Pauline Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

[[Category:Early Islamic Scholars & Authors|1970 Segovia]]
[[Category:Early Islamic Scholars & Authors--Spanish|1970 Segovia]]

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-07-15T08:38:00Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-07-15T08:37:26Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-07-02T07:03:23Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Fourth Nangeroni Meeting.jpg|thumb|250px|4th Nangeroni Meeting: plenary session]]
[[File:Fourth Nangeroni Meeting2.jpg|thumb|250px|4th Nangeroni Meeting: discussion group]]
[[File:Fourth Nangeroni Meeting3.jpg|thumb|250px|4th Nangeroni Meeting: trip to Milan]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Palombo, Cecilia''' (Princeton University, USA)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions in Early Islam"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-13T10:13:52Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Prospective Participants */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Palombo, Cecilia''' (Princeton University, USA)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

File:Segovia.jpg

2015-06-11T20:23:50Z

CarlosSegovia: CarlosSegovia uploaded a new version of "File:Segovia.jpg"

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-11T20:16:19Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Palombo, Cecilia''' (Princeton University, USA)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-11T14:25:45Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Participants */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Palombo, Cecilia''' (Princeton University, USA)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-11T07:29:59Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Prospective Participants */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-11T04:46:53Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Prospective Participants */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Holcátová, Barbara Kateřina Oudová''' (Charles University, Czech Republic, EU)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Category:Early Islamic Studies

2015-06-09T18:13:34Z

CarlosSegovia:

* This page is edited by [[Carlos A. Segovia]], Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus, Spain, in collaboration with [[Guillaume Dye]], Free University of Brussels (ULB), Belgium, [[Tommaso Tesei]], Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel, and [[Emilio González Ferrín]], University of Seville, Spain. Reference to books and edited volumes published after 2014 will soon be made.

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'''Early Islamic Studies''' is a field of research that specialises in the study of formative Islam in its Jewish-Christian setting and early Islamic history and culture. ''4 Enoch'' focuses on Second Temple Judaism, i.e. the period from the Babylonian exile to the Bar-Kokhba Revolt. Here the Encyclopaedia offers a selection of the most influential scholarly and fictional works in the field of [[Early Islamic Studies]] by international specialists and authors. Some of these works touch upon "Second Temple Judaism" too, as they study the interrelationship between Jewish, Christian and Islamic origins and the reinterpretation of Jewish and Christian traditions in the early Islamic tradition. Even when works do not include references to Second Temple Judaism, they have however deeply affected the understanding of Second Temple Judaism and the development of scholarly research in the field.
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The connections between formative Islam and late antique Judaism and Christianity have long deserved the attention of scholars of Islamic origins. Since the 19th century [[Muhammad]]’s early Christian background, on the one hand, his complex attitude – and that of his immediate followers – towards both Jews and Christians, on the other hand, and finally the presence of Jewish and Christian religious motifs in the Quranic text and in the [[Hadith]] corpus have been widely studied in the West. Yet from the 1970s onwards, a seemingly major shift has taken place in the study of Islam's origins. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins traditionally contained in the earliest Muslim writings have been usually taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islamic origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century (i.e. from the Marwanids to the Abbasids) and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose liturgical and/or homiletical function contrasts, notwithstanding the number of juridical verses contained in the Quranic text, with the overall juridical purposes set forth and projected onto it by the later established Muslim tradition. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either within or tolerated by the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or outside and initially opposed to it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and the apparently literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. Surveying the history of these three different approaches to the manner in which Islam emerged, the role played by [[Muhammad]] and the nature of the [[Qur'an]] should provide a comprehensive overview of the significance of this particular field of research for late-antique religious studies, both Jewish and Christian.

'''Early modern Islamic studies and the traditional approach to the origins of Islam'''

The founding in Paris in 1795 of the École Spéciale des Langues Orientales Vivantes marks off the beginnings of modern Islamic studies, for it was under the school's second director, [[Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy]], that the first systematic curriculum for the teaching of Islamic languages, culture and civilisation was established in Europe. Yet the modern study of the [[Qur'an]] began with [[Gustav Flügel]] (1802-1870), [[Gustav Weil]] (1808-1889) and [[Theodor Nöldeke]] (1836-1930) in Germany. Flügel published the first modern edition of the [[Qur'an]] in 1834 (which was largely used before the Royal Cairo edition of 1923) and a Concordance to its Arabic text in 1842 (although it is difficult to know which precise manuscripts he relied on), whereas both Weil and Nöldeke published in 1844 and 1860, respectively, two historical-critical introductions to the Quranic ''textus receptus'' of which Weil's knew a second edition in 1878 and Nöldeke's, initially published in Latin in 1856 and later completed by Friedrich Schwally (in 1909 and 1919) and Gotthelf Bergsträsser and Otto Pretzl (in 1938), soon became the seminal and most authoritative work in the field, gaining wide, even uncontested reputation until the present day. As to [[Muhammad]], the first modern studies were those published by [[Abraham Geiger]] (1810-1878) in 1833, [[Gustav Weil]] in 1843, [[Aloys Sprenger]] (1813-1893) between 1861 and 1865, [[William Muir]] (1819-1905) between 1858 and 1861, and again Nöldeke in 1863. Geiger's pioneering essay on [[Muhammad]]'s life and Weil's study on the Biblical legends known to the early Muslims (1845) were also the first works to explore a number of possible early Islamic borrowings from Judaism, whilst its apparent Christian influences (on which a few authors like [[Ignaz Goldziher]] and [[Henry Preserved Smith]] already had provided some useful insights in the second half of the 19th century) were first systematically explored by [[Carl Heinrich Becker]] in 1907. But modern scholarship on Islam's origins is indebted too to the groundbreaking works of [[Ignaz Goldziher]] (1850-1921), whose ''Muhammedanische Studien'', published in 2 vols. between 1889 and 1890, represented a first, successful and in many ways still valid attempt to thoroughly examine the making and early development of Islamic identity, and its literature, against their complex historical and religious setting.

For the most part, however, and notwithstanding their intrinsic value, these early studies (save those of Geiger and especially Goldziher, which were little conventional in both their approach and conclusions) tended to adopt and either explicitly or implicitly subscribe, and thus validate, the grand narrative of Islam's origins provided in the early Islamic sources. This is particularly noticeable in Nöldeke's case, whose chronology of the [[Qur'an]] largely follows the traditional Muslim chronology, and whose approach to the Quranic text as a single-authored unitary document is nowadays considered too naïve, and accordingly regarded as outdated, by an increasing number of scholars. After all Nöldeke had studied with, and was the most salient disciple of, [[Heinrich Ewald]] (1803-1875), a German conservative theologian and orientalist who opposed the new critical methods essayed by [[Ferdinand Christian Baur]] and the Tübingen School in the neighbouring field of early Christian studies. In Ewald's view, all a scholar of early Islam was expected to do was to learn as much Arabic as possible and willingly accept the traditional account of the rise of Islam provided in the early Islamic sources, which veracity, therefore, ought not to be questioned. Supported by Nöldeke and his followers, this view rapidly became mainstream and has been prevalent in the field with only very few exceptions ever since.

Other likewise prominent works published in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (up to the late 1950s) include those of [[Hartwig Hirschfeld]] (1878, 1886, 1902), [[William Muir]] (1878), [[Charles Cutler Torrey]] (1892), [[William St Clair Tindall]] (1905), [[Leone Caetani]] (1905-1926), [[Israel Schapiro]] (1907), [[Paul Casanova]] (1911-1924), [[Lazarus Goldschmidt]] (1916), Goldziher (1920), [[Wilhelm Rudolph]] (1922), [[Josef Horovitz]] (1936), [[Heinrich Speyer]] (1931), [[David Sidersky]] (1933), [[Anton Spitaler]] (1935), [[Richard Bell]] (1937-1939), [[Arthur Jeffery]] (1937, 1938), [[Régis Blachère]] (1947, 1949-1950), and [[Thomas J. O'Saughnessy]] (1948) on the [[Qur'an]]; [[Karl Vollers]] (1906) and [[Alphonse Mingana]] (1933-1939) on ancient Arabic language and manuscripts; [[David Samuel Margoliouth]] (1905, 1914), [[Arent Jan Wensinck]] (1908, 1932), Caetani (1910), [[Henri Lammens]] (1912, 1914, 1924), Bell (1926), [[Tor Andrae]] (1926, 1932), Blachère (1952), and [[William Montgomery Watt]] (1953, 1956) on [[Muhammad]], the early History of Islam and the early Muslim dogma; [[Alfred Guillaume]] (1924) and Wensinck (1927) on the early Islamic traditions; [[Joseph Schacht]] (1950) on the making of Islamic law; and [[Samuel Marinus Zwemer]] (1012), [[Wilhelm Rudolph]] (1922), Margoliouth (1924), [[Heinrich Speyer]] (1931), Torrey (1933), [[Haim Zeev (Joachim Wilhelm) Hirschberg]] (1939), [[Abraham I. Katsch]] (1954), [[Solomon D. Goiten]] (1955), and [[Denise Masson]] (1958) on early Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. Amongst the major arguments, discussions and controversies put forward in this period the interpretation of emergent Islam as an heretical offshoot of Christianity (Lammens), the textual discrepancies between the old codices of the [[Qur'an]] and its foreign vocabulary (Jeffery), and the representation of [[Muhammad]] as either a statesman (Watt) or an apocalyptic prophet (Casanova) deserve a special mention.

'''Later developments and the rise of a critical approach to the Qur'an and the early Islamic sources'''

Growing attention was paid in the second half of the 20th century to the situation of the Arabian Peninsula on the eve of Islam as depicted in the early Islamic sources and the archaeological witnesses available to us; the information supposedly gather together by the early Muslim authors regarding the rise of Islam and the different types of literature that they produced; the biography of [[Muhammad]] and his polemics against both Jews and Christians; the language, structure, contents, message and apparent Jewish and Christian subtexts of the [[Qur'an]], as well as its competing interpretative traditions; the formation of the Islamic state and the clash between different Muslim groups in the first centuries of Islamic rule; and both the non-Muslim views of Islam and the relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims in the first Islamic centuries. Especially noteworthy were the works by [[François Déroche]] and [[Sergio Noja]] (1998) on the early Quranic manuscripts; [[Günter Lüling]] (1974), [[Richard Burton]] (1977), [[John Wansbrough]] (1977), [[Neal Robinson]] (1996), [[Stefan Wild]] (1996), and [[Andrew Rippin]] (1999) on the Quranic corpus, its collection, function, style, contents and presumably encrypted texts; [[Cornelis H. M. Versteegh]] (1993) on Arabic grammar and early Qur'anic exegesis; [[Andrew Rippin]] (1988), [[Claude Gilliot]] (1990), and [[Marjo Buitelaar]] and [[Harald Motzki]] (1993) on Quranic exegesis; [[Toshihiko Izutsu]] (1959) on Quranic semantics; [[Helmut Gätjie]] (1971), [[Fazlur Rahman]] (1980), O'Shaughnessy (1985), [[Jacques Berque]] (1993) on the teachings of the [[Qur'an]] (1985); [[Jacques Jomier]] (1959, 1996), [[Heikki Räisänen]] (1972) and [[Roberto Tottoli]] (1999) on the analogies and differences between several themes in the [[Bible]] and the [[Qur'an]]; [[Youakim Moubarac]] (1998) and [[Reuven Firestone]] (1990) on the evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael legends in early Islam; [[David Thomas]] (1992), [[Steven M. Wasserstrom]] (1995), [[Camila Adang]] (1996), [[Michael Lecker]] (1998) and [[Uri Rubin]] (1999) on early Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations; Räisänen (1971) and [[Jane Dammen McAuliffe]] (1991) on the Quranic image of Jesus and Christianity; [[Maxime Rodinson]] (1961), Watt (1961), [[Roger Arnaldez]] (1970), Noja (1974), [[Michael Cook]] (1983), [[Martin Lings]] (1983), [[Gordon E. Newby]] (1989), [[Francis E. Peters]] (1994), Rubin (1995), [[Marco Schöller]] (1996, 1998) and [[David Marshall]] (1999) on [[Muhammad]] and his early biographies; [[Meir J. Kister]] (1990), and [[Shmuel Ahituv]] and [[Eliezer B. Oren]] (1998) on pre-Islamic Arabia and the rise of Islam; Schacht (1964), [[Albrecht Noth]] (1973), Wansbrough (1978), [[Gautier H. A. Juynboll]] (1983, 1996), Motzki (1991) and [[Fred M. Donner]] (1998) on the early Islamic traditions and literature; Watt (1973), Cook (1981) and [[Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi]] (1994) on the formative period of Islamic thought and early Islamic sectarianism; [[Peter Brown]] (1970), [[Patricia Crone]] (with both Cook and [[Martin Hinds]], 1977, 1980, 1986, 1987), Donner (1981), [[Suliman Bashear]] (1984), [[Gerald R. Hawting]] (1986, 1999), [[Hamid Dabashi]] (1989), [[Garth Fowden]] (1990), [[Wilferd Madelung]] (1997), and Firestone (1999) on the rise of Islam and early Islamic history; and Bashear (1997) and [[Robert G. Hoyland]] (1997) on the early non-Muslim views of Islam.

A number of these studies (e.g. those of Schacht, Lüling, Wansbrough, Crone, Cook, Bashear, Hawting, Rippin and Rubin) adopted, nonetheless, a highly critical view towards the "data" transmitted in the early Islamic sources concerning the economy and politics of 7th-century Arabia, the rise and early development of Islam, the alleged biography of [[Muhammad]] and the elaboration, collection and later canonisation of the [[Qur'an]]. Drawing partly on Goldziher, Schacht questioned the historicity of the [[Hadith]] collections. Lüling attempted at reconstructing the textual materials latter reworked into the [[Qur'an]] and suggested that they were but Christian liturgical texts. Wansbrough analysed both the [[Qur'an]] and the earliest Islamic writings about the rise of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and concluded that if the former is to be regarded as a collection of originally independent texts later unified by means of certain rhetorical conventions on whose origin and function we know almost nothing, the earliest Islamic sources should likewise be envisaged as elaborated literary reports that tell us more about their authors' concerns than about how things really took place – a point shared by Rubin in spite of his more traditional curriculum. For their part, Crone and Cook submitted to criticism the way in which such purely literary sources re-presented the rise of Islam and its historical and geographic background by reviewing the non-Muslim documents contemporary to the emergence and early expansion of Islam, in addition to which they also studied the plausibly limited role played by the Arabian Peninsula along the trade routes of the late-antique Near East, which led them to cast doubts on the apparent causes that converged to make possible the rise of Islam. Bashear too rejected the traditional account of Islam's origins and essayed a new interpretation according to which Islam gradually arose from within a Jewish-Christian context – a thesis that was independently developed by Hawting, a pupil of Wansbrough who later focused his research on the first centuries of Islamic rule. Whereas another of Wansbrough's disciples, Rippin, undertook the task of scrutinising the beginnings of Quranic exegesis.

'''Between tradition and change'''

Used to look at things through the lens of the Muslim tradition, many scholars were not convinced by these revolutionary approaches, which they judged excessively controversial and have often been passionately dismissed rather than theoretically discussed. Yet a number of such scholars felt compelled to at least embrace the innovative and rich terminology displayed in those audacious studies, or else realised that, notwithstanding their hypercritical results, some of the new methodologies displayed in them could be profitable in some measure and contribute to renew the field of early Islamic studies. This twofold attitude has made possible, moreover, the appearance of the still conservative but somewhat more cautious view currently shared, though differently approached and developed, by a growing number of early Islamic scholars, who generally claim that even though the early written sources of Islam may very well date to a later period, they are reliable enough and offer us a fair picture of the events they comment upon or describe, and that the contradictions inherent in them do not preclude the veracity of the master narrative displayed by their authors, which therefore should remain unchallenged. The aforementioned works by Motzki and Donner illustrate well enough this appeasing approach, which [[Angelika Neuwirth]], [[Michael Marx]] and [[Nicolai Sinai]] have recently endorsed in their Quranic studies, as well. But judging from their supporters' overall conventional, and occasionally biased insights and assertions ("prioritising intertextuality analytically and interpretatively decontextualises Quranic emergence and extrudes history from the picture, . . . [thus] lend[ing] credence to the situation wonderfully described by Paul Valéry as he spoke of 'an Orient of the mind': 'a state between waking and dreaming where there is no logic nor chronology to keep the elements of our memory from attracting each other in their natural combination,'" writes [[Aziz al-Azmeh]], as though we could a priori fancy a reliable historical context that would otherwise be at risk of vanishing, when unfortunately the only one we have from the outset is the literary one fabricated by the Muslim tradition, for which reason prioritising intertextuality on the basis of the undeniable Quranic verbatim reuse and ad hoc modification of a series of earlier Jewish and Christian texts would seemingly just help to [re-]contextualise its redactional process and welcome history, for once, in the picture instead of keep clinging to a state more close to dreaming than waking where both logic and chronology are sacrificed at the altar of a fabricated memory and hence re-shaped in an unnatural combination) it is difficult to tell whether this moderate and at times apparently sophisticated view truly offers a fresh look into the origins of Islam or merely serves to disguise the same old ideas advocated by earlier, more conservative scholars. Still, it is the view that has gained widest acceptance in the field in the past decade.

'''Recent studies in the field'''

More or less sensitive to this paradigm shift - if the term is not too ambitious – i.e. oscillating between its partial acceptance and its refusal (with a number of earlier revisionist scholars having recently endorsed a more conventional position, as is the case of both Crone and Cook) amongst the major works published in the last fifteen years the following books should be mentioned: McAullife’s encyclopaedia of the [[Qur'an]] (2001), as well as Cook’s introduction (2001) and McAuliffe’s and Rippin’s companions to the latter (2006), [[Isa J. Boullata]]’s and [[Daniel A. Madigan]]’s volumes on the religious language of the [[Qur'an]] and the Quranic self-image (2000 and 2001, respectively), Déroche’s on its written transmission in early Islam (2009), Neuwirth, Marx and Sinai’s on the Quranic milieu (2011), Rippin’s new explorations of Quranic exegesis (2001), Tottoli’s and on the Bible and the [[Qur'an]] (2000) Reeves’ volume on Quranic and Biblical intertextuality (2003), Amir-Moezzi’s dictionary of the [[Qur'an]] (2007), [[Emran El-Badawi]]'s study on the [[Qur'an]] and the Aramaic Gospel traditions (2014), [[Norman Calder]], [[Jawid Mojaddedi]] and Rippin’s sourcebook of early Muslim literature (2002), [[Jonathan E. Brockopp]]’s companion to [[Muhammad]] (2010), [[Irving M. Zeitlin]]’s study on the historical Muhammad (2007), Motzki’s volume on the biography of [[Muhammad]] and its sources (2000), Donner’s and [[Aziz al-Azmeh]]'s monographs on the origins of Islam (2010 and 2014, respectively), Crone's essay on the establishment of the Islamic empire (2010), Cook’s and Hawting’s studies on the origins of Muslim culture and tradition and the development of Islamic ritual (2004), [[Chase F. Robinson]]’s essays on Islamic historiography (2003), the Muslim conquest of northern Mesopotamia (2004) and the formation of the Islamic state under [[‘Abd al-Malik]]’s rule (2005), [[Andrew Marsham]]’s on the early Islamic monarchy (2008), [[Najam Haider]]’s, [[Maria Massi Dakake]]'s and [[William F. Tucker]]’s essays on early Shiite identity (2007, 2008 and 2011, respectively), [[Milka Levy-Rubin]]’s study on non-Muslims in early Islam (2011), [[Michael Bonner]]’s on the early Arab-Byzantine relations (2004), [[David Thomas]]’s volume on the relations between Syriac Christianity and early Islam (2001) and [[Barbara Roggema]]’s study on Syriac apocalyptic responses to the rise of Islam (2009), [[Emmanouela Grypeou]], [[Mark Swanson]] and Thomas’s volumes on the encounter of eastern Christianity with early Islam (2006, 2013), [[Sidney H. Griffith]]'s study on the cultural and intellectual life of the Christians living under early Islamic rule (2012), Fowden's recent essay on the relationship between Graeco-Roman, Syrian Christian, Jewish, Arab, Iranian and early Islamic cultures in late antiquity, and [[Jonathan P. Berkey]]’s comprehensive handbook of Islamic history (2003).

'''Revisionists views and their challenges'''

At the same time, and considering that the entire narrative of Islamic origins is worth being revised and deserves being retold, a remarkable number of senior and young scholars alike have fully assumed the need to look at things from a totally new perspective and have contributed with their insights to further develop different revisionist views by exploring afresh - albeit with not equally convincing results, but this is just normal in any academic discipline – issues such as the relationship between method and theory in the study of Islamic origins ([[Herbert Berg]], 2003) sectarian milieu out of which Islam emerged ([[Edouard Marie Gallez]], 2005; [[Carlos A. Segovia]] and [[Basil Lourié]], 2012; [[Emilio González Ferrín]], 2013;) and its beginnings ([[Yehuda D. Nevo]] and [[Judith Koren]], 2000; [[Alfred-Louis de Prémare]], 2002; [[Karl-Heinz Ohlig]] and [[Gerd R. Puin]], 2010; [[Françoise Micheau]], 2012), the authenticity of the [[Qur'an]] ([[Mondher Sfar]], 2000) and its possible Syro-Aramaic subtexts ([[Christoph Luxenberg]], 2000), the origins and function of the Quranic collection and the results of its contemporary study with the tools of Biblical criticism (de Prémare, 2005; [[Manfred Kropp]], 2007; [[Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann]], 2012), the [[Qur'an]]'s historical context and its Biblical subtexts ([[Gabriel Said Reynolds]], 2008, 2010, 2012), its complex textuality ([[Michel Cuypers]] and [[Geneviève Gobillot]], 2007), its canonisation and sacred character ([[M. Daniel De Smet]], [[Godefroid Callatay]] and [[Jan M. F. Van Reeth]], 2004), [[Muhammad]]'s biography ([[David S. Powers]], 2009; [[Stephen J. Shoemaker]], 2011), the making of the early Islamic tradition (Berg, 2000; Bashear, 2004; [[Boaz Shoshan]], 2004; Reynolds, 2012), the reworking of Biblical figures in early Islam ([[Guillaume Dye]] and [[Fabien Nobilio]], 2012) and early Islamic apocalypticism ([[David Cook]], 2002). But challenging the ordinary picture of Islam's origins is only the more evident purpose of the most salient of these studies, the essential one being an in-depth and more scientific re-examination of the complex processes that led to its formation. In order to fulfil this task, however, it seems necessary to assume once and for all the methodological theses perspicaciously formulated by [[Aaron W. Hughes]] in his recent work ''Theorizing Islam: Disciplinary Deconstruction and Reconstruction'' (2012): "[1] We must cease treating Islam . . . and Islamic data as if they were somehow special or privileged objects of study. [2] It is time to identify all those approaches that masquerade as critical scholarship for what they are. [3] We must ask of Islamic data what we would of any data. [4] Islamic studies must appeal to the theoretical framework of other disciplines. [5] Finally, Islamic studies must integrate itself with those critical discourses within the academic study of religion that are non-phenomenological."

It should also be mentioned, to end with, that the field of early islamic studies is now benefiting from the progress underway in the neighbouring field of late-antique Arab and Near-Eastern studies (on which see the recent contributions by [[Irfan Shahid]] [1984, 1989, 1995]; [[Jan Retsö]] [2003]; [[Iwona Gajda]] [2009]; [[Joëlle Beaucamp]], [[Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet]] and [[Christian Robin]] [2010]; [[Greg Fisher]] [2011, 2013]; [[Glen W. Bowersock]] [2012, 2013]; [[Averil Cameron]] and Hoyland [2011, 2013]; and Griffith [2013]).

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[[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--English|English]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--French|French]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--German|German]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Italian|Italian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Spanish|Spanish]] -//- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Arabic|Arabic]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Croatian|Croatian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Czech|Czech]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Danish|Danish]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Dutch|Dutch]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Estonian|Estonian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Greek|Greek]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Hebrew|Hebrew]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Hungarian|Hungarian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Japanese|Japanese]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Latin|Latin]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Maltese|Maltese]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Persian|Persian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Polish|Polish]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Russian|Russian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Serbian|Serbian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Slovenian|Slovenian]]
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{{WindowMain
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*[[Muhammad]] -- [[Islamic Origins]]
*[[Early Islamic History]] -- [[Early Islamic Fiction]]
*[[Abraham]] -- [[Bible & Qur'an]] -- [[Early Christian Literature & Qur'an]] -- -- [[Early Islamic Traditions]] -- [[Early Muslim Community]] -- [[Early Muslim Dogma]] -- [[Early Muslim Sects]] -- [[Ishmael]] -- -- [[Muslim-Christian Polemics]] -- [[Muslim-Christian Relations]] -- [[Muslim Jesus]] -- [[Muslim-Jewish Polemics]] -- [[Muslim-Jewish Relations]]
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*[[Qur'an]]
*[[NT Apocrypha & Qur'an]] -- [[OT Pseudepigrapha & Qur'an]]
*[[Quranic Exegesis]] -- [[Talmud & Qur'an]]
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*[[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]]
*[http://iqsaweb.wordpress.com International Qur'anic Studies Association]
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*[http://www.brill.com/arabica ''Arabica: Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies'']
*[http://www.soas.ac.uk/research/publications/journals/soasbulletin/ ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)'']
*[http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/islm ''Der Islam'']
*[http://www.hum.huji.ac.il/english/units.php?cat=859 ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam'']
*[http://poj.peeters-leuven.be/content.php?url=journal&journal_code=JA ''Journal Asiatique'']
*[http://jis.oxfordjournals.org ''Journal of Islamic Studies'']
*[http://www.brill.com/oriens-3 ''Oriens'']
*[http://www.oriens-christianus.de ''Oriens Christianus'']
*[http://www.gorgiaspress.com/bookshop/c-126-scrinium-revue-de-patrologie-dhagiographie-critique-et-dhistoire-ecclsiastique-1817-7530.aspx ''Scrinium: Revue de patrologie, d’hagiographie critique et d’histoire ecclésiastique'']
*[http://www.brill.com/publications/journals/studia-islamica ''Studia Islamica'']
*[http://www.brill.com/vigiliae-christianae ''Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language'']
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Category:Early Islamic Studies

2015-06-09T18:09:28Z

CarlosSegovia:

* This page is edited by [[Carlos A. Segovia]], Saint Louis University and Camilo José Cela University, Spain, in collaboration with [[Guillaume Dye]], Free University of Brussels (ULB), Belgium, [[Tommaso Tesei]], Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel, and [[Emilio González Ferrín]], University of Seville, Spain

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'''Early Islamic Studies''' is a field of research that specialises in the study of formative Islam in its Jewish-Christian setting and early Islamic history and culture. ''4 Enoch'' focuses on Second Temple Judaism, i.e. the period from the Babylonian exile to the Bar-Kokhba Revolt. Here the Encyclopaedia offers a selection of the most influential scholarly and fictional works in the field of [[Early Islamic Studies]] by international specialists and authors. Some of these works touch upon "Second Temple Judaism" too, as they study the interrelationship between Jewish, Christian and Islamic origins and the reinterpretation of Jewish and Christian traditions in the early Islamic tradition. Even when works do not include references to Second Temple Judaism, they have however deeply affected the understanding of Second Temple Judaism and the development of scholarly research in the field.
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The connections between formative Islam and late antique Judaism and Christianity have long deserved the attention of scholars of Islamic origins. Since the 19th century [[Muhammad]]’s early Christian background, on the one hand, his complex attitude – and that of his immediate followers – towards both Jews and Christians, on the other hand, and finally the presence of Jewish and Christian religious motifs in the Quranic text and in the [[Hadith]] corpus have been widely studied in the West. Yet from the 1970s onwards, a seemingly major shift has taken place in the study of Islam's origins. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins traditionally contained in the earliest Muslim writings have been usually taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islamic origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century (i.e. from the Marwanids to the Abbasids) and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose liturgical and/or homiletical function contrasts, notwithstanding the number of juridical verses contained in the Quranic text, with the overall juridical purposes set forth and projected onto it by the later established Muslim tradition. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either within or tolerated by the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or outside and initially opposed to it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and the apparently literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. Surveying the history of these three different approaches to the manner in which Islam emerged, the role played by [[Muhammad]] and the nature of the [[Qur'an]] should provide a comprehensive overview of the significance of this particular field of research for late-antique religious studies, both Jewish and Christian.

'''Early modern Islamic studies and the traditional approach to the origins of Islam'''

The founding in Paris in 1795 of the École Spéciale des Langues Orientales Vivantes marks off the beginnings of modern Islamic studies, for it was under the school's second director, [[Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy]], that the first systematic curriculum for the teaching of Islamic languages, culture and civilisation was established in Europe. Yet the modern study of the [[Qur'an]] began with [[Gustav Flügel]] (1802-1870), [[Gustav Weil]] (1808-1889) and [[Theodor Nöldeke]] (1836-1930) in Germany. Flügel published the first modern edition of the [[Qur'an]] in 1834 (which was largely used before the Royal Cairo edition of 1923) and a Concordance to its Arabic text in 1842 (although it is difficult to know which precise manuscripts he relied on), whereas both Weil and Nöldeke published in 1844 and 1860, respectively, two historical-critical introductions to the Quranic ''textus receptus'' of which Weil's knew a second edition in 1878 and Nöldeke's, initially published in Latin in 1856 and later completed by Friedrich Schwally (in 1909 and 1919) and Gotthelf Bergsträsser and Otto Pretzl (in 1938), soon became the seminal and most authoritative work in the field, gaining wide, even uncontested reputation until the present day. As to [[Muhammad]], the first modern studies were those published by [[Abraham Geiger]] (1810-1878) in 1833, [[Gustav Weil]] in 1843, [[Aloys Sprenger]] (1813-1893) between 1861 and 1865, [[William Muir]] (1819-1905) between 1858 and 1861, and again Nöldeke in 1863. Geiger's pioneering essay on [[Muhammad]]'s life and Weil's study on the Biblical legends known to the early Muslims (1845) were also the first works to explore a number of possible early Islamic borrowings from Judaism, whilst its apparent Christian influences (on which a few authors like [[Ignaz Goldziher]] and [[Henry Preserved Smith]] already had provided some useful insights in the second half of the 19th century) were first systematically explored by [[Carl Heinrich Becker]] in 1907. But modern scholarship on Islam's origins is indebted too to the groundbreaking works of [[Ignaz Goldziher]] (1850-1921), whose ''Muhammedanische Studien'', published in 2 vols. between 1889 and 1890, represented a first, successful and in many ways still valid attempt to thoroughly examine the making and early development of Islamic identity, and its literature, against their complex historical and religious setting.

For the most part, however, and notwithstanding their intrinsic value, these early studies (save those of Geiger and especially Goldziher, which were little conventional in both their approach and conclusions) tended to adopt and either explicitly or implicitly subscribe, and thus validate, the grand narrative of Islam's origins provided in the early Islamic sources. This is particularly noticeable in Nöldeke's case, whose chronology of the [[Qur'an]] largely follows the traditional Muslim chronology, and whose approach to the Quranic text as a single-authored unitary document is nowadays considered too naïve, and accordingly regarded as outdated, by an increasing number of scholars. After all Nöldeke had studied with, and was the most salient disciple of, [[Heinrich Ewald]] (1803-1875), a German conservative theologian and orientalist who opposed the new critical methods essayed by [[Ferdinand Christian Baur]] and the Tübingen School in the neighbouring field of early Christian studies. In Ewald's view, all a scholar of early Islam was expected to do was to learn as much Arabic as possible and willingly accept the traditional account of the rise of Islam provided in the early Islamic sources, which veracity, therefore, ought not to be questioned. Supported by Nöldeke and his followers, this view rapidly became mainstream and has been prevalent in the field with only very few exceptions ever since.

Other likewise prominent works published in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (up to the late 1950s) include those of [[Hartwig Hirschfeld]] (1878, 1886, 1902), [[William Muir]] (1878), [[Charles Cutler Torrey]] (1892), [[William St Clair Tindall]] (1905), [[Leone Caetani]] (1905-1926), [[Israel Schapiro]] (1907), [[Paul Casanova]] (1911-1924), [[Lazarus Goldschmidt]] (1916), Goldziher (1920), [[Wilhelm Rudolph]] (1922), [[Josef Horovitz]] (1936), [[Heinrich Speyer]] (1931), [[David Sidersky]] (1933), [[Anton Spitaler]] (1935), [[Richard Bell]] (1937-1939), [[Arthur Jeffery]] (1937, 1938), [[Régis Blachère]] (1947, 1949-1950), and [[Thomas J. O'Saughnessy]] (1948) on the [[Qur'an]]; [[Karl Vollers]] (1906) and [[Alphonse Mingana]] (1933-1939) on ancient Arabic language and manuscripts; [[David Samuel Margoliouth]] (1905, 1914), [[Arent Jan Wensinck]] (1908, 1932), Caetani (1910), [[Henri Lammens]] (1912, 1914, 1924), Bell (1926), [[Tor Andrae]] (1926, 1932), Blachère (1952), and [[William Montgomery Watt]] (1953, 1956) on [[Muhammad]], the early History of Islam and the early Muslim dogma; [[Alfred Guillaume]] (1924) and Wensinck (1927) on the early Islamic traditions; [[Joseph Schacht]] (1950) on the making of Islamic law; and [[Samuel Marinus Zwemer]] (1012), [[Wilhelm Rudolph]] (1922), Margoliouth (1924), [[Heinrich Speyer]] (1931), Torrey (1933), [[Haim Zeev (Joachim Wilhelm) Hirschberg]] (1939), [[Abraham I. Katsch]] (1954), [[Solomon D. Goiten]] (1955), and [[Denise Masson]] (1958) on early Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. Amongst the major arguments, discussions and controversies put forward in this period the interpretation of emergent Islam as an heretical offshoot of Christianity (Lammens), the textual discrepancies between the old codices of the [[Qur'an]] and its foreign vocabulary (Jeffery), and the representation of [[Muhammad]] as either a statesman (Watt) or an apocalyptic prophet (Casanova) deserve a special mention.

'''Later developments and the rise of a critical approach to the Qur'an and the early Islamic sources'''

Growing attention was paid in the second half of the 20th century to the situation of the Arabian Peninsula on the eve of Islam as depicted in the early Islamic sources and the archaeological witnesses available to us; the information supposedly gather together by the early Muslim authors regarding the rise of Islam and the different types of literature that they produced; the biography of [[Muhammad]] and his polemics against both Jews and Christians; the language, structure, contents, message and apparent Jewish and Christian subtexts of the [[Qur'an]], as well as its competing interpretative traditions; the formation of the Islamic state and the clash between different Muslim groups in the first centuries of Islamic rule; and both the non-Muslim views of Islam and the relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims in the first Islamic centuries. Especially noteworthy were the works by [[François Déroche]] and [[Sergio Noja]] (1998) on the early Quranic manuscripts; [[Günter Lüling]] (1974), [[Richard Burton]] (1977), [[John Wansbrough]] (1977), [[Neal Robinson]] (1996), [[Stefan Wild]] (1996), and [[Andrew Rippin]] (1999) on the Quranic corpus, its collection, function, style, contents and presumably encrypted texts; [[Cornelis H. M. Versteegh]] (1993) on Arabic grammar and early Qur'anic exegesis; [[Andrew Rippin]] (1988), [[Claude Gilliot]] (1990), and [[Marjo Buitelaar]] and [[Harald Motzki]] (1993) on Quranic exegesis; [[Toshihiko Izutsu]] (1959) on Quranic semantics; [[Helmut Gätjie]] (1971), [[Fazlur Rahman]] (1980), O'Shaughnessy (1985), [[Jacques Berque]] (1993) on the teachings of the [[Qur'an]] (1985); [[Jacques Jomier]] (1959, 1996), [[Heikki Räisänen]] (1972) and [[Roberto Tottoli]] (1999) on the analogies and differences between several themes in the [[Bible]] and the [[Qur'an]]; [[Youakim Moubarac]] (1998) and [[Reuven Firestone]] (1990) on the evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael legends in early Islam; [[David Thomas]] (1992), [[Steven M. Wasserstrom]] (1995), [[Camila Adang]] (1996), [[Michael Lecker]] (1998) and [[Uri Rubin]] (1999) on early Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations; Räisänen (1971) and [[Jane Dammen McAuliffe]] (1991) on the Quranic image of Jesus and Christianity; [[Maxime Rodinson]] (1961), Watt (1961), [[Roger Arnaldez]] (1970), Noja (1974), [[Michael Cook]] (1983), [[Martin Lings]] (1983), [[Gordon E. Newby]] (1989), [[Francis E. Peters]] (1994), Rubin (1995), [[Marco Schöller]] (1996, 1998) and [[David Marshall]] (1999) on [[Muhammad]] and his early biographies; [[Meir J. Kister]] (1990), and [[Shmuel Ahituv]] and [[Eliezer B. Oren]] (1998) on pre-Islamic Arabia and the rise of Islam; Schacht (1964), [[Albrecht Noth]] (1973), Wansbrough (1978), [[Gautier H. A. Juynboll]] (1983, 1996), Motzki (1991) and [[Fred M. Donner]] (1998) on the early Islamic traditions and literature; Watt (1973), Cook (1981) and [[Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi]] (1994) on the formative period of Islamic thought and early Islamic sectarianism; [[Peter Brown]] (1970), [[Patricia Crone]] (with both Cook and [[Martin Hinds]], 1977, 1980, 1986, 1987), Donner (1981), [[Suliman Bashear]] (1984), [[Gerald R. Hawting]] (1986, 1999), [[Hamid Dabashi]] (1989), [[Garth Fowden]] (1990), [[Wilferd Madelung]] (1997), and Firestone (1999) on the rise of Islam and early Islamic history; and Bashear (1997) and [[Robert G. Hoyland]] (1997) on the early non-Muslim views of Islam.

A number of these studies (e.g. those of Schacht, Lüling, Wansbrough, Crone, Cook, Bashear, Hawting, Rippin and Rubin) adopted, nonetheless, a highly critical view towards the "data" transmitted in the early Islamic sources concerning the economy and politics of 7th-century Arabia, the rise and early development of Islam, the alleged biography of [[Muhammad]] and the elaboration, collection and later canonisation of the [[Qur'an]]. Drawing partly on Goldziher, Schacht questioned the historicity of the [[Hadith]] collections. Lüling attempted at reconstructing the textual materials latter reworked into the [[Qur'an]] and suggested that they were but Christian liturgical texts. Wansbrough analysed both the [[Qur'an]] and the earliest Islamic writings about the rise of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and concluded that if the former is to be regarded as a collection of originally independent texts later unified by means of certain rhetorical conventions on whose origin and function we know almost nothing, the earliest Islamic sources should likewise be envisaged as elaborated literary reports that tell us more about their authors' concerns than about how things really took place – a point shared by Rubin in spite of his more traditional curriculum. For their part, Crone and Cook submitted to criticism the way in which such purely literary sources re-presented the rise of Islam and its historical and geographic background by reviewing the non-Muslim documents contemporary to the emergence and early expansion of Islam, in addition to which they also studied the plausibly limited role played by the Arabian Peninsula along the trade routes of the late-antique Near East, which led them to cast doubts on the apparent causes that converged to make possible the rise of Islam. Bashear too rejected the traditional account of Islam's origins and essayed a new interpretation according to which Islam gradually arose from within a Jewish-Christian context – a thesis that was independently developed by Hawting, a pupil of Wansbrough who later focused his research on the first centuries of Islamic rule. Whereas another of Wansbrough's disciples, Rippin, undertook the task of scrutinising the beginnings of Quranic exegesis.

'''Between tradition and change'''

Used to look at things through the lens of the Muslim tradition, many scholars were not convinced by these revolutionary approaches, which they judged excessively controversial and have often been passionately dismissed rather than theoretically discussed. Yet a number of such scholars felt compelled to at least embrace the innovative and rich terminology displayed in those audacious studies, or else realised that, notwithstanding their hypercritical results, some of the new methodologies displayed in them could be profitable in some measure and contribute to renew the field of early Islamic studies. This twofold attitude has made possible, moreover, the appearance of the still conservative but somewhat more cautious view currently shared, though differently approached and developed, by a growing number of early Islamic scholars, who generally claim that even though the early written sources of Islam may very well date to a later period, they are reliable enough and offer us a fair picture of the events they comment upon or describe, and that the contradictions inherent in them do not preclude the veracity of the master narrative displayed by their authors, which therefore should remain unchallenged. The aforementioned works by Motzki and Donner illustrate well enough this appeasing approach, which [[Angelika Neuwirth]], [[Michael Marx]] and [[Nicolai Sinai]] have recently endorsed in their Quranic studies, as well. But judging from their supporters' overall conventional, and occasionally biased insights and assertions ("prioritising intertextuality analytically and interpretatively decontextualises Quranic emergence and extrudes history from the picture, . . . [thus] lend[ing] credence to the situation wonderfully described by Paul Valéry as he spoke of 'an Orient of the mind': 'a state between waking and dreaming where there is no logic nor chronology to keep the elements of our memory from attracting each other in their natural combination,'" writes [[Aziz al-Azmeh]], as though we could a priori fancy a reliable historical context that would otherwise be at risk of vanishing, when unfortunately the only one we have from the outset is the literary one fabricated by the Muslim tradition, for which reason prioritising intertextuality on the basis of the undeniable Quranic verbatim reuse and ad hoc modification of a series of earlier Jewish and Christian texts would seemingly just help to [re-]contextualise its redactional process and welcome history, for once, in the picture instead of keep clinging to a state more close to dreaming than waking where both logic and chronology are sacrificed at the altar of a fabricated memory and hence re-shaped in an unnatural combination) it is difficult to tell whether this moderate and at times apparently sophisticated view truly offers a fresh look into the origins of Islam or merely serves to disguise the same old ideas advocated by earlier, more conservative scholars. Still, it is the view that has gained widest acceptance in the field in the past decade.

'''Recent studies in the field'''

More or less sensitive to this paradigm shift - if the term is not too ambitious – i.e. oscillating between its partial acceptance and its refusal (with a number of earlier revisionist scholars having recently endorsed a more conventional position, as is the case of both Crone and Cook) amongst the major works published in the last fifteen years the following books should be mentioned: McAullife’s encyclopaedia of the [[Qur'an]] (2001), as well as Cook’s introduction (2001) and McAuliffe’s and Rippin’s companions to the latter (2006), [[Isa J. Boullata]]’s and [[Daniel A. Madigan]]’s volumes on the religious language of the [[Qur'an]] and the Quranic self-image (2000 and 2001, respectively), Déroche’s on its written transmission in early Islam (2009), Neuwirth, Marx and Sinai’s on the Quranic milieu (2011), Rippin’s new explorations of Quranic exegesis (2001), Tottoli’s and on the Bible and the [[Qur'an]] (2000) Reeves’ volume on Quranic and Biblical intertextuality (2003), Amir-Moezzi’s dictionary of the [[Qur'an]] (2007), [[Emran El-Badawi]]'s study on the [[Qur'an]] and the Aramaic Gospel traditions (2014), [[Norman Calder]], [[Jawid Mojaddedi]] and Rippin’s sourcebook of early Muslim literature (2002), [[Jonathan E. Brockopp]]’s companion to [[Muhammad]] (2010), [[Irving M. Zeitlin]]’s study on the historical Muhammad (2007), Motzki’s volume on the biography of [[Muhammad]] and its sources (2000), Donner’s and [[Aziz al-Azmeh]]'s monographs on the origins of Islam (2010 and 2014, respectively), Crone's essay on the establishment of the Islamic empire (2010), Cook’s and Hawting’s studies on the origins of Muslim culture and tradition and the development of Islamic ritual (2004), [[Chase F. Robinson]]’s essays on Islamic historiography (2003), the Muslim conquest of northern Mesopotamia (2004) and the formation of the Islamic state under [[‘Abd al-Malik]]’s rule (2005), [[Andrew Marsham]]’s on the early Islamic monarchy (2008), [[Najam Haider]]’s, [[Maria Massi Dakake]]'s and [[William F. Tucker]]’s essays on early Shiite identity (2007, 2008 and 2011, respectively), [[Milka Levy-Rubin]]’s study on non-Muslims in early Islam (2011), [[Michael Bonner]]’s on the early Arab-Byzantine relations (2004), [[David Thomas]]’s volume on the relations between Syriac Christianity and early Islam (2001) and [[Barbara Roggema]]’s study on Syriac apocalyptic responses to the rise of Islam (2009), [[Emmanouela Grypeou]], [[Mark Swanson]] and Thomas’s volumes on the encounter of eastern Christianity with early Islam (2006, 2013), [[Sidney H. Griffith]]'s study on the cultural and intellectual life of the Christians living under early Islamic rule (2012), Fowden's recent essay on the relationship between Graeco-Roman, Syrian Christian, Jewish, Arab, Iranian and early Islamic cultures in late antiquity, and [[Jonathan P. Berkey]]’s comprehensive handbook of Islamic history (2003).

'''Revisionists views and their challenges'''

At the same time, and considering that the entire narrative of Islamic origins is worth being revised and deserves being retold, a remarkable number of senior and young scholars alike have fully assumed the need to look at things from a totally new perspective and have contributed with their insights to further develop different revisionist views by exploring afresh - albeit with not equally convincing results, but this is just normal in any academic discipline – issues such as the relationship between method and theory in the study of Islamic origins ([[Herbert Berg]], 2003) sectarian milieu out of which Islam emerged ([[Edouard Marie Gallez]], 2005; [[Carlos A. Segovia]] and [[Basil Lourié]], 2012; [[Emilio González Ferrín]], 2013;) and its beginnings ([[Yehuda D. Nevo]] and [[Judith Koren]], 2000; [[Alfred-Louis de Prémare]], 2002; [[Karl-Heinz Ohlig]] and [[Gerd R. Puin]], 2010; [[Françoise Micheau]], 2012), the authenticity of the [[Qur'an]] ([[Mondher Sfar]], 2000) and its possible Syro-Aramaic subtexts ([[Christoph Luxenberg]], 2000), the origins and function of the Quranic collection and the results of its contemporary study with the tools of Biblical criticism (de Prémare, 2005; [[Manfred Kropp]], 2007; [[Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann]], 2012), the [[Qur'an]]'s historical context and its Biblical subtexts ([[Gabriel Said Reynolds]], 2008, 2010, 2012), its complex textuality ([[Michel Cuypers]] and [[Geneviève Gobillot]], 2007), its canonisation and sacred character ([[M. Daniel De Smet]], [[Godefroid Callatay]] and [[Jan M. F. Van Reeth]], 2004), [[Muhammad]]'s biography ([[David S. Powers]], 2009; [[Stephen J. Shoemaker]], 2011), the making of the early Islamic tradition (Berg, 2000; Bashear, 2004; [[Boaz Shoshan]], 2004; Reynolds, 2012), the reworking of Biblical figures in early Islam ([[Guillaume Dye]] and [[Fabien Nobilio]], 2012) and early Islamic apocalypticism ([[David Cook]], 2002). But challenging the ordinary picture of Islam's origins is only the more evident purpose of the most salient of these studies, the essential one being an in-depth and more scientific re-examination of the complex processes that led to its formation. In order to fulfil this task, however, it seems necessary to assume once and for all the methodological theses perspicaciously formulated by [[Aaron W. Hughes]] in his recent work ''Theorizing Islam: Disciplinary Deconstruction and Reconstruction'' (2012): "[1] We must cease treating Islam . . . and Islamic data as if they were somehow special or privileged objects of study. [2] It is time to identify all those approaches that masquerade as critical scholarship for what they are. [3] We must ask of Islamic data what we would of any data. [4] Islamic studies must appeal to the theoretical framework of other disciplines. [5] Finally, Islamic studies must integrate itself with those critical discourses within the academic study of religion that are non-phenomenological."

It should also be mentioned, to end with, that the field of early islamic studies is now benefiting from the progress underway in the neighbouring field of late-antique Arab and Near-Eastern studies (on which see the recent contributions by [[Irfan Shahid]] [1984, 1989, 1995]; [[Jan Retsö]] [2003]; [[Iwona Gajda]] [2009]; [[Joëlle Beaucamp]], [[Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet]] and [[Christian Robin]] [2010]; [[Greg Fisher]] [2011, 2013]; [[Glen W. Bowersock]] [2012, 2013]; [[Averil Cameron]] and Hoyland [2011, 2013]; and Griffith [2013]).

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{{WindowMain
|title= [[Timeline]]
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|content=
[[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--2010s|2010s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 2010s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--2000s|2000s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 2000s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1990s|1990s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1990s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1980s|1980s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1980s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1970s|1970s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1970s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1960s|1960s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1960s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1950s|1950s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1950s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1940s|1940s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1940s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1930s|1930s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1930s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1920s|1920s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1920s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1910s|1910s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1910s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1900s|1900s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1900s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1850s|1850s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1850s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1800s|1800s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1800s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1700s|1700s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1700s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1600s|1600s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1600s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1500s|1500s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1500s|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--1400s|1400s]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top 1400s|Top]]) --[[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Pre-Modern|Pre-Modern]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top Pre-Modern|Top]]) -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Medieval|Medieval]] ([[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Top Medieval|Top]])
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{{WindowMain
|title= [[Early Islamic Fiction]]
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{{WindowMain
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|content=
[[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--English|English]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--French|French]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--German|German]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Italian|Italian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Spanish|Spanish]] -//- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Arabic|Arabic]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Croatian|Croatian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Czech|Czech]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Danish|Danish]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Dutch|Dutch]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Estonian|Estonian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Greek|Greek]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Hebrew|Hebrew]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Hungarian|Hungarian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Japanese|Japanese]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Latin|Latin]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Maltese|Maltese]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Persian|Persian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Polish|Polish]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Russian|Russian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Serbian|Serbian]] -- [[:Category:Early Islamic Studies--Slovenian|Slovenian]]
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{{WindowMain
|title= Categories
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*[[Muhammad]] -- [[Islamic Origins]]
*[[Early Islamic History]] -- [[Early Islamic Fiction]]
*[[Abraham]] -- [[Bible & Qur'an]] -- [[Early Christian Literature & Qur'an]] -- -- [[Early Islamic Traditions]] -- [[Early Muslim Community]] -- [[Early Muslim Dogma]] -- [[Early Muslim Sects]] -- [[Ishmael]] -- -- [[Muslim-Christian Polemics]] -- [[Muslim-Christian Relations]] -- [[Muslim Jesus]] -- [[Muslim-Jewish Polemics]] -- [[Muslim-Jewish Relations]]
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*[[Qur'an]]
*[[NT Apocrypha & Qur'an]] -- [[OT Pseudepigrapha & Qur'an]]
*[[Quranic Exegesis]] -- [[Talmud & Qur'an]]
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|title= Learned Societies
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*[[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]]
*[http://iqsaweb.wordpress.com International Qur'anic Studies Association]
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{{WindowMain
|title= Journals
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*[http://www.brill.com/arabica ''Arabica: Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies'']
*[http://www.soas.ac.uk/research/publications/journals/soasbulletin/ ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)'']
*[http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/islm ''Der Islam'']
*[http://www.hum.huji.ac.il/english/units.php?cat=859 ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam'']
*[http://poj.peeters-leuven.be/content.php?url=journal&journal_code=JA ''Journal Asiatique'']
*[http://jis.oxfordjournals.org ''Journal of Islamic Studies'']
*[http://www.brill.com/oriens-3 ''Oriens'']
*[http://www.oriens-christianus.de ''Oriens Christianus'']
*[http://www.gorgiaspress.com/bookshop/c-126-scrinium-revue-de-patrologie-dhagiographie-critique-et-dhistoire-ecclsiastique-1817-7530.aspx ''Scrinium: Revue de patrologie, d’hagiographie critique et d’histoire ecclésiastique'']
*[http://www.brill.com/publications/journals/studia-islamica ''Studia Islamica'']
*[http://www.brill.com/vigiliae-christianae ''Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language'']
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Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:07:30Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Members */

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:06:47Z

CarlosSegovia: /* EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:06:25Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Upcoming Projects (2014-2016) */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:04:44Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Background and Purpose */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:04:21Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Board of Directors */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T18:03:31Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Board of Directors */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Participants==

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islamic Studies Seminar (2013-), learned society

2015-06-09T17:59:25Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Collaborative Institutions */

[[File:EISS_Logo_small.jpg]]

[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Ferrin.jpg|thumb|123px|Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, University of Seville]]
[[File:Kropp.jpg|thumb|123px|Manfred Kropp, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]]
[[File:Segovia.jpg|thumb|123px|Carlos Segovia, Saint Louis University]]
[[File:Tesei.jpg|thumb|123px|Tommaso Tesei, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem]]

The '''Early Islamic Studies Seminar: International Scholarship on the Qur’ān and Islamic Origins''' (EISS) is an academic group of international specialists associated to the [http://www.enochseminar.org Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins] who work together, share the results of their research in the field and biennially meet to discuss topics of common interest within the [[Enoch Seminar]] [[Nangeroni Meetings]].

==Board of Directors==

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Dye, Guillaume] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU) [mailto:gdye@noos.fr gdye@noos.fr]
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Gonzalez Ferrin, Emilio] (University of Seville, Spain, EU) [mailto:ferrin@us.es ferrin@us.es]
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Kropp, Manfred] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU) [mailto:kropp@uni-mainz.de kropp@uni-mainz.de]
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Segovia, Carlos A.] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]]) [mailto:segoviaca@slu.edu segoviaca@slu.edu].
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tesei, Tommaso] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel) [mailto:teseitommaso@gmail.com teseitommaso@gmail.com]

==Background and Purpose==

The study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. Whereas the grand narratives of Islamic origins contained in the earliest Muslim writings have usually been taken to describe with some accuracy the hypothetical emergence of Islam in mid-7th-century Arabia, they are nowadays increasingly regarded as too late and ideologically biased – in short, as too eulogical – to provide a reliable picture of Islam's origins. Accordingly, new timeframes going from the late 7th to the mid-8th century and alternative Syro-Palestinian and Mesopotamian spatial locations are currently being explored. On the other hand, a renewed attention is also being paid to the once very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the [[Qur'an]], a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be a kind of “palimpsest” originally formed by different, independent writings in which encrypted passages from the [[OT Pseudepigrapha]], the [[NT Apocrypha]] and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian and Manichaean provenance may be found, and whose original function, therefore, is far from being clear. Likewise the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way, either initially dependent on the new Arab polity in the Fertile Crescent or more or less independent from it; or else as being originally a Christian movement. Finally the biography of [[Muhammad]], the founding figure of Islam, has also been challenged in recent times due to the paucity and, once more, the late date and literary nature of the earliest biographical accounts at our disposal. In sum three major trends of thought define today the field of early Islamic studies: (a) the traditional Islamic view, which many non-Muslim scholars still uphold as well; (b) a number of revisionist views which have contributed to reshape afresh the contents, boundaries and themes of the field itself by reframing the methodological and hermeneutical categories required in the academic study of Islamic origins; and (c) several still conservative but at the same time more cautious views that stand half way between the traditional point of view and the revisionist views. The Early Islamic Studies Seminar aims at exploring afresh different the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of Biblical criticism and the new social science methods (critical discourse analysis, narrative theory, semiotics of religion, deconstructionist historiography, etc.) set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian and Rabbinic origins, and thereby contribute to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel in the complex process of religious identity formation in late antiquity.

To achieve its goals the EISS will develop several simultaneous activities such as different research projects, online workshops, close-door meetings, international conferences and publications. All online workshops will be hosted at the EISS website, and a series of close-door meetings will help each to achieve its specific goals. Biennial international conferences to discuss topics of common interest will be held within the Enoch Seminar: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins ‘Nangeroni Meetings’ [http://www.enochseminar.org www.enochseminar.org]. In addition the EISS will be responsible for the contents of the [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies Early islamic Studies section] on [http://www.4enoch.org 4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins)].

To learn more about our current activities and projects please contact the Board of Directors.

==Upcoming Projects (2014-2016)==

====Online Workshops====

====='''EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''=====
Chair: '''Manfred Kropp''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*Texts stemming from epigraphic material – inscriptions, graffiti, but also texts written on objects and documents on papyrus and other writing materials, and in a wide perspective, legends on coins, medals and seals – differ from literary texts by several peculiarities. They are – at least as a general rule – unique pieces, directly transmitted and product of juridical or other social procedures, thus not part of intentional historical tradition; in short they are primary sources. On the other hand, it is true, texts of this kind are normally short and stereotyped, addressed only to persons involved in the actual act, and presume precise knowledge of the respective procedure to be understood. Thus the late born historian is in need for additional data, coming from archaeological evidence or extensive tradition (literature, historiography, etc.).Material of this kind is available in the Arabian peninsula dating from pre-Islamic and early-Islamic times and thus of importance for the study of Qurʾānic origins and early Islam. Here a first short list:– Texts in Epigraphic South Arabian languages, coming mostly from Yemen, but scattered as well all over the Arabian peninsula and adjacent regions. These are stone inscriptions and texts written on other material (palm sticks) as well as coin legends. Besides the typical documents there are very few literary texts.– Texts in non-Semitic languages (Greek and Latin)– Texts in Semitic, but not Arabian languages and script: Nabataean, Jewish and Christian Aramaic, of lesser interest because chronologically and geographically more distant Palmyrene and Hatraen. Al-Ḥīra as an important pre-Islamic (Arab) centre has not yielded till now relevant material.– Texts in Early North Arabian languages / dialects and in several varieties of early North Arabian alphabets: Safaitic, Thamudic, Lihyanite, Hasaitic.– Texts in "Arabic" (North Arabian in the narrow sense) in several scriptures (Nabataean, South Arabian).– Texts in "Arabic" and Arabic script, inscriptions, papyri, coin legends. In this category the collection of few pre-Islamic inscriptions recently has been enriched by new finds in the Arabian peninsula of late pre-Islamic and early Islamic documents illuminating the development of the Arabic script. To be mentioned is an early-Islamic specimen of Arabic poetry.Within the aforesaid limitations of this kind of source material the collection and consecutive methodical study of these documents may shed further light on important questions concerning the historical context out of which Islam and its fundamental document originated: (a) From where and how did the Arabic script develop? (b) What is the language intended by the first Qur’ānic and purely consonantal texts? (c) Which common ideas and concepts were circulating and were part of the political, social, religious and cultural atmosphere?

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY'''=====
Chair: '''Tommaso Tesei''' (Van Leer Institute Jerusalem, Israel)
*Although they occupy a central place in the theological discourse of the Qur’ān, doctrines of death and the afterlife in the Islamic scripture have been afforded surprisingly little attention by scholars. Equally surprising is the absence of systematic studies that address the relation between the Qur’ān’s eschatology and the eschatological systems of the various other religious communities of the Late Antique Near East. Yet, the comparative approach offers an entry-point for scholars to investigate the doctrines—eschatological or other—professed by the Qur’ānic text. Being primarily an exhortative text, the Arabic scripture generally neither seeks to establish a systematic theology nor provides its audience with elucidations on its theological statements. At the same time, the Arabic scripture repeatedly makes allusions to doctrines dealing with these and other questions, doctrines that were widespread in the Late Antique Near East. Evidently, the Qur’ān presupposes its audience to be familiar with these doctrines. Thus, a thorough comparative analysis of the eschatological creeds professed by the contemporaries of the early community believers—later identified as Muslims—is crucial to a correct understanding of the Qur’ānic theological presentation of death and the afterlife. At the same time, such analysis also offers new perspectives to better determine the doctrinal character of the proto-Muslim community, the Qur’ān being the earliest extant document to study this religious movement. The present research project involves an investigation of Qur’ānic and early Islamic beliefs about the afterlife in light of the cultural context and the intellectual history of late antique Middle East. The major aims of this research are: (1) to compile a comprehensive overview of the eschatological thoughts found in the Qur’ān and early Islamic traditions; (2) to determine to what extent such system of ideas follows the literary trends, theological perspectives and cultural beliefs of the contemporaneous religio-cultural environment; (3) to establish, based on this data, whether the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse simply refers to a local Arabian context, or if it participates in the broader theological discussions of the Late Antique Near East; and (4) to investigate to what degree the Qur’ān and the early community of believers shared the apocalyptic sentiments widespread in the 7th c. Middle East and to determine if the Qur’ānic eschatological discourse was originally meant to fulfill apocalyptic or millenarian expectations.

====='''THE QUR'ĀN IN LIGHT OF TRADITIO-HISTORICAL CRITICISM'''=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

*As John Wansbrough noticed a few decades ago: "As a document susceptible of analysis by the instruments and techniques of Biblical criticism [the case for the Qur’ān as Scripture] is virtually unknown." This is related to the excessive reliance of many scholars to a kind of secular version of the Muslim narrative on the genesis of the Qur’ān, which considers it as an accurate record of Muhammad’s words, faithfully transmitted by tradition. However, such a conservative approach relies more on assumption than on proof, and recent works have shown that the Qur’ān was not ready at the time of Muhammad’s death, and that the editorial work in the following decades did not merely consist in the rearrangement of existing pericopes, but also in the reinterpretation and rewriting of prophetic logia and liturgical texts, and even in the writing of new pericopes. In other words, the Qur’ān is both a composite and composed text (with at least three levels of composition: individual pericopes, suras, codex – and the people responsible of the last two levels shouldn’t be seen only as compilers, but also as authors). It seems therefore necessary to give up the traditional chronology of Meccan and Medinan suras and consider the Qur’ān inside a larger diachrony – let’s say up to the time of ‘Abd al-Malik (it remains difficult to date precisely the eldest material witnesses to the text, and all what can be said at present is that the rasm of the Qur’ān probably took a shape close to the one we now know sometime during the second half of the 7th Century and the beginning of the 8th Century). Hence source criticism, ''Formgeschichte'' and ''Redaktionskritik'' – and also synchronic methods – can certainly shed light on the history of the Qur’ān and the first “Islamic” communities. Moreover, the concepts of traditio-historical criticism pertain the interpretation of individual qur’ānic passages: for instance, how many arbitrary interpretations could have been avoided, if scholars had kept in mind the (obvious, but unheard of in mainstream Qur’ānic studies) distinction between ''Sitz im Buch'' and ''Sitz im Leben''? This group discussion will interact with the other subprojects of the EISS, and will especially rely on the tools and results of the computational project of a Compressed Qur’ān. Among various tasks, it will study the scribal devices and techniques used in the Qur’ān, try to sketch a profile of the scribes implied in its composition, and, if possible, set up a more realistic chronology, less dependent on the “evidence” of the Muslim tradition.

====='''JESUS IN THE QUR'ĀN'''=====
Chair: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)

*The Qur’ān is often interpreted as displaying a twofold contradictory attitude towards Christianity that oscillates between its approval and its dismissal. Jesus’ presentation reflects this complex attitude: on the one hand, he is described as the “son of Mary” against the Christian belief on his divine status; on the other hand, he is acknowledged to be the Messiah. However, a close examination of the Quranic passages mentioning Jesus shows that things are far more complex than this binary approach suggests. Firstly, it is by no means evident that all pre-Islamic Arab Christians accepted Jesus’ divine sonship; therefore, downplaying the latter need not be regarded as being specifically anti-Christian. Secondly, both Jesus’ name in the Qur’ān and his aforementioned description as the “son of Mary” have clear parallels in Dyophysite/Nestorian, and hence Eastern-Syriac, Christianity; thus they could have likewise been acceptable for at least some Christians of late antiquity. Thirdly, Jesus’ two additional Quranic titles as “God’s word” and “God’s spirit,” as well as the Quranic narratives about his miraculous birth and miracles and his implicit depiction as the second or true Adam, amount to the view that he was conferred a very especial role within the early proto-Muslim faith. Lastly, the frequent anti-Jewish overtones of the Quranic narratives about Jesus contribute in their own way to strengthen this point. For these reasons, it is worth reconsidering in some depth what we think we know about the Quranic Jesus and examining afresh early Muslim-Christian relations. The fact, moreover, that a text mentioning Jesus was intentionally placed at the very centre of the two inscriptions contained within the walls of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – and the similarly intriguing fact that Muhammad and Jesus therein seem to share the very same attributes – suggests that there is more in such relations that meets the eye. Reflecting on these issues is essential for a correct understanding of emergent Islam in its late-antique context.

====='''EARLY ISLAMIC SOURCES AND CHRONICLES IN LIGHT OF A 'THEOLOGY OF SALVATION''''=====
Chair: '''Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)

*Islam is unanimously considered as a "counter-historical" phenomenon that adjourned the natural discourse of History, closing the Late Antique period and laying the foundations of the dichotomic Middle Ages. Such view is powered by a self-assumed otherness of Islam built from within by the interaction and mutual—fragile—support of several sources: the Qur'ān itself, but also the ''Sīra''—biography of the Prophet—, ''Ḥadīṯ'' collections and related early materials are envisaged as the ultimate bulwark of a complicated mixture of sacredness, legitimacy and historicity. On behalf of these sources subsequent chronicles were compiled in Arabic language which in turn served as a kind of narrative support—as an origin myth by means of retroactive discourse. And as time went on, subsequent chronicles served to date previous materials. However, a fair dating of these sources based on the materials themselves and not just on their contents as these later came to be considered, as well as other possible historical witnesses to the time thus narrated—to be sought in the epigraphy, numismatics, architectural constructions and even burial areas of the period—show a slightly different historical rhythm. Moreover, those subsequent Arab chronicles can be contrasted to previous chronicles, written mostly in Syriac, Greek and Latin amongst other languages. Considering these pre-Islamic chronicles—that abound in apocalyptic tales—in contrast to those Arab triumphant chronicles, one may describe the gradual change of the whole area—Middle East and South Mediterranean—as following a rate of chronistic systole and diastole out of which the origins of the Middle Ages pump: a first phase of doom followed by a certain history of salvation. Thereby, an inter-textual de-construction of the aforementioned materials would explain and justify the use of an apparent oxymoron behind the expression "Islamic Late Antiquity," thus disregarding the distribution of historical "watertight compartments" and considering the spreading of Islam in gradual continuity. Perhaps more the effect than the cause of a convulsive time.

====Additional Workshops====

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS''' (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)=====
Chair: '''Emilio González Ferrín''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU).
*How and why has our perception of early Islam changed in the past decades? Does it make sense to speak of a paradigm shift – and if so, which are its implications in terms of theory and method? Lastly, how does the EISS fit into that picture – and what concrete projects will it undertake between March 2014 and March 2016?

====='''NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 2''' (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 2015)=====

==Encyclopaedia Entries==
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Early_Islamic_Studies 4 Enoch: Early Islamic Studies] (from the early 19th century to the present)
General Editor: '''Carlos A. Segovia''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])

==EISS International Conferences – Nangeroni Meetings==
====='''EARLY ISLAM: THE SECTARIAN MILIEU OF LATE ANTIQUITY?''' (2015)=====
Chair: '''Guillaume Dye''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: '''Gabriele Boccaccini''' (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[[Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference]]

==Members==

====Core Members====

*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín] (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp] (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia] (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/TommasoTesei Tommaso Tesei] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)

====Participants====

=====By Name=====

*[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Aghaei, Ali] (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*[https://vanleer.academia.edu/DomenicoAgostini Agostini, Domenico] (Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/ghul/SitePages/Home.aspx Al-Ghul, Omar A.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[http://www.ephe.sorbonne.fr/annuaire-de-la-recherche/mamirmoezzi.html Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=%7E_Daniel_Assefa,_Ethiopian_scholar Assefa, Daniel] (Capuchin Franciscan Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Ethiopia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.antiquities.org.il/personal_cv_eng.asp?id=15 Avni, Gideon] (Israel Antiquities Authority & Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
*[http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Azaiez, Mehdi] (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*[https://biu.academia.edu/AlbertBaumgarten Baumgarten, Albert I.] (Bar-Ilan University, Israel / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://people.uncw.edu/bergh/ Berg, Herbert] (University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA)
*[[Bermejo Rubio, Fernando]] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Boccaccini, Gabriele] (University of Michigan, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Bori, Caterina] (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*[https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Borrut, Antoine] (University of Maryland, USA)
*[https://ucla.academia.edu/RBoustan Boustan, Ra'anan] (University of California Los Angeles, USA)
*[http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html Boyarin, Daniel] (University of California Berkeley, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://reli.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=68 Cook, David] (Rice University, Texas, USA)
*[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Courtieu, Gilles] (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*[[Crego Gómez, María]] (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/fr/annuaire/debie-muriel Debié, Muriel] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/chercheurs/5/CH3195.html Decharneux, Baudouin] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Fedeli, Alba] (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Fisher, Greg] (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*[https://oxford.academia.edu/EmmanouelaGrypeou Grypeou, Emmanouela] (University of Oxford, England, UK, EU / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.sankt-georgen.de/hainthaler/ Hainthaler, Theresia] (Philosophical-Theological Academy Saint George, Germany, EU)
*[http://faculty.yu.edu.jo/hani/SitePages/About%20Me.aspx Hayajneh, Hani F.] (Yarmouk University, Jordan)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/MiguelHerrerodeJauregui Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)]
*[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann] (University of Copenhagen, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.rochester.edu/college/ourfaculty/new1213.html Hughes, Aaron] (University of Rochester, New York, USA)
*[https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AhmadAlJallad al-Jallad, Ahmad] (Leiden University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://uu.academia.edu/ChristianLange Lange, Christian] (Utrecht University, Netherlands, EU)
*[https://univ-amu.academia.edu/PierreLarcher Larcher, Pierre] (Aix-Marseille University/IREMAM, France, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/john-moeller-larsen(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Larsen, John Møller] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://scrinium.academia.edu/BasilLourié Lourié, Basil] (''Scrinium'', Russia / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Mårtensson, Ulrika] (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*[https://ucm.academia.edu/NuriaMartinezdeCastilla Martínez de Castilla, Nuria] (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id(ce91501a-ca05-43ac-bf3e-0389b88f8e37).html Møller Larsen, John] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[https://uco-es.academia.edu/JuanPedroMonferrerSala Monferrer-Sala,Juan Pedro] (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
*[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Morris, Ian D.] (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*[http://www.smith.edu/mes/faculty_mourad.php A. Mourad, Suleiman] (Smith College, Massachusetts, USA)
*[[Neuenkirchen, Paul]] (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France, EU)
*[https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Oliver, Isaac W.] (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / [[Enoch Seminar]])
*[https://unisalento.academia.edu/samuelapagani Pagani, Samuela] (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*[http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Petersen, Anders Klostergaard] (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich] (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*[http://humanities.tau.ac.il/segel/meirap/ Polliack, Meira] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Pourshariati, Parvaneh] (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 Powers, David S.] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[https://elon.academia.edu/MichaelPregill E. Pregill, Michael] (Elon University, North Carolina, USA)
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Reed, Annette Yoshiko] (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*[https://uncc.academia.edu/JohnCReeves Reeves, John C.] (University of North Carolina Charlotte, USA)
*[http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Retsö, Jan] (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*[http://theology.nd.edu/people/faculty/gabriel-said-reynolds/ Reynolds, Gabriel Said] (University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA)
*[https://barcelona.academia.edu/FranciscodelR%C3%ADoSánchez del Río Sánchez, Francisco] (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)
*[http://www.urirubin.com Rubin, Uri] (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*[http://brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/people/facultypage.php?id=10132 Satlow, Michael] (Brown University, Rhode Island, USA)
*[https://oeaw.academia.edu/NikolausSchindel Schindel, Nikolaus] (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria, EU)
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Shoemaker, Stephen J.] (University of Oregon, USA)
*[http://nazarene.ac.uk/dwight-swanson/ Swanson, Dwight] (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*[http://docenti.unior.it/index2.php?content_id=19895&content_id_start=1&modulo=print_page Tottoli, Roberto] (University of Naples "L'Orientale," Italy, EU)
*[[Van der Velden, Frank]] (Germany, EU)
*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Watson, Francis] (Durham University, Uk, EU)
*[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Wilk, Mateusz] (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Wood, Philip] (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)
*[http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=may2 Younes, Munther] (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*[...]

=====By Project=====

*NEW TRENDS IN EARLY ISLAMIC STUDIES 1: INTRODUCING THE EISS (University of Seville, Spain. March 28, 2014)
**'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
**'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain EU)
**'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
***'''Crego Gómez, María''' (Pablo de Olavide University, Spain, EU)
***'''Martínez de Castilla, Nuria''' (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, EU)
***'''Monferrer Sala, Juan Pedro''' (University of Cordova, Spain, EU)
***'''del Río Sánchez, Francisco''' (University of Barcelona, Spain, EU)

*[...]
**[...]
***[...]

====Attendees of the EISS Nangeroni Meetings====

=====2015 / Prospective Participants=====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Bonner Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)
*'''Caterina Bori''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)

==Collaborative Institutions==

*[[Enoch Seminar]]: International Scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, Christian, Rabbinic, and Islamic Origins

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-06T09:46:48Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity: Their Relevance for Research on the Origins of the Qur'ān and Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T15:01:00Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:59:51Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:57:53Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:55:29Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:54:09Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:53:01Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2''': THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3''': HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4''': EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5''': THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6''': THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7''': METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:51:22Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:50:55Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1''': EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''' ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''' ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:50:12Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1: EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS'''
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''' ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''' ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:47:03Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1: EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS'''
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], ''' "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions" '''; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''' ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''' ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], ''' "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?" '''; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], ''' "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause" '''; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], ''' "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems" '''
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer" '''
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees" '''
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims" '''

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], ''' "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān" '''
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], ''' "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān" '''
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], ''' "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?" '''
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks" '''

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], ''' "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity" '''; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], ''' "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?" '''
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], ''' "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān" '''
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], ''' "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition" '''

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], ''' "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān" '''
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], ''' "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise" '''
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], ''' "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety" '''

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], ''' "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project" '''; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], ''' "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism" '''; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], ''' "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam" '''; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:37:30Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1: EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS'''
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) '''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) '''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*'''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*'''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) '''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) '''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:34:49Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1: EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS'''
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''' ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''' ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]

Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity? / 4th Nangeroni Meeting (2015 Milan), conference

2015-06-04T14:29:21Z

CarlosSegovia: /* Provisional Schedule */

[[File:Villa Cagnola.jpg|thumb|250px|Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Milan, Italy]]
[[File:Dye.jpeg|thumb|123px|Guillaume Dye, Free University of Brussels (ULB)]]
[[File:Boccaccini.jpg|thumb|123px|Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan]]

'''Early Islam: The Sectarian Milieu of Late Antiquity?''' (2015) is the topic of the fourth conference in the series of [[Nangeroni Meetings]], and the first conference of the [[Early Islamic Studies Seminar]], organized by the [[Enoch Seminar]] in Milan, Italy (June 2015) in collaboration with COREIS.

< ... -- [[Second Nangeroni Meeting]] (Israel 2014) -- [[Third Nangeroni Meeting]] (Rome 2014) -- '''Fourth Nangeroni Meeting''' (Milan 2015) -- [[Fifth Nangeroni Meeting]] (Naples 2015) -- ... >

==Fourth Nangeroni Meeting (Milan, Italy; June 15–19, 2015)==

Chair: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye] (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)

Co-Chair: [[Gabriele Boccaccini]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: [[Rodney Caruthers]] (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)

====Preliminary Information====

'''When''': June 15-19, 2015

'''Accommodations''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Location of the Seminar''': Villa Cagnola (Gazzada Schianno, Milan, Italy)

'''Purpose''': '''The meeting aims at examining afresh formative Islam in its the late-antique context'''. We plan to have panels (major sessions) on the following topics:
*''' ''Early Islam and Enochic Traditions'' '''
*''' ''The Making of the Islamic Prophet'' '''
*''' ''How Should We Interpret the Early Islamic Account of the Arab Conquests?'' '''
*''' ''The Biblia Arabica Project'' '''
*''' ''Epigraphic Sources for the Study of Qur'ānic Origins'' '''
*''' ''The Qur'ān in Light of Redaction Criticism'' '''
*''' ''Method and Theory in the Study of Islamic Origins'' '''

'''Major papers''' will be offered by Annette Yoshiko Reed, Carlos A. Segovia, Emilio González Ferrín, Meira Polliack, Guillaume Dye, Manfred Kropp, and Stephen J. Shoemaker.

'''Short papers''' on Qur'ānic and Early Islamic Studies will be welcome, particularly if they are related to any of the following topics of interest, to which we plan to devote several reading sessions and short-paper sessions, as well:

*''' ''Arabia, Byzantium, and Persia on the Eve of Islam'' '''
*''' ''Scribal Culture in the Near East (6th-8th centuries)'' '''
*''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur’ān'' '''
*''' ''Dating Old Qur'ānic Manuscripts: Problems, Methods, Criteria'' '''
*''' ''The Material Culture of Emergent Islam'' '''

The pre-circulating papers shall be presented briefly (5 min.) before being discussed by the participants (respondents will be allowed 10 min. to respond before the general discussion begins).

'''Paper Submission''': All papers should be submitted by May 30, 2015. This will allow respondents and other participants enough time to prepare their responses and critical comments.

'''Paper Length''': Major papers should be 6,000 words maximum; short papers, 3,000 words maximum.

'''Prospective Publication''': A volume will be published with a selection of the papers offered atf the conference, which overall purpose is to contribute to the renewed study of Islamic origins '''in close dialogue with scholars working on the late-antique Near East, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Sassanian Iran.'''

'''Participation in the Early Islamic Studies Seminar is by invitation only.'''

'''Should you like to present a short paper, please send to the chair of the conference, Guillaume Dye (gdye@noos.fr), by May 2015'''.

'''Should you simply like to attend the conference, or receive further information about it, please contact its secretary, Rodney Caruthers (rodneyac@umich.edu) at your earliest convenience.'''

====Accommodations====

We have secured the lovely [http://www.villacagnola.it Villa Cagnola] in Gazzada Schianno (about 45 kilometres [28 miles] northwest of Milan) for our accommodations. Four nights lodging and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost, paid directly to us in Milan via cash:

*€0 – Authors of Major Papers
*€200 – Major Paper Respondents
*€300 – Everyone else
*€200 – Guests (children under 14, staying in the same room, are free)

====Registration====

Participation in the Fourth Nangeroni Meeting is by invitation only. If you have already secured your participation, please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kqeJFGZuybiMloNqxsK5RJHbGJoQDGUk7qiqE6MOcz8/viewform official online registration form] and pay your registration fee by '''February 28, 2015'''.

The registration fee is based on the number of Enoch Seminars/Nangeroni Meetings you have attended in the past:

*$125 – Newcomers
*$110 – Attended 1 Enoch Seminar
*$100 – Attended 2 Enoch Seminars
*$90 – Attended 3 Enoch Seminars
*$75 – Attended 4 or 5 Enoch Seminars + all emeriti
*$0 – Attended 6 or more Enoch Seminars or Nangeroni Meetings

This registration fee is a donation to our sponsor, the Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies, and it is tax-deductible for U.S. residents. The registration fee is refundable (minus a $50 administrative processing fee) 30 days prior to the start of the Seminar (i.e. by May 15, 2015) if for some reason you are unable to attend.

====Prospective Participants====

*'''Aghaei, Ali''' (Corpus Coranicum, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany, EU)*
*'''Azaiez, Mehdi''' (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, EU)*
*'''Benassi, 'Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Boccaccini, Gabriele''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Bonner, Michael''' (University of Michigan, USA)*
*'''Bori, Caterina''' (University of Bologna, Italy, EU)*
*'''Borrut, Antoine''' (University of Maryland, USA)*
*'''Caruthers, Rodney''' (University of Michigan, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Courtieu, Gilles''' (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, France, EU)*
*'''Dye, Guillaume''' (Free University of Brussels [ULB], Belgium, EU)*
*'''Enriello, Laura Mulayka''' (Interreligious Studies Academy, Italy, EU)*
*'''Fedeli, Alba''' (University of Birmingham, England, UK, EU)*
*'''Fisher, Greg''' (Carleton University, Ontario, Canada)*
*'''González Ferrín, Emilio''' (University of Seville, Spain, EU)*
*'''Hoffman, Thomas''' (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)*
*'''Kropp, Manfred''' (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, EU)*
*'''Mårtensson, Ulrika''' (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)*
*'''Morris, Ian D.''' (Spanish National Research Council [CSIC], Spain, EU / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, EU)*
*'''Mortensen, Mette Bjerregaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU)*
*'''Neuenkirchen, Paul''' (École Pratique des Hautes Études [EPHE], France, EU)*
*'''Oliver, Isaac W.''' (Bradley University, Illinois, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pagani, Samuela''' (University of Salento, Italy, EU)*
*'''Pallavicini, Yahya''' (COREIS, Italy, EU)*
*'''Petersen, Anders Klostergaard''' (Aarhus University, Denmark, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Pohlmann, Karl-Friedrich''' (University of Münster, Germany, EU)*
*'''Polliack, Meira''' (Tel Aviv University, Israel)*
*'''Pourshariati, Parvaneh''' (New York City College of Technology, USA)*
*'''Powers, David S.''' (Cornell University, New York, USA)*
*'''Reed, Annette Yoshiko''' (University of Pennsylvania, USA / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Retsö, Jan''' (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, EU)*
*'''Segovia, Carlos A.''' (Saint Louis University, Spain, EU / Enoch Seminar)*
*'''Shoemaker, Stephen J.''' (University of Oregon, USA)*
*'''Swanson, Dwight''' (Nazarene Theological College Manchester, UK, EU)*
*'''Watson, Francis''' (Durham University, UK, EU)*
*'''Wilk, Mateusz''' (University of Warsaw, Poland, EU)*
*'''Wood, Philip''' (The Aga Khan University, England, UK, EU)*

====Provisional Schedule====

'''Monday, June 15'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:00-16:00 – Arrivals

17:00 – '''Opening Session and Welcome''' ([http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini], [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye])

17:45–19:30 – '''Session 1: EARLY ISLAM AND ENOCHIC TRADITIONS'''
*[https://upenn.academia.edu/AnnetteYoshikoReed Annette Yoshiko Reed], "Fallen Angels and the Afterlives of Enochic Traditions"; Respondent: [https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Tuesday, June 16'''––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Reading Sessions'''

*(a) ''' ''Eschatological Counter-Discourse in the Qur'ān and Tractate Sanhedrîn'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.mehdi-azaiez.org/?lang=fr Mehdi Azaiez]

*(b) ''' ''Christian Representations of the Coming of Islam'' '''
**Chair: [http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood]

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 2: THE MAKING OF THE ISLAMIC PROPHET'''
*[https://slu.academia.edu/CarlosSegovia Carlos A. Segovia], "A Messianic Controversy behind the Making of Muḥammad as the Last Prophet?"; Respondent: [http://neareasternstudies.cornell.edu/people/detail.cfm?netid=dsp4 David S. Powers]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 3: HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE EARLY ISLAMIC ACCOUNT OF THE ARAB CONQUESTS?'''
*[https://us.academia.edu/EmilioGonzalezFerrin Emilio González Ferrín], "Islamic Late Antiquity and ''Fatḥ'': The Effect as Cause"; Respondent: [https://history.umd.edu/users/aborrut Antoine Borrut]

16:45–18:15 – '''Short Papers '''

*''' ''The Political and Religious Context of Islamic Late Antiquity'' ''' (Chair: [https://unibo.academia.edu/CaterinaBori Caterina Bori])
**[https://carleton-ca.academia.edu/GregFisher Greg Fisher], "Arabia and the Late Antique East: Current Research and New Problems"
**[https://csic.academia.edu/IanDMorris Ian D. Morris], "The Arabian Origins of the ''Ḥāǧib'': From Household Servant to Courtly Officer"
**[https://citytech-cuny.academia.edu/ParvanehPourshariati Parvaneh Pourshariati], "In Search of Religious 'Orthodoxy' in Sasanian Iran: The Paradigm and Its Devotees"
**[http://www.aku.edu/collegesschoolsandinstitutes/ismc/aboutus/faculty/Pages/philip-wood.aspx Philip Wood], "Archival Authority in the 'Abbāsid Caliphate: Edessa and Its Tax Claims"

20:00 - Dinner

'''Wednesday, June 17'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

08:45–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*''' ''The History of the Qur'ān: New Perspectives and Debates'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen])
**[http://egora.uni-muenster.de/fb1/personen/kpohlmann.shtml Karl-Friedrich Pohlmann], "Conversion from Jewish and Christian Milieus to Islam and Its Influence on the Formation of the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/ulrika.martensson Ulrika Mårtensson], "Al-Ṭabarī's Accounts of Islam and the Qur'ān: Methodological Implications for Research on Manuscripts, Linguistics, and the Qur'ān"
**[http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/itsee/staff/index.aspx Alba Fedeli], "Is the Dating of Qur'ānic Manuscripts Still a Problem?"
**[[Paul Neuenkirchen]], "Eschatology, Responsories and Rubrics in Eastern Christian Liturgies and the Qur'ān: Some Preliminary Remarks"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 4: EPIGRAPHIC SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF QUR'ĀNIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uni-mainz.academia.edu/ManfredKropp Manfred Kropp], "Epigraphical Sources in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Regions in Late Antiquity"; Respondent: [http://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/staff/?languageId=100001&userId=xretsj Jan Retsö]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optional cultural visit to Milan and the Ambrosian Library

'''Thursday, June 18'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:15 – '''Short Papers'''

*(a) ''' ''Biblical/Para-Biblical Traditions in the Qur'ān'' ''' (Chair: [http://www.4enoch.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Gabriele_Boccaccini Gabriele Boccaccini])
**[https://bbaw.academia.edu/aliaghaei Ali Aghaei], "''God commands you to slaughter a Cow'': Q. 2:67-74 as an allusion to Num. 19:1-19 or Deut. 21:1-9?"
**[https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=5560 Francis Watson], "Abraham the Iconoclast in Qur'ānic Transformation"
**[['Isa 'Abd al-Haqq Nicola Benassi]], "Muḥammad and the Christian Monks Baḥīrā and Waraqa: Revelation and Dialogue at the Origin of the Qur'ān"
**[[Laura Mulayka Enriello]], "Qur'ān and Eschatology: Reflections on the Prophet Enoch in the Islamic Tradition"

*(b) ''' ''Qur'ānic- and Early Islamic Eschatology'' ''' (Chair: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mette-bjerregaard-mortensen(e0aed006-b90f-4dd9-bb70-c047a22932ad).html Mette Bjerregaard Mortensen])
**[https://ku-dk.academia.edu/ThomasHoffmann Thomas Hoffmann], "Eruptions of Memories: On Collective Memory and Seismic Catastrophe in the Qur’ān"
**[https://univ-lyon3.academia.edu/gillescourtieu Gilles Courtieu], "Cushions, Bottles and Roast Chickens! More Advertising about Paradise"
**[http://en.ihuw.pl/institute/about/academic-staff/dr-mateusz-wilk Mateusz Wilk], "Religious Scrupulousness and the End of the World: Some Remarks on Early Islamic Piety"

10:45–12:30 – '''Session 5: THE BIBLIA ARABICA PROJECT'''
*[https://telaviv.academia.edu/MeiraPolliack Meira Polliack], "The Task of Translation: Reflections on a Recent Scholarly Project"; Respondent: [https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye]

13:00 - Lunch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

14:30–16:15 – '''Session 6: THE QUR'ĀN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF REDACTION CRITICISM'''
*[https://ulb.academia.edu/GuillaumeDye Guillaume Dye], "The Qur'ān and Its Hypertextuality in Light of Redaction Criticism"; Respondent: [https://bradley.academia.edu/IsaacWOliverakadeOliveira Isaac W. Oliver]

20:00 - Dinner

'''Friday, June 19'''–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

09:00–10:45 – '''Session 7: METHOD AND THEORY IN THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC ORIGINS'''
*[https://uoregon.academia.edu/StephenShoemaker Stephen J. Shoemaker], "Method and Theory in the Study of Early Islam"; Respondent: [http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/anders-klostergaard-petersen(966b9914-b583-4e39-8af5-6c1684239191).html Anders Klostergaard Petersen]

11:15–12:30 – '''Closing Plenary Session'''

13:00 – Lunch & Farewells

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

===Getting to the Seminar===

'''Villa Cagnola (main lodging and location of Seminar):'''

Istituto Superiore di Studi Religiosi “Villa Cagnola”

Via Cagnola, 17/19

21045 GAZZADA SCHIANNO (VA)

Tel. +39 0332 461304

fax +39 0332 870887

E-mail: reception@villacagnola.it

villacagnola@tin.it

[http://www.villacagnola.it www.villacagnola.it]

'''From Malpensa Airport'''

Taxi: 25-30 minutes; ~60 Euros

Train: ~1.5 hours; ~6 Euros (See [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com], Departure = "Malpensa Aeroporto" Arrival = "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone")

*Take bus from Malpensa to "Busto Arsizio” and from there take a train “Suburbano” to the stop “Gazzada-Schianno.”
*The station in Gazzada is about 1km from the Villa, or ~200m via the steps ([https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&hl=en&ll=45.778546,8.824221&spn=0.006398,0.016512&sll=41.581461,-83.587567&sspn=0.013723,0.033023&oq=villa+cagnola,+gaz&hq=Villa+Cagnola,+Via+Cagnola,+Gazzada+Schianno,+Italy&t=m&z=17 see map]).

'''From Milan via Train'''

There are no direct trips to Gazzada from Milano Centrale station (though it is usually a quick connection). Most of the direct trips from Milan are from the Milano Porta Girabaldi station (which is also in the center of town). Visit [http://www.trenitalia.com trenitalia.com] to find the best times for direct trips. For departure, select "Milano (all stations)," and for arrival, "Gazzada-Schianno-Morazzone." This will show you all of the trips to Gazzada from the Milan stations. The trip will take 1-1.5 hours and cost around 6 euros.

'''From Linate'''

Taxi: Cost - ?? (probably extremely high); There is a shuttle which runs from Linate to Malpensa where you could share a taxi with those arriving at Malpensa.

Train: Take shuttle or bus to Milano Centrale station (see above).

[[Category:Conferences]]

[[Category:Milan, Italy|2015]]