Marianna Klar

Marianna Klar is a Post-Doctoral Researcher on the QuCIP project and a Senior Research Associate at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, within the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. She concurrently serves as a Research Associate at the Centre of Islamic Studies, SOAS, University of London since 2002, and holds editorial positions on the Journal of Qur’anic Studies (since 2003) and the International Qur’anic Studies Association (since 2021).

Her research centers on literary analysis of the Qur’an, medieval Islamic scriptural exegesis, and historiography, with specialized focus on Islamic popular literature and manuscript studies. She examines narrative structures, textual boundaries, and rhetorical devices within Quranic compositions, bridging literary theory with historical contextualization of early Islamic writings. Her work consistently engages with methodological approaches to Quranic structure and exegesis.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a pronounced trend toward text-critical examination of sura architecture, particularly in Medinan compositions like Sūrat al-Baqara. Her scholarship demonstrates sophisticated integration of synchronic and diachronic methodologies while exploring lexical layers, structural paradigms, and Late Antique narrative influences. Recurring themes include the function of sajʿ techniques, Isrā’īliyyāt materials, and prophetic narratives as frameworks for understanding power dynamics and theological concepts in Quranic interpretation.