Felicitas Opwis

Felicitas Opwis is Associate Professor in Georgetown University's Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Her scholarship examines Islamic jurisprudence, focusing on mechanisms for legal reform within scriptural constraints.

Research explores:

• Historical development of legal principles (maslaha, maqasid al-shari'a)
• Contemporary reinterpretation of Islamic legal theory
• Construction of juristic authority across legal schools
• Comparative analysis of legal change methodologies

Her work addresses how jurists reconcile divine texts with evolving societal needs while preserving Islamic legal foundations.