curriculum vitae
Andrew J. O’Connor EMAIL: [email protected] • MALLOY HALL, NOTRE DAME, IN 46556 EDUCATION______Ph.D. Theology (World Religions & World Church). University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame, IN. (Expected Spring 2019) o Specialization: Qur’an and Islamic Studies o Minor: Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity o Candidacy Exams passed with High Honors, 3/29/2017
M.A. Middle Eastern Studies. University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. (2013)
B.A. History (with Honors). University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, WI. (2010) Certificates: Religious Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Medieval Studies o Honors: Graduated with Distinction, Dean’s List (2006-2010), Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society
LANGUAGE STUDIES______2015 Princeton University Department of Near Eastern Studies Arabic Intensive Course. Princeton, New Jersey. May 11–15, 2015 Instructor: Alexander Treiger.
2012 Qasid Arabic Institute. Amman, Jordan Completed Level 4 Modern Standard Arabic Summer Program Additional coursework: Accessing Classical Texts
2010 Al-Ameen Associates Al-Azhar University Intensive Summer Arabic Program. Cairo, Egypt Coursework on the Qur’an and Culture; Modern Standard and Classical Arabic Placement in highest level; highest score in class and level
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS______2017–18 Fulbright Research Fellowship. Amman, Jordan. U.S. Department of State
2014– University Presidential Fellowship. University of Notre Dame Graduate School
2012–13 Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Academic Year Fellowship for Arabic. University of Chicago
2011–12 University Tuition Scholarship. University of Chicago
2009–10 Mensink Award for Honors Senior Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Madison
TRAVEL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS______2018 Department of Theology Professional Development Grant. University of Notre Dame ($700)
2018 Graduate Student Union, Conference Presentation Grant. University of Notre Dame ($400)
2017 College of Arts & Letters, Professional Development Award. University of Notre Dame ($7,000)
2017 Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA), Notebaert Professional Development Fund. University of Notre Dame ($2,151.32) 2017 Department of Theology Professional Development Grant. University of Notre Dame ($600)
2017 Graduate Student Union, Conference Presentation Grant. [Declined] University of Notre Dame ($450)
2017 Nanovic Institute for European Studies, Graduate Student Professional Development Grant (Travel to Oxford, UK). University of Notre Dame ($574)
2016 Department of Theology Professional Development Grant. University of Notre Dame ($400)
2015 Graduate Student Union, Conference Presentation Grant. University of Notre Dame ($400)
2015 Department of Theology Professional Development Grant. University of Notre Dame ($250)
2013 American Oriental Society Graduate Student Award. American Oriental Society
2013 Graduate Student Affairs Travel Grant. University of Chicago
LANGUAGES______Advanced Classical: Classical Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic (Targumic), Biblical Hebrew
Intermediate Classical: Coptic (Bohairic & Sahidic), Koinē Greek, Latin
Modern: English, Modern Standard Arabic, Levantine Colloquial Arabic, German, French
PUBLICATIONS______Book Chapters: “Obeying God and His Messenger: Medinan Prophetology in the Meccan Qur’an?” In Unlocking the Medinan Qur’an, edited by Nicolai Sinai. Leiden: Brill, forthcoming 2019.
“‘Warn them of the Day of the Impending’: Imminent Eschatology and Rhetoric in the Qurʾān,” in collected volume of the 2017 International Meeting of IQSA, edited by Mehdi Azaiez. Forthcoming (expected 2020).
Peer-Reviewed Articles: “Qurʾānic Covenant Reconsidered: mīthāq and ʿahd in Polemical Context,” under review.
“The Popular Psyche and Representations of the ‘Religious Other’ in Medieval Sīras.” Lights: The MESSA Journal 1, no. 3 (2012): 39–47. MESSA, University of Chicago.
“The Crusading Cleric: An Examination of Fulcher of Chartres’ Chroncile of the First Crusade.” Archive: A Journal of Undergraduate History 12 (2009): 6–13. Published by Phi Alpha Theta at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS______17 July 2018 “Culture, Context, and the Critical Study of Religion.” Seminar on Cultural Fluency, under the patronage of Prince El Hassan bin Talal, co-sponsored by the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, Tantur Ecumenical Institute, and the World Religions & World Church area of the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Amman, Jordan.
5 June 2018 “Messenger-Reports and the Construction of Prophetic History.” The Qurʾān and Christianity Seminar. Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem.
9 April 2018 “Religious Diversity, Inter-faith Dialogue, and the Diaspora in Jordan.” 2018 Fulbright Enrichment Seminar, U.S. Fulbright Student Researchers in the Middle East & North Africa. Rabat, Morocco.
1 Jan 2018 “Only a Warner? The Prophetic Vocation in the Qur’an and Early Islam.” “The Whole is Greater than its Parts”: Christianity Unity and Interreligious Encounter Today; World Religions World Church Conference. University of Notre Dame’s Rome Global Gateway, Rome, Italy.
6 July 2017 “‘When is this victory, if you are truthful?’ Apocalyptic as Polemic in the Qur’an.” Qur’anic Studies: Methods, Contexts and Interpretations: 2017 International Meeting of IQSA, co-hosted by Beit al-Hikma (Académie Tunisienne des Sciences, des Lettres et des Arts Département des Sciences islamiques). Tunis, Tunisia.
20 Mar 2017 “Obeying God and his Messenger: Medinan Prophetology in the Meccan Qur’an?” Unlocking the Medinan Qur’an Workshop. Pembroke College, University of Oxford, UK.
21 Nov 2016 Qur’an Seminar Panelist: Q 27:45-58 (Narratives), Q 33:28-37 (Women/Contemporary Events), Q 49 (Contemporary Events), Q 83 (Eschatology). International Qur’anic Studies Association Annual Meeting. San Antonia, Texas.
21 April 2016 “Qur’ānic Covenant Reconsidered.” Notre Dame Islamic Studies Colloquium. Notre Dame, Indiana.
2 April 2016 Panel Moderator, “Narratives of Early Islamic Orthodoxies: Network of Scholars.” 2016 Annual Conference for the Midwest Region of the American Academy of Religion. Muncie, Indiana.
22 Nov 2015 “Qur’anic Covenant Reconsidered: Mīthāq and ‘Ahd in Polemical Context.” International Qur’anic Studies Association Annual Meeting: The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition Panel. Atlanta, Georgia.
18 Apr 2015 “Faithfulness, Faithlessness, and Confessional Demarcation in the Qur’ān.” Indiana University Bloomington Department of Religious Studies, Graduate Student Conference: ‘Religion, Conflict, and Boundary Maintenance.’ Bloomington, Indiana.
7 Feb 2015 “Covenant Abandoned: The Covenant topos in the Qur’ān and the Development of a Pentateuchal Concept.” 2015 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature: Pentateuch Panel. Bourbonnais, Illinois.
3 May 2013 “The Copto-Arabic Sīra of Anbā Ruways ‘the Naked Shaykh’.” Middle East History and Theory Conference; 28th Annual: Sources for Premodern History Panel. Chicago, Illinois.
21 Apr 2013 “The Vitae of Coptic Saints in Mamlūk Egypt.” American Research Center in Egypt; 64th Annual Meeting: Post-Pharaonic Egypt Panel. Cincinnati, Ohio.
15 Mar 2013 “Hagiography in Dialogue with Polemics: The Life of Matthew in Mamlūk Egypt.” American Oriental Society; 223rd Annual Meeting: Christian Arabic Panel. Portland, Oregon.
22 Feb 2013 Discussant at presentation “Hashim b. Hakim's Kool-Aid and the Khurāsānian Affair: The Revolt of al-Muqanna‘, 775–780”. Islamic Studies Club, University of Chicago.
5 Nov 2010 “Change and Continuity in High Medieval Egypt: Did Regimes Matter?” The L&S Honors Program 50th Anniversary Celebration. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE______ Instructor – University of Notre Dame o THEO 20228 – Christianity and World Religions (Fall 2018) . Units on Theology of Religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam Teaching Assistant – University of Notre Dame o THEO 20847 – Christianity and the Challenge of Buddhism. Robert Gimello. (Fall 2016) o THEO 20830 – Islam and Christian Theology. Gabriel Said Reynolds. (Fall 2015) Teaching Assistant – NotreDameX (edX online course) o TH120.2x – Introduction to the Quran (Fall 2015) Middle School Social Studies Teacher – Hmong American Peace Academy. Milwaukee, WI. (2013) o Charter school serviced by Teach for America o Courses taught: 6th grade Ancient Civilizations, 7th grade World Geography
INTERRELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE______ Research Intern, the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies. Amman, Jordan. 2017–18. University of Notre Dame Scriptural Reasoning Forum. 2015–16. Lubar Institute for the Study of Abrahamic Religions, Undergraduate Forum. University of Wisconsin – Madison. 2009–11.
SERVICE______University of Notre Dame Graduate Theological Society (GTS) o Vice-President (2016–17; 2018–19) o Graduate Student Union (GSU) Liaison (2015–16) Graduate Student Union (GSU) o Member of Social Committee (2015–16) University of Chicago Lights: the MESSA Journal (University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies) o Editorial Board (2011–13) Center for Middle Eastern Studies o Arabic classroom visit at Lincoln Park High School, Chicago (2013) University of Wisconsin-Madison Archive Journal of Undergraduate History (UW – Madison History Department) o Editorial Board (2009–10). UW Madison Undergraduate History Association o President (2007–08) Greater University Tutoring Service o Conversational English Tutor for Arabic speaker (2009–10)
MEMBERSHIPS/ORGANIZATIONS______ International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) American Academy of Religion (AAR) Notre Dame Islamic Studies Colloquium (NDISC) o Director, 2016–17 Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) American Oriental Society (AOS) Middle Eastern Studies Students’ Association (University of Chicago) (2011–13) Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA) (2011–12) American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) (2009–10, 2012–13) Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society (Undergraduate, UW - Madison)
REFERENCES______
Gabriel Said Reynolds (adviser) University of Notre Dame [email protected]
Mun’im Sirry University of Notre Dame [email protected]
Bradley Malkovsky University of Notre Dame [email protected]