Inaugural Visiting Lecturer 2019: Brinkley Messick

The IIS is pleased to announce that Brinkley Messick, Professor of Anthropology, at Columbia University is the inaugural 2019 IIS Visiting Lecturer.  Professor Messick specializes in the anthropology of law, legal history, written culture, and the circulation and interpretation of Islamic law.  He is the author of The Calligraphic State (1993), which was awarded the Albert Hourani Prize of the Middle Eastern Studies Association. In 2009 he received the Outstanding Senior Scholar Award from the Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association.  The recent publication of his most recent book, Sharia Scripts, offers us the ideal occasion to bring him to Toronto and engage the Institute’s community on core questions at the heart of academic research on Islam and Muslims today.  During his visit, Professor Messick will address complex methodological questions that traverse the traditional disciplinary boundaries of history, philology, and anthropology.  During the week of March 4, 2019, Professor Messick will deliver a formal book talk on Sharia Scripts, a master class for selected graduate students and faculty, and a public lecture at UTM.

For those interested, Professor Amira Mittermaier (DSR, Anthro) will lead two reading sessions at the IIS in October on Professor Messick’s books:

• October 2, 2018 (2-4 p.m.): The Calligraphic State
• October 30, 2018 (2-4 p.m.): Sharia Scripts

The masterclass will be capped at 15 participants. For those interested, a formal application process will be announced in November.