Lecture April 19 on Justifying Religious Beliefs in Classical Islam and Contemporary Philosophy

The Al-Islam Student Association will host its annual speaker event at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in Gearhart 026. Free meal will follow from Tangier's. 

Jon McGinnis from the University of Missouri at St. Louis will be joining to give a talk relating to Islamic philosophy. In "Just Justification," McGinnis considers various medieval Islamic accounts of what justifies one's beliefs, particularly one's religious beliefs, and how those accounts can inform contemporary philosophical discussion of epistemic justification. Epistemic justification is central to one of the core areas in the philosophy of religion today, namely, what is the relation between faith and reason or science and religion.

Medieval Islamic accounts of justification of religious beliefs ranged from classical accounts in the philosophy of religion to accounts only now being explored among contemporary philosophers of religion. Despite the relatively recent contemporary recognition of certain views of justification, medieval Muslim theologians, philosophers and even mystics developed and explored such accounts in ways that are both similar to and different from the contemporary accounts and which can potentially enrich the contemporary discussion.  

This event is supported by the Student Activities Fee as a funded event by the Associated Student Government and is free to all currently enrolled University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, students who pay the student activities fee. This event is held in a venue that meets ADA standards. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend this event. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Alexander Rahal, aarahal@uark.edu, by five days before the event.