The focus of his research is on the development of theologico-philosophical thought in Arabic texts by representatives of all religious denominations between the 9th and 15th centuries. It has been a main concern of all his previous research projects and publications to highlight the importance of a trans-denominational approach to the intellectual history of the Islamic world. The exchange of ideas and the interaction between scholars of distinct religious affiliation and persuasion is not a marginal side note to this history, but rather constitutive to its adequate understanding.

The course which Gregor Schwarb is going to teach within the M.A. program (“Uṣūl al-fiqh in Muslim, Jewish and Christian Thought: Historical and Theoretical Perspectives”) is designed as a case-study of trans-denominational intellectual history. It presents him with the unique opportunity to introduce a group of well-equipped students from diverse academic background into largely uncharted territory and to discuss partly unpublished research results with a critical audience.Gregor Schwarb studied Theology, Philosophy, Jewish and Islamic Studies in Fribourg (CH), Jerusalem and Damascus. Before joining the Research Unit Intellectual History of the Islamicate World at the Institute of Islamic Studies of Freie Universität Berlin World as Senior Research Associate in 2009, he acted as Academic Director of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations in Cambridge.