Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
Cambridge Muslim College announced a call for papers for an upcoming global online conference, which will be held in April 2025. The theme for this scholarly gathering is Proofs for God’s Existence in Islamic Thought. It aims to explore the rich Islamic intellectual heritage and its contributions to the discourse on God’s existence, engaging with both historical perspectives and contemporary debates.
In a world where the dialogue between science, philosophy, and theology is increasingly important, the Islamic tradition offers a wealth of insights and arguments concerning the existence of God. This conference seeks to highlight these contributions, encouraging scholars to mine the depths of Islamic thought for novel arguments or to refine existing ones in light of contemporary developments in both science and philosophy.
Key Themes
We invite papers on, though not limited to, the following key themes:
- Historical and philosophical analysis of classical proofs for God’s existence within Islamic scholarship.
- Comparative studies on God’s definition, knowability and proof in Islam and other religious or philosophical traditions.
- The impact of modern philosophical developments, as well as those of science and cosmology, on traditional Islamic arguments for God’s existence.
- Critical examinations of contemporary atheistic challenges in the light of Islamic theological and philosophical responses.
Important Dates
- Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 December 2024
- Notification of Article Decision: 31 January 2025
- Draft Article Submission: 31 March 2025
- Conference Date: 12-13 April 2025
Conference Details
This conference will be open to all (with registration) and hosted free online by Cambridge Muslim College. It will be a live, interactive event, and recordings will not be generally available for attendees. It will be of special interest to academics, researchers, and scholars from various disciplines, including Islamic studies, philosophy of religion, theology, history, and science, who are interested in exploring and contributing to the theme of Proofs for God’s Existence in Islamic Thought.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and to the rich discussions that this conference promises to inspire. Join us in this intellectual exploration of one of the most profound questions in human thought, as seen through the lens of Islamic tradition and contemporary discourse.
Submission Guidelines
- Abstracts should be no more than 300 words, clearly outlining the thesis and main arguments of the proposed paper, and should be submitted by December 2024.
- Papers should be original work, not previously published, and should offer a significant contribution to the field.
- Submissions must adhere to the highest academic standards, with proper citation and referencing in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style.
- A full draft paper will be requested in advance of the online conference for sharing with other participants, and presenters that do not submit a draft may be withdrawn from the programme.
- Publication of select conference proceedings will be sought in the form of a Special Issue in a relevant scholarly journal.
