Vincent Cornell

Vincent Cornell is an American scholar of Islam. Since July 1, 2000 he has been Professor of History and Director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Arkansas. Sufism and Islamic philosophy are among his specialities.

As a Muslim and self-described "critical traditionalist", Cornell has publicly deplored what he calls the superficiality of modern-day Islamic practices, which he sees as removed from the religion's traditions of deliberation. In his view, context should be taken into account in interpreting the sacred texts of Islam, and that in the globalized world of shifting ideas, Muslims cannot isolate themselves from reflexivity. He is critical of the spread of Wahhabism in the last several decades -- a phenomenon he attributes to a "corporate" form of organized Islam fueled by petro dollars. Nevertheless, he cautions against a simplistic view that "demonizes" the role played by the Saudi monarchy, which he sees as compelled to promote Wahhabism.

References

• Interview by public radio program Speaking of Faith
• Official page

He is currently a professor in the Middle Eastern and South Asian studies department at Emory University.