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【Call for Papers】International Conference “Sunnis” and “Shiʿis” across History: Confessional Identities, Mutual Perceptions, and Academic (Mis)Conceptions
Date: September 19–20 (Sat–Sun), 2026
Venue: Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University
Convened by: Kazuo Morimoto (The University of Tokyo) and Tatsuya Nakanishi (Kyoto University)
Sponsored by: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid 23K25371 “‘Sunnis’ and ‘Shiʿis’: Historical Inquiries into Confessional Identities and MutualPerceptions”; Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo (Tobunken Symposium); Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University; Japan Office, Association for the Study of Persianate Societies (Gilas Symposium)
Our knowledge of the institutions and intellectual traditions cultivated by the two major Islamic confessional groups—Sunnis and Shiʿis—and of the processes through which these traditions developed has grown substantially thanks to scholarship to date. Yet the character and substance of the “Sunnis” and “Shiʿis” that appear in historical research often cannot be adequately grasped simply by reference to this existing body of knowledge. This is because groups or individuals marked by a wide range of variation have come to possess a self-consciousness as “Sunni” or “Shiʿi,” or have been so perceived by others. To arrive at a fuller understanding of the various “Sunnis” and “Shiʿis” encountered across history, it is therefore necessary to examine individual cases in diverse settings in depth, while at the same time keeping in view the need to move beyond such cases toward a broader synthesis of what has been regarded as “Sunni” or “Shiʿi” in different periods and regions.
In the meantime, Islamic history offers examples of societies, groups, and individuals whose beliefs and practices make it unclear—at least from the researcher’s perspective—whether they should be regarded as “Sunni” or “Shiʿi,” or as occupying a position “in between.” Groups or individuals who may well have identified themselves as belonging to one of these two categories can be characterized by those around them as affiliated with the other. In still other cases, such actors appear to have shifted—apparently without clear rupture, at least to observers today—their confessional self-consciousness over time. Asking how “Sunni” and “Shiʿi” were understood in emic terms is therefore essential for making sense of such apparently ambiguous situations, as it allows us to take into account the criteria by which historical actors themselves construed these categories.
Needless to say, research pursued along this line of inquiry requires scholars to continuously interrogate themselves regarding the validity of the very binary categories “Sunni” and “Shiʿi.” The imposition of such labels on historical subjects for whom they had little, if any, relevance, or who employed other categorical systems to situate themselves—when carried out without conscious awareness—results in a distorted picture of historical realities on the ground. At the same time, the validity and appropriate theoretical scope of alternative analytical concepts coined to move beyond this binary framework and to account more adequately for particular situations must also be critically examined.
The international conference “‘Sunnis’ and ‘Shiʿis’ across History: Confessional Identities, Mutual Perceptions, and Academic (Mis)Conceptions” will tackle this set of concerns squarely. The conference will feature presentations both by members of the joint-research project (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid 23K25371 “‘Sunnis’ and ‘Shiʿis’: Historical Inquiries into Confessional Identities and Mutual Perceptions”) within the framework of which it is being organized and by invited non-members. The present call for papers is intended to recruit the latter category of presenters.
The following thematic axes are currently conceivable on the basis of the topics proposed by project members: “Defining the Self, Drawing Boundaries,” “Mutual Perceptions and Dispositions among Sunnis and Shiʿis,” “Devotion to the ʿAlids and Imams across Sunni-Shiʿi Boundaries,” “Situations Defying Binary Categorization,” and “Problematizing Academic (Mis)Conceptions.” This call for papers, however, is issued partly with the aim of broadening the conceptual lenses of the conference. Any topic relevant to the concerns outlined above without regard to temporal or geographical location of the subject discussed will therefore be welcomed by the conveners. Contributions dealing with contemporary materials are also welcome, insofar as they offer theoretical insights that may prove useful for historical research.
Prospective participants are invited to express their intention by February 28, 2026, by contacting Kazuo Morimoto at morikazu@ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp, and then proceed to submit a proposal—including a (provisional) title and an abstract of no more than 300 words—by March 22, 2026. After presenting their studies at the conference (submission of a full paper is not required), the presenters are expected to accompany the conveners onto the publication of the conference proceedings. Default mode of presentation is by in-person participation and the basic transportation and accommodation of the presenters will be shouldered by the conference.
For inquires, contact Kazuo Morimoto at morikazu@ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
登録種別：研究活動記録
登録日時：MonFeb910:56:462026
登録者 ：森本・多田
掲載期間：20260209 - 20260331
当日期間：20260209 - 20260209
