Dr Tareq Moqbel
Meet the new Research Fellow in the Study of Love in Religion, and read about his fascination with the phenomenon of Scripture.
I
came to Regent’s Park from the University of Westminster where I taught English Law and Islamic finance for seven years, after completing my doctoral degree at the University of Durham. In tandem with my lectureship at Westminster, I pursued further postgraduate study in theology and scriptural interpretation at the universities of Cambridge (Faculty of Divinity) and Oxford (Faculty of Oriental Studies).
Initially I was interested in the exegesis of the Qurʾān and its reading traditions. During my research on the ambiguity of the Qurʾānic text, I developed an interest in Bible interpretation, and was fascinated by the shared hermeneutical strategies of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interpretive traditions. Although different logics are at work, I enjoyed exploring how these scriptural traditions can and do influence each other. Using different lenses allowed me to see things in different ways, and bringing the Bible and the Qurʾān together enriched my understanding of their rich superstructures. What fascinates me about the phenomenon of Scripture—in its different manifestations—is that it appears to resist ready-made theories. While literary theories can help us to unfold various aspects of revealed messages, I slowly understood that sometimes they simply don’t work. Scripture demands that we listen, and listen very hard, before imposing any explanation. Struggling with, and plumbing, the language of Scripture is what delights me and keeps me moving, though sometimes I will feel lost and alone. These, and similar ideas, are what I try to articulate in my teaching and research. At Regent’s Park, I work with Professor Paul Fiddes in the Programme for the Study of Love in Religion. Again, my passion with scriptural interpretation guides me, and so my research centres on the idea of ‘love’ and how the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim exegetes employed this idea to interpret their respective scriptures. Currently, I am examining St. Ephrem the Syrian and Ibn
ʿArabī the Andalusian and the place of love in their understanding of the Bible and the Qurʾān respectively. I am looking forward to sharing my research with the lovely community of Regent’s Park. Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my family and our cat Philo, as well as speaking with my parents, Hesham and Eman, my continuous source of love, grace, and wisdom.
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