The Shia-Jewish Legal Reasoning in Dialogue

Over the last four year, The Shia-Jewish Legal Reasoning in Dialogue has brought together 13 scholars from across the U.S. and internationally to study legal texts of both traditions via diverse methodologies of academic analysis. They have been divided into 6 working groups working on the topics of the legal self, constitutionalism, theocracy, language, female clerical authority, and the persecution of heretics. The Dialogue is not merely meant to identify similarities and differences, but to allow scholars to think their "own" tradition conceptually anew through this encounter. The project arrives at Duke in order to present its findings and receive constructive critique from Triangle-area scholars of co-written book chapters that will eventually be published in Rutgers University Press' "Transmodern Times" series.

Schedule:

Sunday: October 25th 8:30-9:15. Welcomes, Introductions

9:15-11:00. Session 1: Hermeneutics and Language

11:15-1:00. Session 2: Theocracy

1:00-2:00. Lunch

2:00- 3:45. Session 3: Key Concepts of Religious Authority

4:00-5:45. Session 4: Female Clerical Authority

Monday: October 26th 8:30- 10:15. Session 5: Identifying and Punishing the Heretic

10:30-12:15 Session 6: The Legal Self

12:15-1:00. Lunch

1:00-2:45. Session 7: Constitutionalism

3:00-4:00 Concluding Thoughts and Questions