Shehnaz Haqqani

Dr. Shehnaz Haqqani serves as Assistant Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she has taught since fall 2018. Her expertise centers on Islam with specialized focus on gender dynamics, interfaith marriage, and the negotiation of tradition within contemporary Muslim contexts.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Islamic Studies, University of Texas at Austin
• M.A. in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of Texas at Austin
• B.A. in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Emory University

Dr. Haqqani's research interrogates religious authority, Islamic feminism, and mechanisms of change within religious traditions. Her forthcoming monograph Feminism, Tradition and Change in Contemporary Islam: Negotiating Islamic Law and Gender (Oneworld Academic, 2024) analyzes how Muslim women engage with Islamic jurisprudence to advance gender equity. Current work examines Muslim women's interreligious marriages through historical and contemporary lenses, addressing tensions between scriptural interpretation and modern social realities.

Her publication trajectory from 2015-2024 reveals consistent thematic evolution across Islamic studies, gender theory, and interfaith relations. Key scholarly contributions span Qur'anic hermeneutics on marriage, critiques of patriarchal structures in religious contexts, and pedagogical approaches to teaching Islam amid rising Islamophobia. Work appears in Journal of Qur’anic Studies, Critical Muslim, and edited volumes addressing Muslim marriage practices and political Islam.

Major recognitions include:

• American Association of University Women Research Grant
• Mercer Seed Grant for Muslim women's interreligious marriage research
• Interfaith America's Racial Equity and Curricular Award
• Wabash Center Fellowship for Theology and Religion pedagogy

As an educator, Dr. Haqqani teaches core courses including Abrahamic Religions (REL 170), Islamophobia (REL 355), and Islam and Gender (INT 301). She extends scholarly impact through hosting New Books Network's Islamic Studies podcast, facilitating critical engagement with emerging academic work. Current research initiatives focus on translating interfaith marriage findings into frameworks for interreligious cooperation.