51±¾É«

I specialize in Islamic and Sufi Studies with a focus on contemporary Muslim thought and identity. I am particularly interested in modern Muslim engagement with classical debates in Islamic intellectual history as well as with recent developments in western thought and culture. My research interests include debates about the status of women in the Muslim world, transnational networking among Muslim activists, the construction of contemporary North American Muslim identities, and Islamic mysticism’s impact on Muslim social and spiritual values. 

I also have written and presented a number of articles and papers on the politics of Islamic hermeneutics, Islamic conceptions of peace and conflict resolution, and the role of cultural and religious factors in peacemaking.

• Merit Awards, Faculty of Arts, 51±¾É« (2024, 2018, 2015, & 2010)  
• 51±¾É« Long Service Award (2022) 
• Donald F. Morgenson Faculty Award of Teaching Excellence, Faculty Mentoring Award, 51±¾É« (2021) 
• WLU-CICDA Faculty Grant (2015) 
• Nominated for TVO’s 2009 and 2010 Ontario’s Best Lecturer Competition 
• Contemplative Practice Fellowship, Fetzer Institute (2009-10) 
• Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion Research Fellowship (2009) 
• Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) Award (2008) 
• WLU Student Union Golden Hawk Teacher of the Year (2007-08) 

I teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, and have served and serve as a graduate supervisor for MA and PhD students who are researching issues of contemporary Islamic and Sufi thought and identity. I also have offered research assistantships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in contemporary Islam, Muslim women, Sufism and Middle Eastern culture and history. 

• Muslim Women in Contemporary North America: Controversies, Clichés, and Conversations. Abingdon: Routledge Publishers, 2023. 

• Abdul Aziz Said: A Pioneer in Peace, Intercultural Dialogue, and Cooperative Politics. Nathan C. Funk, co-editor. Berlin: Springer Nature Publishers (Pioneer in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice Book Series), 2022.   

• “Gender and Sufism in Western Scholarship: Contemporary Constructions and Contestations.” Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses. Vol. 29, Issue 1, pp. 50-72, 2020. 

• “Toward a Global Understanding of Pacifism: Hindu, Islamic and Buddhist Contributions.” In Pacifism’s Appeal: Ethos, History, Politics, Jorg Kustermans, Tom Sauer, Dominiek Lootens, and Barbara Segaert, eds. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, pp. 103-135, 2019.  

• Contemporary Sufism: Piety, Politics, and Popular Culture. William Rory Dickson and Merin Shobhana Xavier, co-authors. Abingdon: Routledge Publishers, 2018. 

• Unveiling Sufism: From Manhattan to Mecca. William Rory Dickson, co-author. London: Equinox Publishers, 2017. 

• “Geometry of the Spirit: Sufism, Calligraphy, and Letter Mysticism.” ARTS: The Arts in Religious and Theological Studies. Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 30-39, 2016.  

• “Pervasive Anxiety about Islam: A Critical Reading of Contemporary ‘Clash’ Literature.” Religions. Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 443-468, 2013. 

• Encountering the Transnational: Women, Islam, and the Politics of Interpretation. London: Ashgate Publishers (Gender in the Global/Local World Series), 2008.   

• Contemporary Islam: Dynamic, not Static. Abdul Aziz Said and Mohammed Abu- Nimer, co-editors. Abingdon: Routledge Publishers, 2006. 

• Cultural Diversity and Islam. Abdul Aziz Said, co-editor. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2003.