Announcing a New PhD in Islamic Studies at Southern Seminary
Ayman Ibrahim
Greetings researchers, colleagues, and friends,
I am delighted to share news of a truly remarkable—and, to our knowledge, unmatched—doctoral program among Christian institutions in the United States: the newly approved PhD in Islamic Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
This program has been intentionally designed to meet the highest standards of academic rigor while remaining deeply rooted in a confessional Christian framework. It is not a hybrid, add-on, or minor within another discipline, but a full, standalone PhD in Islamic Studies, committed to serious historical, textual, and theological research on Islam—its origins, development, texts, law, theology, and lived expressions across history and cultures.
What makes this degree distinctive is precisely this combination:
· Uncompromising scholarly excellence, engaging primary sources, advanced languages (e.g., Arabic, Persian, and Turkish), and the critical methodologies expected of top-tier doctoral work.
· A clear Christian disposition, in which faith is not bracketed out, but responsibly integrated into research, teaching, and scholarly vocation.
· A commitment to serving both the academy and the Church, preparing graduates for teaching, publishing, research, and informed engagement with Islam—in its multifaceted expressions—within an increasingly complex global context.
At a time when Islam continues to shape global politics, culture, and religious discourse, this program equips scholars to engage the subject with intellectual honesty, historical depth, and religious conviction—without polemics, reductionism, or ideological captivity. Our goal is not merely to respond to Islam, but to understand it deeply, study it responsibly, and engage it faithfully.
This PhD is ideal for students who desire:
· Serious academic training in Islamic Studies at the highest scholarly level
· Rigorous research grounded in primary sources
· An environment that values both scholarship and Christian character
· Preparation for academic, ecclesial, and public-facing vocations
You can find full details about the program here. The PhD seminars will cover a range of fascinating topics like Islamic texts, Arabic-Christian texts, Christian-Muslim apologetics, Folk Islam, and much more.
I am especially grateful that we already have seven doctoral students working on intellectually rich and impactful topics, including: the earliest Arabic Christian apologetic text responding to Islam; the earliest known Arabic encyclopedic systematic theological work within the Jacobite tradition; an analysis of extremist Nigerian Islamist movements based on their own writings; women’s rights in contemporary feminist Islam; and much more.
It is truly a thriving and exciting place to teach, study, and conduct research.
I would be grateful if you would share this announcement with interested students, colleagues, or networks who may be discerning doctoral study in this field. We believe this program fills a significant gap in higher education and represents an important investment in the future of Christian scholarship engaging Islam.
With gratitude and hope for the work ahead.
Ayman S. Ibrahim, Ph.D.
Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies
Director, Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Amazon Page | Academia Page | SBTS Page | Jenkins Center | Twitter | Office: 502-897-4319
My Recent Books: A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority (Baylor University Press, 2025) | Muhammad’s Military Expeditions (Oxford University Press, 2024) | Introducing Islam (Baker Academic, 2020–2024) | Islam and the Bible (B&H, 2023) | A Concise Guide to Islam (Baker Academic, 2023) | Reaching Your Muslim Neighbor (Crossway, 2022) | Medieval Encounters: Arabic-speaking Christians and Islam (Gorgias, 2022) | A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad (Baker Academic, 2022) | In Search of the True Religion (Gorgias, 2022) | Conversion to Islam (Oxford University Press, 2021) | Basics of Arabic (Zondervan, 2021) | A Concise Guide to the Quran (Baker Academic, 2020) | The Stated Motivations for the Early Islamic Expansion (Peter Lang, 2018) | Muslim Conversions to Christ (Peter Lang, 2018)
Forthcoming Publications: Modern Standard Arabic Workbook: Questions, Answers, and Practice (2025); An Early Muslim Disputation with Jews and Christians (2026); A Critical Edition, Translation, and Analysis of an Early Shiite Polemical Text against Christianity (2027); Medieval Encounters II: Arabic-speaking Christians and Islam (2027); A Concise Guide to Christian-Muslim Apologetics (2027)