Nancy Khalek

Nancy Khalek is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and History at Brown University, specializing in medieval Islam, the history of emotions, and religious literature. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (2006) and has authored works such as Damascus after the Muslim Conquest (2011). Her research explores Byzantine-Muslim interaction, Islamic hagiography, and the role of emotions in medieval religious traditions. She has conducted archaeological fieldwork in Syria, Turkey, and Jordan.

Khalek’s teaching focuses on topics such as Islamic sexualities, sectarianism, and the history of emotions. She has received accolades including the Karen T. Romer Prize (2019) and the John Rowe Workman Award (2014). Her recent projects include a volume on medieval Arabic emotional literature and contributions to the Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World.