Relevant to Our Time

The Thompson Library at the Ohio State University.Keeping in mind the 10th anniversary of the 2001 WTC attacks and considering recent developments in the Middle East, intellectual dialogue between different societies and cultures is more urgently needed now than at any time before. Al-Ghazālī‟s influence on Islamic, Christian and Jewish thought is a uniquely rich basis for dialogue and intellectual exchange between faiths.  By focusing on his commitment to religion and rational thinking, the conference will highlight cross-cultural commonalities as well as specific features of cultural, philosophical, and religious identity. The conference will endeavor to deepen mutual inter-religious understanding – an effort very much needed not only in America.

The west window of the Mershon CenterTo commemorate the 900 year-long legacy of the preeminent al-Ghazālī, an international and interdisciplinary conference will take place on November 10-12, 2011. Leading scholars in intellectual history, philosophy, Islamic law and theology, and medieval Christian and Jewish thought will convene to discuss vital aspects of al-Ghazālī’s work. Dealing with the increasingly important topic of Islam and rationality, and raising relevant questions related to the inter-religious exchange of ideas, the conference will be a contribution towards invigorating discourses between philosophy, religious studies, cultural history, and Islamic studies. The goals of this dialogue are to enhance research of and initiate new studies into the impact of al-Ghazālī’s vast work and to create continuing forums for international conversation between scholars and the public on the topics of Islam, reason, and cross-cultural exchange.