Elmhurst University talk to explore ‘Voices of Women in Islamic Thought’

Marcia Hermansen will present “The Voices of Women in Islamic Thought: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives,” this year’s al-Ghazali lecture, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Elmhurst University.

The event is part of the university’s Religious Literacy Project, according to a news release. The speaker is director of the Islamic World Studies program at Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches courses in Islamic studies and the academic study of religion as a professor in the department of theology.

Hermansen has authored numerous academic books and articles on classical and contemporary Islamic thought, Sufism, women and gender in Islam, Muslims in South Asia and Muslims in America. In the course of her research and language training, she has lived in Egypt, Jordan, India, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.

The al-Ghazali Lecture Series honors the Muslim scholar and theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, who was born in Iran in 1058, but spent much of his life as a teacher in Baghdad and as a wandering ascetic. His prolific writings on religion, philosophy and Sufism had lasting influence on scholars from a variety of faith traditions.

The lecture will be presented in Elmhurst University’s Frick Center, Founders Lounge, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst (elmhurst.edu/campusmap). Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged at elmhurst.edu/cultural. For information, email marketing@elmhurst.edu.