The 2026 November Annual Meeting in Denver, CO: Friday, November 20 - Tuesday, November 24. All times are listed in Mountain Time Zone. For more information about the November Annual Meeting, co-hosted with the Society of Biblical Literature, click here.
Please note that this is the preliminary schedule and is subject to change. We anticipate a mostly final schedule in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact annualmeeting@aarweb.org. For Other Events, your event is not confirmed until you received notification from AAR staff.
Northwestern University, Department of Religious Studies alumni, faculty, friends, and current and prospective graduate students are warmly invited to meet, mingle, and learn more about our latest programs and projects. We look forward to seeing you!
Join us for a reception celebrating the research and achievements of alumni and partners of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies! ACLS is honored to host this gathering on behalf of the Foundation.
Please RSVP by October 19.
The Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality (ISCS) at Oblate School of Theology is the only concentrated, integrative program of its kind in the United States offering ATS accredited PhD, DMin, and MA degrees in Contemporary Spirituality. For scholars and people within academia, the ISCS offers three distinct degrees in the field of Contemporary Spirituality, all taught by an internationally renowned faculty. The goal of our degree programs is to convene the academic resources emerging within the growing field of Contemporary Spirituality and make them available to the community of scholars. The ISCS inspires an ongoing and renewed interest in the rigorous study of and publication on Spirituality to benefit the world’s understanding of how the deep wells of Christian mysticism can enrich broader global theological and religious scholarship.
Join us at the Denver Athletic Club on 22 November 2026 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, for the Australian Catholic University Reception during the Annual Meetings hosted by American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL).
Coordinated by: Meredith Coleman-Tobias and Malene Minor Johnson
On May 25, 2026, Rachel Elizabeth Harding, Ph.D. – founder of African Diaspora Religions Unit (ADR) at American Academy of Religion (AAR), Ebomi in the Bahian Candomblé temple, Terreiro Pilão de Cobre, and Emerita Professor of Iliff School of Theology - made her transition. This memorial roundtable honors the scholarly and sacred contributions of Dr. Harding by gathering colleagues, mentees and friends to offer reflections, poetry, art, song and statements that capture the fullness of how she navigated academic, sacred and communal spaces. We invite all members of the AAR community to attend.
The Department of Theology from the University of Notre Dame welcomes students, alumni, and friends to join us for a reception.
The Universities of Cambridge and Oxford are delighted to invite colleagues, friends, alumni and prospective graduate students to a reception at the AAR and SBL Annual Meetings in Denver. Come hear an update on developments in Cambridge’s Faculty of Divinity and Oxford’s Faculty of Theology and Religion, and meet current faculty members. Prospective students are warmly welcome to come and learn about the benefits of studying in Cambridge or Oxford. Further information is available at divinity.cam.ac.uk and theology.ox.ac.uk.
By Akbar Ahmed (Distinguished Professor and the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University, and the Former Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland)
It was the ilm-ethos that Ismail al Faruqi brought with him in his meagre belongings when he arrived in the United States as a Palestinian refugee, having been displaced from his home in Jaffa. At the heart of this vision was Islam’s promotion of knowledge or ilm; indeed, it is one of the most used words in the Quran.
Like other Muslim intellectuals, Faruqi understood that unless he was able to master Western disciplines and then synthesize them with his own intellectual and historical traditions, people would not have a full grasp of the subject. He launched “The Islamization of Knowledge” -- an ambitious project of publications and conferences which created debate and controversy.
Faruqi’s grand project appeared to run out of steam after his premature death, but the principles he had laid down for the Islamization of Knowledge remained valid, and the IIIT, an organization he had helped to create, launched the Integration of Knowledge (IOK) program which has produced relevant literature, books and articles, and comprehensive timetables to run courses.
All those studying Muslim societies need to ask where next and how to proceed? Whether we agree or disagree with him, Ismail Faruqi’s work can still encourage us to think and ask questions. At the heart of his questioning and his methodology was the key concept of ilm (knowledge).
A relaxed evening with Brite President Stephen Cady, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Share reception food and drink; spend time in good company; and enjoy a brief update about Brite's current focus and community, as well as its expanding and innovative witness.
Please contact Religious_Studies@brown.edu with any questions.
