14-16, April 2026, Munich
The workshop is a cooperation between the Simon Dubnow Institute, Leipzig, and the Unit of Judaic Studies/ Munich Research Centre of Jewish Arabic Cultures at the University of Munich
We invite proposals for a workshop exploring the impact of Muslim rule on Jewish literature, with a particular focus on religious texts—including translations of the Bible, commentaries, and philosophical and legal writings. While Jewish literary production under Islamic rule has attracted significant scholarly attention, this workshop seeks to sharpen the lens by examining how the realities of Muslim political authority and Islamic intellectual traditions influenced or shaped Jewish religious writing.
Rather than focusing solely on coexistence or cultural flourishing, we are interested in how Jewish authors responded—textually, linguistically, and theologically—to the Islamic environment in which they lived. This includes the ways in which Islamic models of thought, language, and literary form left their imprint on Jewish religious expression.
Various Eastern languages, such as (Judeo-)Arabic, (Judeo-)Persian, and (Judeo-)Turkish, were widely used by Jewish communities in Islamic lands to compose works on matters of intellectual and religious life. We particularly welcome contributions that explore this multilingual dimension and examine how local linguistic ecologies intersect with the production of religious texts.
Contributions can be grounded in literary analysis, philology, manuscript studies, intellectual or legal history, and comparative theology. Geographically, the scope encompasses (but is not limited to) Al-Andalus, the Maghreb, the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, and Central Asia, spanning the early Islamic period to the late modern era (approximately 900-1900
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
• Translations of the Hebrew Bible into local languages: translation techniques, audiences, and theological framing.
• The influence of Qur’anic language, structure, or concepts on Jewish exegesis.
• Jewish religious commentaries written under Muslim rule: philosophical, grammatical, or legal aspects.
• Adaptation of Islamic exegetical, legal, or theological models (tafsīr, fiqh, kalām) in Jewish texts.
• Jewish polemical or apologetic works responding to Islamic doctrines or addressing Muslim interlocutors.
• The use of Arabic, Persian, or Ottoman Turkish literary forms in Jewish religious discourse.
• Jewish philosophical writing in dialogue with Islamic kalām or falsafa.
• Jewish mysticism and pietism shaped by Islamic Sufi traditions or concepts.
• Impact of Muslim political structures on the circulation, censorship, or authorization of Jewish religious texts.
• Multilingual manuscripts, glosses, or translation practices.
• Comparative hermeneutics: Midrash and tafsir in interaction or opposition.
• Courtly, institutional, or patronage frameworks that influenced religious textual production.
Submission Details
Please submit:
• An abstract of 300–500 words outlining your proposed contribution.
• A brief academic biography (max. 200 words).
Submissions should be sent by 20.1.2026 to the Dubnow Institute ([email protected]).
Notifications of acceptance will be sent soon thereafter.
Publication
Selected contributions from the workshop will be published in a peer-reviewed edited volume that brings together new research on the transformations of Jewish religious literature under Muslim dominion.
For questions or further information, please contact Ali Langroudi ([email protected]).
We look forward to your proposals and to a stimulating scholarly exchange on the entangled literary and religious histories of Jews under Islamic rule.