We are thrilled to announce the launch of a groundbreaking research project: Muslims, the Secular and Existential Risk. This interdisciplinary endeavour seeks to explore how Islamic traditions, perspectives, and knowledge systems can contribute to understanding and addressing the existential challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. This 3-year project will explore how Muslims engage – intellectually, spiritually and bodily – with practices, sciences and structures of knowledge radiating out from Islamic sources, to conceive of and respond to existential risk; and will also explore how modern, secular conditions configure these efforts and their wider articulation, in the Anglophone and Francophone contexts.
A New Vision for Global Conversations on Risk
At the heart of this project lies a powerful conviction: that the dominance of secular frameworks in understanding existential risk has excluded essential perspectives, especially from non-Christian religious traditions. By provincializing and sidelining these voices, humanity has limited its capacity to confront crises that transcend material and scientific dimensions. This project aims to bridge this gap by investigating how Muslims engage intellectually, spiritually, and practically with their sources of knowledge to conceptualize and respond to existential threats.
This initiative builds upon the success of a prior project on civic engagement among British Muslims, which revealed the dynamic and embodied nature of Islamic knowledge (‘ilm) as a living, adaptive force. By expanding its scope to include Francophone and Anglophone contexts, the new project promises richer, comparative insights into how Muslims navigate the intersections of faith, secularity, and global crises.
The People Behind the Project
This ambitious initiative is driven by a diverse team, blending deep theological and textual expertise with innovative anthropological research methods. The members of the project’s team are Caroline Tee (Project Leader, University of Chester), Amin El-Yousfi (Project Co-Leader, University of Cambridge), Mohammed Uzair Belgami (Anglophone anthropologist, University of Chester), Maan Al Dabbagh (Anglophone Theologian, University of Chester), Lili Di Puppo (Francophone anthropologist, KU Leuven), Gregory Vandamme (Francophone Theologian, University of Chester).
Together, this team bridges the worlds of theology (despite the problematic genealogy of the term) and anthropology, ensuring a holistic approach to achieving the project’s aims.
What Makes This Project Unique?
This research is not merely an academic exercise; it is a pioneering exploration of knowledge at the intersections of faith, science, and society. The project is guided by several key features:
Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
By combining ethnographic fieldwork with deep theological analysis, the project pushes the boundaries of both anthropology and Islamic studies.
Global and Comparative Scope:
Focusing on both Anglophone and Francophone contexts, the project highlights the diverse ways in which secular traditions influence Muslim responses to risk.
Innovative Methodology:
Grounded in fieldwork but also in epistemological theory, the project embraces a textual and a contextual approach to theory.
A Challenge to Secular Paradigms:
The project critically examines the limitations of secular approaches to existential risk, advocating for the inclusion of religious and traditional epistemologies in global conversations.
Our Research Questions
At its core, the project seeks to answer two vital questions:
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How do Muslims engage with the sciences, structures and practices of knowledge radiating from the Islamic sources (Qur’an and sunna) to conceptualise and respond to existential risk?
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How do secular conditions shape Muslim responses to existential risks, and how do these responses differ in Anglophone and Francophone contexts?
These questions open pathways to understanding how faith, culture, and modernity intersect in navigating the most pressing challenges of our time.
Anticipated Impact
This project aspires to make significant contributions across three main domains:
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Public Engagement: The project will make its findings accessible to global audiences through publications in a variety of media outlets.
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Academic Advancement: A two-volume book and a special journal issue will establish the field of Muslims and existential risk as a critical area of study, with Open Access to ensure broad dissemination.
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Community Engagement: Workshops and conferences will bring together ulama along with scholars of existential risk to foster dialogue, connect dots, and inspire actionable insights.
A Call to Action
As we embark on this journey, we invite you to join us in exploring the rich and multifaceted ways in which Islamic traditions can contribute to global conversations on existential risk. Whether you are a scholar, community leader, or simply someone passionate about understanding the intersection of faith and global challenges, this project offers a space for meaningful engagement.
By bridging the gap between anthropology and Islamic theology, it offers a model for inclusive and collaborative scholarship that transcends disciplinary and cultural boundaries. As the world grapples with unprecedented risks, this project underscores the importance of drawing on the full spectrum of human knowledge and experience. By amplifying Muslim perspectives on existential risks, it aspires to spark new conversations and open new pathways for safeguarding humanity’s future.
Visit our website to learn more and follow the project’s progress.
