Muslim academic will speak on 'Struggle, suffering and hope' in theology lecture series
The prestigious Gifford Lectures will be delivered this year by a leading British Muslim academic.
The lecture series was established in 1885 by Adam Lord Gifford, whose bequest was aimed at funding a recurring series of lectures on natural theology. They have taken place every year since then, except during World War II.
The 2016 series will be delivered by Prof Mona Siddiqui, OBE, who will speak on the theme 'Struggle, Suffering and Hope: Explorations in Islamic and Christian Traditions' from September 20 to 29.
Prof Siddiqui is Professor of Islamic and Inter-religious Studies and Assistant Principal Religion and Society at the University of Edinburgh. She is well known for her regular contributions to a wide range of national and international media and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Four's Thought for the Day.
She will draw on the work of leading thinkers and writers including Rainer Maria Rilke, al-Ghazali, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Syed Qutb, Ibn Taymiyyah, Charles Taylor, Christopher Lasch, and Zygmunt Bauman.
Prof Philip Ziegler, Chair of the Gifford Lecture Committee at the University of Aberdeen, said: "The Gifford Lectures have a distinguished history and we are delighted to welcome Professor Mona Siddiqui to deliver the 2016 series. The chosen theme of 'Struggle, Suffering and Hope' is of great relevance and Professor Siddiqui's informed and creative engagement with Islamic and Christian religious traditions will be of both great interest and importance for all those able to attend."
Prof Siddiqui said: "The primary aim of my lectures is to explore an array of perspectives on human struggle and how the realities of struggle, doubt and personal striving are reflected in and related to religious faith. The focus on a number of specific writers and thinkers will show how individuals have dealt with personal struggle, conscience and the political and social realities of their times."
Among those who have delivered the Gifford Lectures are Alistair McGrath, Rowan Williams, David Fergusson and Stanley Hauerwas.
