Shia Islamic-Jewish Legal Reasoning in Dialogue Conference

Shia Islamic and Jewish Law: A Conceptual and Historical Comparison

Over the past four years, supported by the Mellon Foundation and Indiana University Bloomington, 13 scholars of Shia Islamic and Jewish law have engaged in a historically oriented conceptual comparison of these two rich legal traditions. Organized into six working groups, the team has explored topics ranging from theocracy and the persecution of heretics to female clerical authority. This collaborative research will culminate in a forthcoming edited volume published by Rutgers University Press.

Building on this foundational work, Duke University’s Center for Jewish Studies (CJS) and the Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC)—drawing on a long history of institutional partnership—are serving as the host venue for the project's next phase. This initiative integrates workshop sessions into select Duke courses, offering students, Duke faculty, and scholars across the Research Triangle opportunities to engage directly with the research. Participation is also open to the broader interdisciplinary community of Jewish and Islamic Studies scholars.

At a time of global tension and conflict often misattributed to religious divides, this collaboration under the aegis of Duke University leverages academic freedom and rigorous scholarship to foster a vital space for nuanced Jewish–Muslim dialogue.