BERKELEY, CA – May 17, 2024 – Dr. Ahmed Khater has moved from his role as an adjunct professor to a full-time teaching position in the Center for Islamic Studies (CIS) at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU). CIS students can rely upon Dr. Khater’s extensive knowledge of Islamic classical studies, law, and legal theory; his engaging teaching style; and his steadfast guidance as an advisor and mentor. Formally assuming his new role on July 1, Dr. Khater will be hard at work this summer developing the Islamic studies courses he will teach in the coming year and collaborating with fellow CIS and GTU faculty members and staff on projects that support the organization’s overall mission.
“Dr. Khater is a longstanding and highly respected member of this community,” said Dr. Jennifer W. Davidson, Dean & Vice President for Academic Affairs and John Dillenberger Professor of Theology. “We are so fortunate to add another exceptional scholar and excellent colleague to our Center for Islamic Studies.”
Dr. Khater was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in legal studies and attained a second BA in Islamic sciences and Arabic language from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, one of the leading Islamic universities in the world. Dr. Khater earned his MA and PhD from the GTU with a focus on Islamic law and legal theory. He has received ijazat (licenses) in various Islamic sciences, including those for teaching and narrating the Hanbali school of law. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at the GTU’s Center for Islamic Studies and as an adjunct associate professor of Islamic studies at Saint Mary’s College. He also taught at UC Berkeley as a lecturer in Arabic language and was a professor at various Islamic universities in America. Dr. Khater works with the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America to answer legal questions as part of the fatwa (legal edict) services they provide and as an Islamic law consultant; Resident Fatwa Committee secretary; and translator, editor, and lecturer. He teaches the traditional Islamic sciences at Zidni Institute and is the resident scholar of Masjid Annur Islamic Center in California.
“There is no other place in the Western academy like the GTU for pursuing an advanced degree in Islamic studies,” said Dr. Khater. “It is one of the few institutions of higher learning here where my Muslim faith and classical training are seen as vital strengths that inform my scholarly understanding of Islamic studies, law, and legal theory within Western academic contexts.”
###
About the Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is one of the world’s leading hubs for the study of religion, theology, and spiritual exploration offering educational resources with global reach. Renowned for its interreligious and interdisciplinary approach, the GTU provides graduate and continuing education programs inspired by the world’s diverse spiritual paths, faiths, and cultural traditions to empower students who have a passion for serving others. The faculty at the GTU take a unique instructional approach to encourage dynamic discourse about the world’s wisdom traditions and their power to transform lives and communities. To learn more, please visit gtu.edu.