Visiting Speaker - Dr Ramon Harvey, Ebrahim College

In this lecture, I will argue that the theological system of the early Transoxianan scholar Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī, which places the attribute of divine wisdom centre stage, has interesting implications for his grounding of morality and apparent theory of practical jurisprudence when compared to other major theological schools of his era.

My intention in excavating these questions within the thought of al-Māturīdī is not just their intrinsic historical interest, but to outline a constructive proposal for a Neo-Māturīdī natural law theory. Such a perspective would aim to be fit for engagement in both contemporary debates of Islamic law and wider ethical discourse with other traditions and academic views.

Dr Harvey received his MA and then PhD in Islamic Studies from SOAS, University of London. He has previously worked as a Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS, as a Research Fellow at the Cambridge Muslim College and is currently Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Ebrahim College in London.  He has written articles on canonical and variant Qur’anic qirāʾāt and will soon release his first book entitled The Qur’an and the Just Society with Edinburgh University Press.  His current research interests are Qur’anic studies, Islamic theology and legal theory, as well as contemporary ethical and political philosophy.