{"podcast":{"title":"New Books in Islamic Studies","slug":"new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962","podcast_index_feed_id":1029962,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/LIT7782346334","website_url":"https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/religion-faith/islamic-studies/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/d9838266-ef0d-11e8-86a0-17d544c0507b/image/97b898d95d37b7a6e4eb02f361a21c5e.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"New Books Network","episode_count":913,"summary":"This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠ Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetwork Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962"},"episode":{"title":"Amir Saemi, \"Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil\" (Oxford UP, 2024)","slug":"amir-saemi-morality-and-revelation-in-islamic-thought-and-beyond-a-new-problem-of-evil-oxford-up-2024","published_at":"2026-04-04T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962/amir-saemi-morality-and-revelation-in-islamic-thought-and-beyond-a-new-problem-of-evil-oxford-up-2024","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK8844029794.mp3?updated=1775202252","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK8844029794.mp3?updated=1775202252","summary":"Amir Saemi’s exciting book Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil (Oxford UP, 2024) is a fascinating and deeply thought-provoking study that challenges how we think about scripture, morality, and divine authority. Saemi tackles what he calls the “New Problem of Evil,” a divinely prescribed problem of evil, which is the tension between the commands found in sacred texts, our own moral judgments, and the belief in a morally perfect God. Saemi demonstrates the limits of scripture-first approaches, which is to say that scripture is given precedence over our independent moral judgments in cases where the two conflict. He explores ethics-first solutions that allow the believer to take moral reasoning seriously, while also showing that scripture’s injunctions can be understood as legal or social mandates. By tracing the arguments of Ashʿarites, Mu’tazilites, and other medieval Islamic thinkers, and developing alternative solutions, Saemi offers a methodical and historically grounded framework for reconciling moral judgment with scriptural authority. In our conversation, Amir and I explore how Islamic philosophers like al-Ghazālī, al-Rāzī, al-Fārābi, and others navigated the relationship between reason and revelation, and how we might approach morally troubling passages in scripture today, including through an ethics-first approach. We also discuss thick and thin moral concepts, the Moses Principle, and what it means to reconcile modern moral sensibilities with ancient texts. Amir shares insights on gendered morality, the ethical significance of the Abraham story, and the broader implications of his work for progressive Muslims and theists alike. This book is essential reading for readers interested in the ethics of interpretation, the cha…","meta_description":"Amir Saemi’s exciting book Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil (Oxford UP, 2024) is a fascinating and deeply thou…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":5371,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962/episodes/amir-saemi-morality-and-revelation-in-islamic-thought-and-beyond-a-new-problem-of-evil-oxford-up-2024/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-islamic-studies-1029962/amir-saemi-morality-and-revelation-in-islamic-thought-and-beyond-a-new-problem-of-evil-oxford-up-2024.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}