CV – Aydogan Kars

AYDOGAN KARS, M.A. Ph.D candidate, Teaching Fellow and Librarian Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University Mail: 411 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37240-1108, USA. E-Mail: [email protected], [email protected] Web: http://vanderbilt.academia.edu/aydogankars Phone: +1 615 424 4681

Education:  August 2010–current / Ph.D. in History and Critical Theories of Religion; Vanderbilt University, Graduate Department of Religion, Nashville, TN, USA. (ABD: November 2013) Dissertation Title: Sufi Paths of Negation: Apophasis in Thirteenth Century Islamic Mysticism. Dissertation Committee: Dr. Richard McGregor (advisor), Dr. Lenn Goodman, Dr. David Wasserstein, Dr. Ellen Armour, Dr. Devin DeWeese (Indiana University)  2007–2009 / M.A. in Philosophy (with “best performance award”); Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. Master’s Thesis: World is an Imagination: A Phenomenological Approach to the Ontology and Hermeneutics of Ibn al-‘Arabī. (Supervisor: Prof. Yasin Ceylan)  2001–2005 / B.Sc. in Economics (English); Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.  1993–2000 / Ankara Anatolian High School (German), Ankara, Turkey.

Publications: A. Articles Published in International Peer-Reviewed Journals:  “Two Modes of Unsaying in Early Thirteenth Century Islamic West: Theorizing Apophasis through Maimonides and Ibn ‘Arabī,” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Vol. 74.3 (2013), pp.261-278.  “Maimonides Between Falsafah and Mutakallimūn: Cosmogony in the Guide to the Perplexed,” Glossolalia, Yale University. Vol. 4, No. 2 (Spring 2012), pp.43-54.  “The Metaphor of ‘Distance’ in the Study of Religion: Four Case Studies,” International Journal of Science in Society, Vol. 3, Issue 1 (2012), pp.87-100.  “Hermeneutics and Negative Theology in Maimonides’ Guide to the Perplexed,” Philosophy East West. (in the revision process--minor.) B. Book Chapters:  “Maqasid or Shari‘ah? Secularism, Islamic Reform and Ethics in Modern Turkey,” in Maqasid al-Shari‘a and Contemporary Muslim Reformist Thought: An Examination. Adis Duderija (Ed.). Palgrave, McMillan (forthcoming in 2014). C. Book Reviews & Book Review Essays:  “Sufism and Society: Arrangements of the Mystical in the Muslim World, 1200-1800. Eds. John J. Curry and Erik S. Ohlander,” Journal of American Oriental Society, Vol.133 No.3, 2013, pp.570-572.  Book Review Essay: “A Nineteenth Century Progressive Islamic Gaze at the Legal Roots of Western Prosperity and Islamic Law: Mustashār ad-Dowla’s One Word,” Journal of Islamic Law and Culture, Vol. 13, Nos. 2-3 (July-October 2011), pp.253-257.

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Boards of Editors:  Editorial Board Member of Asian Social Science (Dec. 2013 – current).  Associate Editor of the International Journal of Science in Society, Vol. 3, Issue 3 (2012).

Employment & Professional Working Experience (Selected):  August 2011 – current: Bibliographer in the Divinity Library at Vanderbilt University. (Fields: World Religions & Islamic Studies.)  March 2006 – July 2010: Scientific Programs Assistant Expert in TUBITAK, the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey, at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Grant Committee.

Teaching Experience:  Teaching Fellow for REL 3508 / RLST 262 – Culture, Religion and Politics of Contemporary Arab Societies. (Instructor: Dr. Bushra Hamad.) Dept. of Religious Stud. at Vanderbilt Uni., Fall 2013.  Teaching Fellow for RLST 294 – Religion and Culture of Morocco. (Instructor: Dr. Sherif Barsoum.) Dept. of Religious Stud. at Vanderbilt Uni., Summer 2013.  Instructor for PHIL 105 Section 2 and Section 12: Ethics of Encounter. Dept. of Philosophy at Vanderbilt Uni., Spring 2013.  Teaching Fellow for REL 113 – Introduction to Islam. (Instructor: Dr. Tiffany Hodge.) Grad. Dept. of Religion at Vanderbilt Uni., Fall 2012.  Instructor for PHIL 105 Section 10 and Section 19: Otherness and Identity in Ethics. Dept. of Philosophy at Vanderbilt Uni., Spring 2012.  Teaching Fellow for REL 113 – Introduction to Islam. (Instructor: Dr. Richard McGregor.) Grad. Dept. of Religion at Vanderbilt Uni., Fall 2011.

Awards, Fellowships and Honors:  Research fellowship: Universität Bonn, Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg, Germany, “History and Society of the Mamluk Era (1250-1517)” (2014).  Summer Research Grant by the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University (2011, 2012, 2013).  Tuition scholarship and departmental stipend granted by the Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University (2010-2015).  Opportunity Grant by the Turkish Fulbright Commission (2009).  Best Graduate Courses Performance Award, Middle East Technical University, Department of Philosophy (2008).

Professional Societies:  MESA – Middle East Studies Association (student member).  Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (student member).  Turkish Student Association at Vanderbilt University (secretary).

Academic Areas of Interest:  Medieval Sufism.  Apophasis, discourse and negative theology.  Comparative philosophy and religion.  Islamic philosophy.  Hermeneutics, phenomenological hermeneutics.

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Languages Used in Research:  Arabic: Advanced level; advanced level student at Indiana Uni. and Vanderbilt Uni. 3 months experience in Morocco (Summer 2013 and 2014).  Persian: Intermediate level; advanced [pīshraft] degree in the ICPS (Tehran, Iran), and the Persian Education Center (Ankara, Turkey). 2 months experience in Iran (Summer 2008).  Ottoman Reading Level; intermediate. Successfully completed a graduate course in Ottoman, at METU, Department of History (Ankara, Turkey).  German: Advanced level; “Zweite Stufe Sprachdiplom,” in German.  French: Elementary level in reading. Successfully completed the graduate course ‘French for Reading Knowledge’ at Vanderbilt Uni.  Turkish: Fluent.  English: Fluent.

Paper Presentations (Selected):  “Secularism, Shari‘ah and Religious Ethics in Modern Turkey,” the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (SSME) Conference, Jan. 9-12, 2014, Seattle, Washington.  “Limits of Negative Theology in Medieval Judeo-Islamic Philosophy: A Comparative Study on the Transcendence of God,” the regional meeting of AAR (American Academy of Religion SECSOR Southeastern Regional Meeting), March 2-4, 2012, Atlanta.  “Nasir al-Dīn Tūsī on the Destruction of Baghdad: A Reevaluation of an Allegedly Eye- Witness Account,” MESA (the 45th Annual Meeting of Middle East Studies Association), December 1-4, 2011, Washington D.C., USA.  “‘Distance’ in the Study of Religion,” the Third International Conference on Science in Society, August 5-7, 2011, Washington D.C., USA.  “Orientalism and Merleau-Ponty: Cultures like Two Hands, Touching and Touched,” Deutsch-Türkische Zukunftswerkstatt II, Dec. 2-4 2009, Ankara, Turkey.  “Social Sciences and Humanities at the Edge of Process Philosophy: An Orientalism Case Study,” Future of Process Thought Conference. The Highlands Institute For American Religious and Philosophical Thought (HIARPT). June 15-18, 2009, Highlands, North Carolina, USA.

Volunteer & Community Services (Selected):  Divinity Library online Research Guides in the fields of History and Critical Theories of Religion (http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/hactor) Islamic Studies (http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/islam) Islamic Mysticism (http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/RLST251) Contemporary Arab Societies (http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/REL3508)  Roundtable organization: “Turkey Between East and West: Modern Turkey’s Foreign Policy,” Vanderbilt University, April 6, 2012.  Chaired “Islam, Violence and Non-Violence” session in the regional meeting of AAR (American Academy of Religion SECSOR Southeastern Regional Meeting), March 2-4, 2012, Atlanta.  Several lectures and presentations in Nashville, TN on Islam and its history (at West End Middle School, Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, Nashville State Community College, Nashville International Airport, etc.).

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Additional Education (Selected):  Summer 2012; One semester Intensive Summer School at SWSEEL, Indiana University, Bloomington: Advanced (Third Year) Arabic I & II. (6 Credits; GPA: 4.00/4.00)  Summer 2012; Seminar: the Qur’an in the Modern World, July 8-13, 2012, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ.  Summer 2008; One semester Intensive Summer School at the International Center for Persian Studies, University of Tehran (Iran): Advanced level [pīshraft] Persian.  2006–2007: Two semesters M.A. Conditional in Philosophy; Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. (24 Credits; GPA: 4.00/4.00)  2000–2001: Two semesters English Conditional; Hacettepe University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ankara, Turkey.

References:  Associate Prof. Richard McGREGOR (PhD advisor); Vanderbilt University, Graduate Department of Religion, Islamic Studies Minor (Director), History and Critical Theories of Religion (Area Director), Nashville, TN, USA. Office: +1-615-343-2462 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://as.vanderbilt.edu/religiousstudies/people/mcgregor.php

 Prof. Lenn. E. GOODMAN; Vanderbilt University, Dept. of Philosophy, Nashville, TN, USA. Office: +1-615-343-3158 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/philosophy/_people/_goodman.html

 Prof. Yasin CEYLAN (M.A advisor); Middle East Technical Uni., Dept. of Philosophy, Ankara. Office: +90-312-210-3176 Mobile: +90-532-694-6539 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.metu.edu.tr/~yceylan/

 Prof. David J. WASSERSTEIN; Vanderbilt University, Department of History, Nashville, TN. Office: +1-615-322-7801 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://as.vanderbilt.edu/history/bio/david-wasserstein

 Prof. Mehmet BAYRAKTAR; Yeditepe University, Department of Philosophy, Istanbul. Office: +90-312-212-6800/326 Mobile: +90-537-587-2744 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.yeditepe.edu.tr/bolumler/felsefe/akademik-kadro

 Prof. Huseyin OZEL (B.S advisor); Hacettepe University, Dept. of Economics (Chair), Ankara. Office: +90-312-297-8650/29 Mobile: +90-536-789-4435 E-Mail: [email protected] URL: http://yunus.hacettepe.edu.tr/~ozel/

 Dr. Sukru KAYA; Secretary of the Science and Society Department, the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Ankara. Part time lecturer in Gazi University Faculty of Education, Besevler, Ankara. Office: +90-312-468-5300/3389 Mobile: +90-505-966-5059 E-Mail: [email protected]

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