EDUCATION

• Emory University:  Ph.D. in West and South Asian Religions, May 2004.
  • Dissertation (awarded “distinction”): “Early Islamic Hermeneutics: Language, Speech, and Meaning in Preclassical Legal Theory.”
  • Dissertation committee: Richard Martin (advisor), Gordon Newby, Devin Stewart.
  • Examinations: Comparative hermeneutics; Islamic theories of revelation and interpretation; Religious interaction in colonial India; Annotated translation of al-Juwayni’s Waraqat fi `ilm usul al-fiqh.
  • Summer Academy “Hermeneutics of Border: Canon and Community in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,” Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, August 2003.
  • George W. Woodruff Fellowship (1997-2002), Harvey Fellowship (2001-2004), John Fenton Prize in Comparative Religion, Outstanding Achievement in Arabic at the Graduate Level award.
• Arabic Language and Islamic Studies Semester in Fez, Morocco, Washington University in St. Louis / Arabic Language Institute in Fez, January 11 - June 4, 1999.
• University of Colorado at Boulder:  M.A. in Religious Studies, May 1997.
  • Thesis: “On the Origin and Development of the Qur'anic Use of Amana.”
    University Fellowship, Pounds Fellowship.
• Gordon College: B.A. in Mathematics and Philosophy, September 1990, summa cum laude.
  • Pike Honors Scholar, Ball award, Physics award, Raytheon award, Phi Alpha Chi award (twice), President Forrester award. Budapest Semester in Mathematics, Spring 1989.

TEACHING

• Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of South Carolina.
  • “Islamic Theology,” SCCC 461J, Spring 2005.
  • “The Qur’an,” RELG 491Q, Spring 2005.
  • “Introduction to Religious Studies,” RELG 110, Spring 2005, Fall 2004.
  • “Introduction to Islam,” RELG 491I, Fall 2004.
• Adjunct Teaching, Emory University.
  • “Introduction to Religion: Christianity and Islam,” REL 100, Fall 2003, Spring 2001.
  • “Intermediate Arabic I,” ARAB 201, Fall 2003.
  • “Islamic Theology,” REL 372H, Spring 2000.
• Assistant Teaching:
  • “Freshman Seminar on the Koran,” MES 190G, Emory, Devin Stewart, Fall 1999.
  • “Early and Medieval Hinduism,” REL 250, Emory, Laurie Patton, Fall 1998.
  • “Christian Traditions,” RLST 3000, University of Colorado, Frederick Denny, Spring 1997.
  • “World Religions - West,” RLST 2600, University of Colorado, Frederick Denny, Spring 1996.
  • “Christian Traditions,” RLST 3000, University of Colorado, Elliott Ross-Bryant, Fall 1995.
• Teaching Interests: Islamic theology, law, and religion; Muslim-non-Muslim interaction; comparative sacred texts; religious interaction in South Asia; introduction to religious studies; Abrahamic religions; Arabic language.

SCHOLARSHIP

• “Nazzam, al-.” In The Encyclopedia of Religion, Second Edition, ed. Lindsay Jones, vol. 9, 6444-6446. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004.
• “The Risala of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi`i (d. 204/820): Its Structure, Composition, and Significance for Islamic Legal Theory.” American Oriental Society, San Diego, March 13, 2004.
• “Some Epistemological and Hermeneutical Dimensions of the Doctrine of the Created Qur'an.” American Academy of Religion, Toronto, November 25, 2002.
• “In Defense of Ambiguity: The Legal Hermeneutics of Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al-Tayyib al-Baqillani (d. 403/1013).” American Oriental Society, Houston, March 23, 2002.
• “Reading Scriptures Across Religious Lines in Colonial India: Interreligious Conflict and Reconciliation, and the Intrareligious Contestation of Identity.” Religion, Identity, and Reconciliation conference, Emory University Graduate Division of Religion, Atlanta, March 31, 2001.