The Faculty of Theology and Religion is pleased to share news of a new interdisciplinary research initiative, The Impact of Islam on Christian Political Theology (622–1453), which has been awarded a grant from the John Fell Fund through the TORCH New Network Scheme.
Led by Dr Steven Firmin and Professor Joshua Hordern (Theology and Religion), Dr Michael Humphreys (History), and Professor Christian Sahner (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies), the project brings together scholars across Oxford and beyond to explore how Christian political theology was shaped through engagement with Islam during the medieval period.
Despite rich histories of Christian-Muslim interaction, there has been no coordinated study of how Christian understandings of kingship, law, authority, justice, and violence developed in dialogue with Islamic thought. This network addresses that gap through a series of academic activities taking place across 2025–26.
For more information, or to express interest in participating, please contact Dr Steven Firmin (steven.firmin@theology.ox.ac.uk)
