The Quest for Meaning and Pluralism
Contact:
Ellen Vaillancourt, 778.782.5278, edvailla@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3210, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Website: http://www.sfu.ca/ccsmsc/events.htm
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfupamr/5375501707/
Simon Fraser University’s Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures (CCSMSC) is kicking off a barnburner of a 2011 spring lecture series with a talk by Tariq Ramadan.
Ramadan is professor of contemporary Islamic studies and theology at St. Antony’s College at Oxford University, Oxford, England. He will open the CCSMSC lecture series on Feb. 3, 7 p.m., at the Segal Graduate School of Business, with a talk based on his latest book, The Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy for Pluralism.
In his talk, as he does in his book, Ramadan will journey deep into oceans of religious, secular, and indigenous spiritual traditions to explore the most pressing issues affecting contemporary Islam and the West. Through his work, the Islamic scholar and Swiss philosopher interrogates the concepts that frame current debates on faith and reason, emotions and spirituality, tradition and modernity, and universality and civilization.
Ramadan has authored more than 20 books. He lectures extensively worldwide on theology, Islamic law and jurisprudence, applied ethics, philosophy, social justice, economy, politics, interfaith and intra-community dialogue.
The Financial Times newspaper called Quest for Meaning “a prophetic, passionate and insightful book. Ramadan’s message is urgent: our very survival depends upon our ability to build a harmonious, respectful global community.”
One of the most recognized international voices for the understanding of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world, Ramadan is a visiting professor of Islamic studies at Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. He is also a visiting professor of philosophy at Mundiapolis University, Morocco, northern Africa, and a Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan.
A book signing will follow Ramadan’s lecture, which is co-hosted by SFU’s School for International Studies. The free event is open to the public but reservations are required – visit www.sfu.ca/reserve – or by e-mail ccsmcs@sfu.ca.