Sona Grigoryan

Sona Grigoryan is a Lecturer in Orientalistik at the University of Vienna's Department of Near Eastern Studies, specializing in medieval Islamic history and thought. Her academic journey includes a PhD in History/Medieval Studies from Central European University (CEU), an MA in Medieval Studies from CEU, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Yerevan State University.

Her research focuses on Arab and Muslim history of the Middle Ages, with particular emphasis on critique of religion, religious polemics, and Muslim-Christian relationships. Dr. Grigoryan has established herself as a significant scholar in the study of Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī's religious thought and Ibn Taymiyya's anti-Christian polemics.

Her scholarly output reveals a consistent thematic trajectory exploring religious ambiguity and polemical discourse in medieval Islamic thought. The publications demonstrate deep engagement with primary sources and show particular expertise in analyzing how medieval Muslim thinkers engaged with religious concepts, particularly regarding unbelief, religious certainty, and interfaith relations. Her work bridges literary, historical, and theological approaches to Islamic studies.

• Neither Belief nor Unbelief: Intentional Ambivalence in al-Maʿarrī's Luzūm (2023)
• The Trinity as Seen by Muslims with a Focus on Ibn Taymiyyah's Perception of the Doctrine (2022)
• Multiple scholarly reviews of significant works on Islamic literature and polemics

Dr. Grigoryan teaches courses on Islam and Modernity, Arab Nationalism, and related topics at the University of Vienna, contributing to the academic training of students in Near Eastern Studies. Her research continues to advance understanding of complex religious thought in medieval Islamic intellectual history.