Historic Opportunity for Qurʾānic Studies in Egypt
For those interested in the theological and practical dimensions of Christian-Muslim relations, a seminar in Cairo starting at the end of this year will provide a remarkable opportunity. This joint program between the Woodberry Intercultural Institute and Al-Azhar will focus on understanding the Qurʿān, the sacred scripture at the heart of the Islamic faith. The official seminar desciption is as follows:
Explore Islam and key issues in Qurʾānic Studies at Al-Azhar, the renowned and historic center of Islamic religious scholarship. Al-Azhar’s brilliant professors will deliver lectures on this year’s topic: Introduction to the Holy Qurʾān—some in English and some in Arabic with English translation. Specific topics include: Sunni doctrine on the nature of the Qurʾān, approaches to exegesis of the Qurʾān, variant readings and recitations of the Qurʾānic text, and Qurʾānic ethics. Students will be able to ask questions of Al-Azhar’s Muslim experts. Additionally, classroom sessions with Dr. Joseph Cumming and other Christian scholars will provide historical and theological background to enhance understanding of the Al-Azhar lectures and facilitate collaborative discussions on the Qurʾān and its relevance to contemporary faith communities.
The seminar will be offered twice from December 28th (2025) to January 9th (2026) and then again from February 1st to Febraury 13th (2026). The scholar organizing the course is Dr. Joseph Cumming, a leading figure in Christian-Muslim relations who brings a unique blend of advanced academic scholarship and practical experience having spent decades living in the MENA region. Dr. Cumming’s strong personal relationship with the current Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmed al-Ṭayyib, is one of the main reasons such a unique seminar is possible.
(The Grand Imam, Dr. Aḥmed al-Ṭayyeb, greets Dr. Joseph Cumming at his al-Azhar office known as the mashaykah.)
This seminar builds on the success of last year’s program on Sufism, which was attended by dozens of practitioners and scholars from around the world. Academic credit may be available through Fuller Seminary and other institutions. For our readers who work in academic and interfaith contexts, we hope you will let others know about this remarkable opportunity. For further information, please see the informational brochureand/or email [email protected].
Matthew Anderson
Director - Center for Arab-West Understanding
Executive Editor - Dialogue Across Borders (Brill)
July 17, 2025
Emerging Perspectives on Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Dialogue Across Borders is a database of summary translations of Arabic newspaper articles with references to their sources about intercultural and interreligious relations, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Muslim-Christian relations. The database also contains articles with editorial analysis and interviews on the subject.