Aaron W. Hughes
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Aaron W. Hughes is a Canadian academic,
author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
, and
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
of Religious studies. He holds the Dean's Professor of the Humanities and the Philip S. Bernstein Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Religion and Classics at the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...
. Previously, he was the Gordon and Gretchen Gross Professor of Jewish Studies at the University at Buffalo,
State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
from 2009 to 2012, and, from 2001 to 2009, Professor of Religious Studies at the
University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
in Alberta, Canada.


Biography

The first-born son of William Hughes (1927–2013) and Sadie Alley (1936– ), Aaron was born on August 15, 1968, at the University Hospital in Edmonton, AB. His father was a native of
Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and his mother was born in
Fort Simpson, NWT Fort Simpson ( Slavey language: ''Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́'' "place where rivers come together") is a village, the only one in the entire territory, in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on a ...
, daughter to Bud and Lottie Mabelle (May) Alley. He also has a young brother, Cameron (1972– ). A first-generation college student, Hughes received a B.A. (hons) in Religious studies at the
University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
in 1993. He worked primarily there with Earle H. Waugh,
Ehud Ben Zvi Ehud Ben Zvi (born 1951) is an Israeli Old Testament scholar. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of History, Classics and Religion at the University of Alberta. Ben Zvi studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Open University of I ...
, and Francis Landy. Following this, he went to the Department of Religious Studies at
Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest campu ...
, where he received a M.A. in 1995 and a
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
in 2000 for a dissertation entitled ''Philosophy's Mythos: Aesthetics, the Imagination, and the Philosophical Novel on Medieval Jewish and Islamic Thought''. This was subsequently published as ''The Texture of the Divine: Imagination in Medieval Islamic and Jewish Thought'' (
Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...
, 2004), which was one of three finalists for a Koret Jewish Book Award in the Thought/Philosophy category. In addition to his coursework at Indiana University, Hughes also spent a year, 1996-1997, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and then later as a Lady Davis fellow in 2004-2005. He also spent several years at the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
, in 1999-2000 and then again in 2019-2020, at the
Faculty of Oriental Studies The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (formerly the Faculty of Oriental Studies), is a subdivision of the University of Oxford. The faculty is engaged in a broad range of research and teaching on modern and historical Asian and Middl ...
.


Work

Hughes is a scholar of three distinct, yet interrelated, fields of research:
Jewish studies Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; he, מדעי היהדות, madey ha-yahadut, sciences of Judaism) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (esp ...
,
Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...
, and Theory and Method in the Academic Study of Religion. What connects these diverse areas, for Hughes, is the
meta Meta (from the Greek μετά, '' meta'', meaning "after" or "beyond") is a prefix meaning "more comprehensive" or "transcending". In modern nomenclature, ''meta''- can also serve as a prefix meaning self-referential, as a field of study or ende ...
questions that govern scholarly production. Working on the assumption that scholarly categories are not natural, but products of often highly idiosyncratic, political, and ideological choice, Hughes seeks to critique such motivations. This is seen in his dismantling of the category "Abrahamic religions." It is also visible in his critiques of the subfields of Islamic and Jewish studies. In terms of Islamic Studies, Hughes has primarily been interested in critiquing what he regards as the overly apologetical and ecumenical approach to the field. This can be witnessed, for example in his two books that take aim at the field (''Situating Islam and Theorizing Islam''). However rather than just critique, Hughes has also attempted a corrective with his ''Muslim Identities'', which is meant to be an attempt to provide an introduction to Islam in ways that eschews the approaches of scholars like Fred Denny and
John Esposito John Louis Esposito (born May 19, 1940) is an Italian-American academic, professor of Middle Eastern and religious studies, and scholar of Islamic studies, who serves as Professor of Religion, International Affairs, and Islamic Studies at Geor ...
. Writing in the '' Journal of Islamic Studies'',
Murad Wilfried Hofmann Murad Wilfried Hofmann (1931 – 13 January 2020) was a German diplomat and author. He wrote several books on Islam, including ''Journey to Makkah'' () and ''Islam: The Alternative'' (). Many of his books and essays focused on Islam's place ...
describes Hughes' ''Muslim Identities'' as "the very best introduction currently available in English for non-Muslims seeking a sound approach to Islam." However, writing in the Review of Middle East Studies, while Peter Matthews Wright described the book as a worthy introduction, he criticized the author's uneven tone and reversion to language that undermines Hughe's stated aims. Hughes is also the co-editor of ''Method and Theory in the Study of Religion'' (MTSR), the leading journal devoted to the subject. In addition, he was the Editor of the Academy Series, published by
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
for the
American Academy of Religion The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholarly method, scholars in the List of academic disciplines, field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a profes ...
, and co-editor for the Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophers.


Canadian Studies

forthcoming


Public dispute with Omid Safi

In the 2012 book ''Theorizing Islam'', Hughes had written critically about the scholarship of
Omid Safi Omid Safi is a Sufi and Iranian-American Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University. He served as the Director of Duke Islamic Studies Center from July 2014 to June 2019 and was a columnist for ''On Being''. Safi special ...
, a professor of Islamic studies at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
, and other scholars in the academic study of Islam. In January 2014, Safi published a piece on the ezine '' Jadaliyya'' presenting his "impressions about the state of Islamic studies in the North American academy." In the course of the article, in which he expressed his concern regarding unreconstructed orthodox Muslim voices entering the American academy, he stated that Hughes and two other scholars had written "pieces attacking and critiquing the prominence of Muslim scholars in the Study of Islam Section." Specifically, he described Hughes book as "grossly polemical and simplistic." In response, Hughes demanded that he "do what the Western tradition of scholarly discourse demands and respond to my ideas in print as opposed to engaging in innuendo and identity politics." He further suggested that Safi may have been motivated by Hughes' position in
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
studies, adding sarcastically, " all know that Jews are the arch-enemy of Islam."


Books


Written by Hughes

*''The Charter of Rights and Freedoms: A Biography''. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, under contract (expected, 2024). *''Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam''. 2nd ed. Sheffield: Equinox, 2022. *''10 Days That Shaped Modern Canada''. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2022. *''An Anxious Inheritance: Religious Others and the Shaping of Sunnī Orthodoxy''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. *''Religion in 50 More Words: A Critical Vocabulary (with Russell T. McCutcheon)''. London: Routledge, 2022. *''Religion in 50 Words: A Critical Vocabulary (with Russell T. McCutcheon)''. London: Routledge, 2022. *''Somewhere Between Islam and Judaism: Critical Reflections''. Sheffield: Equinox, 2021. *''From Seminary to University: An Institutional History of the Study of Religion in Canada''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020. *''Muslim and Jew: Origins, Growth, Resentment''. London: Routledge, 2019. *''Shared Identities: Medieval and Modern Imaginings of Judeo-Islam''. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. *''Comparison: A Critical Primer''. Sheffield: Equinox, 2017. *''Jacob Neusner: An American Jewish Iconoclast''. New York: New York University Press, 2016. *''Jacob Neusner on Religion: The Example of Judaism''. New York and London: Routledge. 2016. *''Islam and the Tyranny of Authenticity: An Inquiry into Disciplinary Apologetics and Self-Deception''. Sheffield: Equinox, 2015. *''Rethinking Jewish Philosophy: Beyond Particularism and Universalism''. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. *''The Study of Judaism: Identity, Authenticity, Scholarship''. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2013. *''Muslim Identities: An Introduction''. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2013. *''Abrahamic Religions: On the Uses and Abuses of History''. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. *''Theorizing Islam: Disciplinary Deconstruction and Reconstruction''. London: Equinox, 2012. *''The Invention of Jewish Identity: Bible, Philosophy, and the Art of Translation''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010. * ''Situating Islam; The Past and Future of an Academic Discipline''. Equinox Publishing, 2008. * ''The Art of Dialogue in Jewish Philosophy''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007. * ''Jewish Philosophy A-Z''. Edinburgh UP, 2005. * ''The Texture of the Divine: Imagination in Medieval Islamic and Jewish Thought'' (Indiana UP 2004)


Edited by Hughes

*''New Methods in the Study of Islam'' (with Abbas Aghdassi). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2022. *''What Is Religion?: Debating the Academic Study of Religion'' (with Russell T. McCutcheon). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. *''Deconstructing Islamic Studies'' (with Majid Daneshgar). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2020. *''Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Its Literary Forms'' (with James T. Robinson). Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2019. *''The Future of Jewish Philosophy'' (with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson). Leiden: Brill, 2018. *''Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophy'' (with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson). 20 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2018. *''Religion in Five Minutes'' (with Russell T. McCutcheon). Sheffield: Equinox, 2017. *''Theory in a Time of Excess: Beyond Reflection and Explanation in Religious Studies Scholarship''. Sheffield: Equinox, 2017. *''Poets, Prophets, and Texts in Play: Studies in Biblical Poetry and Prophecy in Honor of Francis Landy'' (with
Ehud Ben Zvi Ehud Ben Zvi (born 1951) is an Israeli Old Testament scholar. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of History, Classics and Religion at the University of Alberta. Ben Zvi studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Open University of I ...
, Claudia V. Camp, David M. Gunn. London: T & T Clark, 2014. *''Jewish Philosophy for the Twenty-First Century: Personal Reflections'' (with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson". Leiden: Brill, 2014. *''Theory and Method in the Study of Religion: Twenty-Five Years On''. Leiden: Brill, 2013. *''Encountering the Medieval in Modern Jewish Thought'' (with James A. Diamond). Leiden: Brill, 2012. *''New Directions in Jewish Philosophy'' (with
Elliot R. Wolfson Elliot R. Wolfson (born November 23, 1956) is a scholar of Jewish studies. Wolfson earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in philosophy at Queens College of the City University of New York, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic studies f ...
). Indiana University Press, 2009. * ''Defining Judaism: A Reader''. Equinox Publishing, 2009. *Guest editor of two special issues of the ''Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy'' (JJTP).


Honors and awards

Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair in Canada and North America, College of the Humanities, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, 2022-2023 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Fellowship, 2019-2020 Bluma Appel Visiting Scholar in Jewish Studies, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Spring 2016 Katz Center for Advanced Jewish Studies (declined), University of Pennsylvania, Fall 2015 Bernard and Audre Rapoport Fellow, American Jewish Archives Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, OH, 2014 Schreiber Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies, McMaster University, Winter 2008 Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Standard Research Grant, 2008–2011 Fellow, Calgary Institute of the Humanities, University of Calgary, 2008–2009 Schreiber Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies, McMaster University, Winter 2008 Killam Residential Fellowship, University of Calgary, Fall 2007
Lady Davis Fellowship The Lady Davis Fellow is a program of The Lady Davis Foundation for the scholars to carry out research in various areas on the campuses of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Israel. The Lady Da ...
, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2004–2005 Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Standard Research Grant, 2004-2007. Ruth and Mark Luckens Prize in Jewish Thought, University of Kentucky, 2004


External links

Interviews * With Craig Martin, Bulletin for the Study of Religion. * With Matt Sheedy, Bulletin for the Study of Religion.


References

* Reference 1 http://www.myjewishbooks.com/awards04.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Aaron W. 1968 births Living people Canadian historians of religion Canadian people of Scottish descent Religious studies scholars Historians of Jews and Judaism University of Calgary faculty University at Buffalo faculty Historians of Islam