Salam Rassi

Salam Rassi is a Lecturer in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on Christian-Muslim intellectual interactions across theology, philosophy, and literature in the medieval Islamicate world. He holds a DPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford (2016), and previously held postdoctoral fellowships at institutions including the American University of Beirut and the British Academy. Rassi’s work examines Syriac Christian intellectual traditions, alchemical texts, and manuscript culture. His 2021 monograph Christian Thought in the Medieval Islamicate World explores apologetic traditions through the figure of ʿAbdīshōʿ of Nisibis. He has published widely on topics such as medieval alchemy, scribal traditions, and cross-cultural philosophical exchanges. Rassi’s teaching includes courses tracing Muslim-Christian relations from the 7th through 13th centuries, emphasizing historical discourses and interfaith dialogue. His research also engages with early modern Nahḍa movements and the transition from manuscript to print cultures in the Near East.

Publications span academic journals (Asiatische Studien, Philological Encounters), edited volumes on Syriac philosophy and Christian-Muslim relations, and conference presentations at institutions like the University of Jyväskylä and Georgetown University. His work frequently bridges religious studies, intellectual history, and textual analysis.