FOUNDATIONS OF IBN TAYMIYYA’S RELIGIOUS UTILITARIANISM with Dr Jon Hoover [Nottingham University]

Islamic Courses presents:

FOUNDATIONS OF IBN TAYMIYYA’S RELIGIOUS UTILITARIANISM with Dr Jon Hoover [University of Nottingham] and hosted by Imran Iqbal [Whitethread Institute, UK]

Date and time: Tuesday 16th June 2020 @4pm BST-UK/London - Adjust to your local time zone

About: In this discussion, we will explore the conceptual foundations of utilitarianism in Ibn Taymiyya's theology, jurisprudence and ethics; First how he overcomes Ashari's voluntarist objections to formulate a coherent theology of a God acting towards utilitarian ends (as detailed in his treatise al-Irãda wa’l-amr), and then how he justifies utilitarian ethical and jurisprudential deliberation at the human level, especially in view of his conviction that revelation has already indicated everything of human benefit (illustrating this through exposition of Ibn Taymiyya’s treatise on the caliphate).

About Dr Jon Hoover [University of Nottingham, UK]
Jon Hoover is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Nottingham. He specialises in Islamic intellectual history, medieval Islamic theology and philosophy, Christian Muslim relations, and the thought of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, and Christian-Muslim relations.. He is the author of Ibn Taymiyya s Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism, and numerous articles and book chapters on Ibn Taymiyya s theology and ethics. He majored Theological Studies from the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana, followed by PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Birmingham. He has taught Islamic Studies at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut and currently teaching, researching and supervising Islamic Studies at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies University of Nottingham,UK. Some of publications, articles and journals include: Ibn Taymiyya’s Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism (2007). Ibn Taymiyya. Oxford Bibliographies Online.(2012) ?anbali Theology Oxford Handbooks Online. (2014) Christian-Muslim relations: a bibliographical history. (2012).