Jörg Matthias Determann

Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU · Liberal Arts & Sciences

Saudi Arabia is generally and justifiably viewed as a country with some of the fewest democratic institutions and the weakest traditions of pluralism. It is therefore surprising to learn that at least in one corner of the Saudi world, there can be found a plurality of opinions and lively debate. Jorg Matthias Determann brings this element to light...

Officials and religious scholars in the Gulf states have repeatedly banned the teaching of the theory of evolution because of its association with atheism. In Saudi Arabia, not only religious, but also science textbooks by the Ministry of Education promote an account of life’s creation by God. Yet Jörg Matthias Determann argues here that, despite o...

When Sultan bin Salman left Earth on the shuttle Discovery in 1985, he became the first Arab, first Muslim and first member of a royal family in space. Twenty-five years later, the discovery of a planet 500 light years away by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey – subsequently named ‘Qatar-1b’ – was evidence of the cutting-edge space science projects taking...

The Muslim world is not commonly associated with science fiction. Religion and repression have often been blamed for a perceived lack of creativity, imagination and future-oriented thought. However, even the most authoritarian Muslim-majority countries have produced highly imaginative accounts on one of the frontiers of knowledge: astrobiology, or...

Astronomy is a field concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many scientists have been interested not just in the events that have occurred millennia before Earth's inception, but also in their very own society here and now. Sin...

Over the last thirty years, Muslim and other astronomers have detected thousands of planets outside of our solar system. They have also confirmed the existence of building blocks of life on other celestial bodies. With powerful instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope now in operation, the discovery of extraterrestrial life could thus be imm...

Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena studied by astronomers transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many scientists have been interested not just in the physical composition of stars and galaxies, but also in the political state of their own planet. Since the first half of th...

Join global art curator and writer Sara Raza as she presents her recent book, Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion, published by Black Dog Press, 2022. This timely book explores revolutionary artistic practices centered on the spaces and places associated with the former Soviet Union, focusing on Central Asia and the Caucasus during and after the...

Presentation to the Diversity in Science group at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, on October 14, 2024. I am very immensely grateful to Carla Rodrigues Almeida for inviting me to speak. I also thank Climério Paulo da Silva Neto for hosting this seminar on Google Meet. I am further appreciative of Byrad Yyelland for his support i...

Webinar 5 of the Science Writing Internship Cohort Three organized by Scientia Pakistan. Thanks a lot and آپ کا بہت شکریہ to Saadeqa Khan for inviting me to give this talk. I extend my appreciation to Fouz Siddiqui for coordinating and moderating this session on Google Meet. You can listen to a recording here: https://soundcloud.com/determann/writi...

Rounding out this issue is a peak at Simon Naylor’s timely The Observatory Experiment: Meteorology in Britain and Its Empire, published by Cambridge University Press October 2024, and an intimate interview with Jörg Matthias Determann, professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar, containing some extremely valuable advice for those starting...

Recording of a presentation at the VCUarts Qatar Research Week on September 24, 2024. I am very grateful to Fikria El Kaouakibi for moderating my talk and to Roshni Tarcar and Marlon Villones and providing logistical and technological support. You can listen to a recording here: https://soundcloud.com/determann/islamic-cultures-and-alien-life

Historians of science typically prize the authenticity of images very highly. Conversely, they try to keep fake photographs out of the historical record, including their own textbooks, as much as possible. On the face of it, generative artificial intelligence thus does not seem to have much to offer. Why would a history teacher prefer a computer-ge...

Astronomy is a field concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized,transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many scientists have been interested not just in the events that have occurred millennia before Earth's inception, but also in their very own society here and now. Sinc...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMgpHRKc4ac

Many thanks or شكرًا كثيرًا to Layla Azmi Goushey for interviewing Shoaib Ahmed Malik and me on our edited volume Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion (I.B. Tauris). Shoaib and I are both honored that Layla broadcast our conversation live via StreamYard on June 9, 2024. We are very grateful for her excel...

Today, the Spaced Out Podcast embarks on a captivating journey through history and imagination with our esteemed guest, Dr. Jörg Matthias Determann, a pioneering historian whose research illuminates the intersection of Islam, science, and extraterrestrial life. In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Matthias shares insights into the rich tapestry o...

The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers, planetary scientists, etc. The interviews share advice and lessons learned from individuals on those paths. Below is our interview with Jörg Matthias Determann, a professor and historia...

تحدث الأستاذ يورغ ماتياس ديترمان إلى جيسكا عن كتابه الجديد، الذي شارك في تحريره، عن اللاهوت الإسلامي والحياة خارج الأرض.

Prof. Jörg Matthias Determann ayaa Geeska uga warramaya buuggiisa cusub ee ku saabsan citiqaadka Islaamka iyo suuragalnimada nolol dhulka ka baxsan.

Over the last thirty years, humanity has discovered thousands of planets outside of our solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life could be imminent. This book explains how such a discovery might impact Islamic theology. It is the foundational reference on the subject, comprising a variety of different insights from both Sunni and Shi'i p...

Professor Jörg Matthias Determann speaks to Geeska about a new book he co-edited on Islamic theology and extraterrestrial life.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become very important concepts in higher education globally. However, what could these ideas look like for research undertaken here in Qatar specifically? What diversity—in terms of identities, subjects, methods, and means of dissemination—should we be striving for?

From the evolution of life to settler colonialism, controversial topics are often most freely discussed if imagined off the Earth, argues a historian in Qatar. https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2024/03/using-outer-space-as-a-safe-space-in-your-courses/

يطرح هذا المقال فكرة مناقشة الموضوعات المثيرة للجدل، كالتطور والاستعمار الاستيطاني، مع طلاب الجامعات، بحرية أكبر في سياقٍ فضائي. https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/ar/2024/03/%d8%af%d8%b9%d9%88%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d8%b6%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d9%85%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%b4%d8%a9-%d8%a7...

Since the first half of the twentieth century, an increasing number of astronomers have pursued parallel careers as both academics and activists. Besides publishing peer-reviewed papers, they have promoted a great variety of underrepresented groups within their discipline. Through conferences, newsletters and social media, they have sought to advan...

Over the last thirty years, humanity has discovered thousands of planets outside of our solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life could be imminent. This book explains how such a discovery might impact Islamic theology. It is the foundational reference on the subject, comprising a variety of different insights from both Sunni and Shi’i p...

I feel utmost gratitude toward Paul Williams for interviewing Shoaib Ahmed Malik and me about our edited volume Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion (I.B. Tauris). Our interview, which we recorded on StreamYard, was released on Paul’s channel Blogging Theology. I thank the producer, Affan Khan, very much...

Are you among the many historians of science who are trying to teach our subject from a global perspective? One of the challenges for instructors at American universities like myself is that the primary medium of most degree courses is in English. The predominance of the English language in classroom discussions and the course material thus privile...

Join with other Education City students + faculty for an afternoon of sharing stories, exchanging ideas, and seeing teaching innovations being done here on our EC campus. Come share your experiences and ideas in conversations and imaginative explorations of what the future of teaching and learning could be in EC.

Presentation given at Badir: Starting New Conversations on Teaching + Learning in EC Education City, Doha, Qatar, February 12, 2024. I am deeply grateful to Peter Martin for his wonderful support. You can listen to a recording here: https://soundcloud.com/determann/globalize-your-pedagogy-with-childrens-books

Over the last thirty years, Muslim and other astronomers have detected thousands of planets outside of our solar system. They have also confirmed the existence of building blocks of life on other celestial bodies. The discovery of extraterrestrial life could thus be imminent. However, while we are waiting for such an important event, aliens have al...

Dankeschön and thank you very much to Nabila Abdel Aziz for interviewing me for the program Religionen (Religions) on Deutschlandfunk Kultur! It is a great honor for me to appear in an episode entitled Islamischer Futurismus – Befreiendes Denken in die Zukunft (Islamic Futurism – Liberating Thought into the Future). The show, which was broadcast on...

Over the last thirty years, humanity has discovered thousands of planets outside of our solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life could be imminent. This book explains how such a discovery might impact Islamic theology. It is the foundational reference on the subject, comprising a variety of different insights from both Sunni and Shi'i p...

Professor Determann has been writing about fascinating topics, from biological evolution and space sciences in the Arab States to Islamic science fiction and diversity in astronomy. Here is a Kainaati Chai conversation about "first contact" and a discussion about early Pakistani science fiction. Dr. Matthias Determann is associate professor in hist...

يرى يورغ ماتياس ديتيرمان، في جامعة فرجينيا كومنولث في قطر، وجوب تنمية المعلمين للمهارات الشخصية التي تقربهم من الطلاب في إطار إنساني.

Beyond using powerful software, teachers should cultivate the soft skills that make us human, argues a history professor in Qatar.

Astronomy is a field concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many scientists have been interested not just in the events that have occurred millennia before Earth’s inception, but also in their very own society here and now. Sin...

This chapter focuses on activists who sought to take down barriers based on nationality and passports. It tells the story of the International Astronomical Union’s Commission 38 on Exchange of Astronomers, which supported travel worldwide. It also sheds light on amateur astronomers who reached out to peers in countries excluded from the internation...

From the pursuit of rights for ethnic and racial minorities, this chapter moves to disability justice. It starts with Stephen Hawking as one of the best-known astrophysicists with a visible disability. Wheelchair-bound scientists like Hawking were, however, not the only ones struggling to access observatories and other institutions. Perhaps even mo...

After narrating efforts to combat discrimination based on nationality, this book continues with an account of the struggle for gender equity. This chapter follows activists who fought for the rights of women in astronomy. It gives special attention to the growth of the movement from the 1970s onwards, a decade that saw a broader sexual revolution....

The final chapter ties together more general themes from the various spheres of activism. It also takes the readers to the most recent developments in astronomical activism, including the calls for decolonization in places as far apart from one another as Hawaii and South Africa. The conclusion section will also attempt to make some prediction of f...

Gender also intersected with ethnicity and race, thus leaving many inhabitants of our planet disadvantaged in multiple ways. This chapter focuses on the struggle by physical scientists against racial oppression. As minorities gained increased access to higher education in many countries in the second half of the twentieth century, they also organiz...

This chapter represents the introduction to the book. Demonstrating that diversity and inclusion have become global concerns, it features activist astronomers from different continents. It starts by describing the efforts of the African Network of Women in Astronomy to advance gender equality in science. It then introduces major European and Americ...

Instead of trying to ban the use of AI tools, teachers should facilitate experimentation with, and discussions about, them in the classroom.

Twentieth-century scientists were imperfect diversity advocates in the Global South.

Presentation at the Holistic Science Teaching Workshop hosted by the World Science Collaborative via Zoom on July 16, 2023. I am very grateful to Athar Osama for having invited me to speak. You can watch a recording here: https://youtu.be/v8TRwlH0rA4

يسلّط الكتاب الضوء على أن المسلمين كانوا أكثر انفتاحاً من نظرائهم الغربيين على مر القرون

The Express Tribune explores the Muslim world’s rich influence on speculative fiction with J.M. Determann, whose new book seeks to shatter stereotypes about Islamic thought and creativity

Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many astrophysicists have been interested not just in events “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” but also in their society here and now. Since the first half...

Students do not need to have the remnants of a Greek or Roman temple nearby to understand the legacy of classical antiquity, argues a historian in Qatar.

One of the most influential heavenly messages in the history of humanity has been the Quran. The revelation received by Prophet Muhammad contains many references to intelligent beings from outside our world, including jinn, angels and God himself. This webinar discusses how extraterrestrial intelligence has been understood from an Islamic perspecti...

In this session, Dr. Jörg Matthias will cover topics like futuristic megaprojects in the Arab world and Islamic science fiction. Participants will learn how Islamic scripture and history have enabled rather than constrained the imagination of new worlds. You can listen to a recording here: https://soundcloud.com/determann/science-islam-and-the-imag...

Islam is often associated with the past: traditional practices, an ancient scripture and a long history of civilization. However, artists and scientists in the contemporary Muslim world have also created wildly ambitious future-oriented visions. Seemingly paradoxical, their brave and liberated imagination has been encouraged by literal readings of...

During this COSS Catalyst, speakers will explore the role of space temples and places of worship in future human habitats off-Earth. As plans for prospective space habitats proliferate, the vision for this future of humanity remains gate-kept by major state sponsors of space exploration and research - the world's largest economies. This is while th...

Since 2014, I have taught the course SCTS 200 Science in Society: Values, Ethics and Politics at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. This class offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the ethical, social and political dimensions of science, technology and medicine examined through case studies and debates. I put special emphasis on the h...

Presentation at the livestream panel event on Historical Perspectives on Science and Religion in the Middle East on February 23, 2023. I am deeply grateful to Shoaib Malik for chairing this seminar and to Rachel Pear and Muhammad Rusydi Azmi for their organization. You can watch a video recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgHvVY86Gjg

Threats to societies have often been catalysts for innovation. Historians are well aware of how twentieth-century wars propelled astrophysics forward and gave rise to the space sciences, for instance. In the recent memory of even the youngest members of our profession stands the COVID-19 pandemic as another driver of technological change. Instructo...

After relying on much digital technology during the coronavirus pandemic, a history professor in Qatar returned to the classroom with a new appreciation for older learning materials.

بعد الاعتماد المكثف على التكنولوجيا الرقمية أثناء جائحة كوفيد-19، يتحدث يورغ ماتياس ديترمان، عن مزايا الوسائل التعليمية التقليدية.

By innovating the way of approaching representation in contemporary Arab art, Gulf Futurism becomes a symbolic space in the globalized contemporary art as well as that of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. This aesthetic is characterized by the adaptation of science-fictional elements in order to adapt representations of this region in the framew...

Teaching the history of slavery can help affluent students relate to people who are currently exploited.

يقول المؤرخ، يورغ ماتياس ديترمان، إن بإمكان تدريس تاريخ العبودية، مساعدة الطلاب الأثرياء على الشعور بالأشخاص الذين يتعرضون للاستغلال حاليًا.

Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many astrophysicists have been interested not just in events “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” but also in their society here and now. Since the first half...

في هذا المقال، يتناول يورغ ماتياس ديترمان، أستاذ التاريخ بجامعة فرجينيا كومنولث في قطر، تجربته في توظيف الرسوم المتحركة في العملية التعليمية.

Watching cartoons in class can be more than a superficial exercise, argues a history professor in Qatar.

Islam is often associated with the past: traditional practices, an ancient scripture and a long history of civilization. However, artists and scientists in the contemporary Muslim world have also created wildly ambitious future-oriented visions. Seemingly paradoxical, their brave and liberated imagination has been encouraged by literal readings of...

Jörg Matthias Determann offers readers an enticing glimpse into the trove of materials and resources available in the Qatar Digital Library, and shares his and his colleagues’ experiences teaching with the library. This essay is a must-read for anyone seeking new ways to weave Arabic and non-European sources into their teaching.

Islam is often associated with the past: traditional practices, an ancient scripture and a long history of civilization. However, artists and scientists in the contemporary Muslim world have also created wildly ambitious future-oriented visions. Seemingly paradoxical, their brave and liberated imagination has been encouraged by literal readings of...

Presentation as part of the Research Week at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar on August 29, 2022. My special thanks go to Diane Derr for introducing me, to Fikria El Kaouakibi for moderating, and to Roshni Tarcar and Marlon Villones for logistical and technical support. You can listen to a recording here: https://soundcloud.com/determann/a...

With global warming being felt everywhere, a historian in Qatar argues we should pass on lessons from the environmental past to the next generations.

في هذا المقال، يناقش يورغ ماتياس ديترمان، أستاذ التاريخ في جامعة فرجينيا كومنولث في قطر، فكرة تدريس التاريخ البيئي ضمن مساعي مواجهة التغير المناخي.

As the Covid-19 pandemic subsides, a historian in Qatar argues that teachers should make the most of the return to in-person instruction through multisensory experiences. https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2022/06/a-feel-for-history-let-students-experience-it-with-all-their-senses/

في هذا المقال، ومع انحسار جائحة كوفيد-19، يرى المؤرخ المقيم في قطر، يورغ ماتياس ديترمان، وجوب تحقيق المعلمين أقصى استفادة من التدريس الوجاهي عبر التجارب متعددة الحواس. https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/ar/2022/06/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D8%A...

Der Islam wird oft mit eher mit der Vergangenheit als mit der Zukunft in Verbindung gebracht. Viele Gläubige sehen den Propheten Mohammed und seine frühen Anhänger aus dem 7. Jahrhundert als Vorbilder an. Mittelalterliche Dynastien wie die der Abbasiden werden häufig mit dem kulturellen und wissenschaftlichen Höhepunkt der islamischen Zivilisation...

A recently released volume entitled, Arab and Muslim Science Fiction: Critical Essays (Jefferson: McFarland, 2022), explores the struggle facing Arab and Muslim authors of the genre across the world, whether living in their own countries, or the diaspora, through a series of first-person perspectives from a broad range of activists in the science f...

Introductory presentation to the online conference on "Islamic Perspectives on Exotheology" hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University on May 10 and 11, 2022. Shoaib Ahmed Malik and I (Jörg Matthias Determann) are very grateful to Stephen Bullivant, Richard Playford and the Religion and Astrobiology in Culture and Society (RACS) Network for partner...

Talk within the Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) presented by the Program for the Study of Religion and co-sponsored by the Middle East Studies and Global South Studies programs at the University of California San Diego. I am enormously grateful to Babak Rahimi for inviting me and to Amanda (Chieh-Yu) Hsu for providing logistical support. The DLS...

Talk hosted by the Religion and Astrobiology in Culture and Society (RACS) Network on April 27, 2022. I give many thanks to Stephen Bullivant and Richard Playford of St Mary's University, Twickenham, for inviting me. I also thank my audience, including Riccardo Campa, Michal Paszkiewicz, Janet Siefert and Robert Miller, for their comments and quest...

Presentation given during a meeting of the project "A Sign in Space." I am very grateful to Daniela De Paulis for inviting me. I am further thankful to my audience, including Jim Schwartz, Kathryn Denning, Chelsea Haramia and Mukesh Bhatt, for their comments and questions. You can view the visuals of this talk on Prezi (https://prezi.com/view/g2yN0...

Women leading in astronomy, space and mobility from the Arab and Islamic world

Discussion including Hushidar Mortezaie, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Anum Awan, Alia Ali and myself. I am very grateful to Loujain Bager and Zeina Baltagi for organizing and moderating our conversation. I am further thankful to the Coaxial Arts Foundation for sponsoring this event and others in the series entitled Not Your Family WhatsApp. You can watch a...

Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many astrophysicists have been interested not just in events “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” but also in their society here and now. Since the 1980s, an i...

Warmth and generosity are qualities inherent in teachers that cannot be replaced by technology, writes a professor of history.

يعتقد أستاذ للتاريخ أن اللطف والكرم صفات متأصلة في المعلمين ولا يمكن استبدالها بالتكنولوجيا.

A history professor in Qatar offers advice for instructors seeking to discuss sensitive social and political issues.

يقدم أستاذ التاريخ في جامعة قطر نصائح للمدرسين الساعين لمناقشة القضايا الاجتماعية والسياسية الحساسة.

Games are well established as teaching tools, says a history professor in Qatar. Instead of resisting them, educators should be trying to develop better ones.

يعتقد أستاذ التاريخ في قطر أن الألعاب أثبتت نفسها كأدوات تعليمية. وعوضاً عن تجاهلها، يقترح على المعلمين تطويرها وتوظيفها في…

Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena, whether observed or theorized, transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many astrophysicists have been interested not just in events “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” but also in their society here and now. Since the 1980s, an i...