Vanessa Jill DeGifis (dx5081)

Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures

487 Manoogian
906 West Warren
Detroit, MI 48201

Professor DeGifis is an expert in Islamic intellectual culture and textual traditions, specializing in the historical reception and interpretation of Islam's foundational scripture, the Qur’an. Her research focuses on questions related to how Muslims apply the Qur'an to "real-world" situations and decision-making. Her book, "Shaping a Qurʾānic Worldview," is the first sustained examination of references to the Qur’an in the politics of the Caliphate in light of classical Arabic rhetorical theories, stimulating broader considerations of the practical impact of scriptural themes in public life. With a sustained interest in the practical dimensions of religious thought, some of her more recent work has also explored the intersections of religion and health care.

Professor DeGifis's current book project is a significant contribution to the field, as it explores the range and function of the Qur’anic language in medieval Islamic state letters. This critical study of the famous and massive chancery manual of al-Qalqashandi (fl. 1389-1418), who worked in the Secretariat of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt, sheds new light on the historical use of the Qur'anic language. A related article project focuses specifically on the Qur'anic linguistic register of Abbasid caliphal investiture documents from the Mamluk period. This research will help us better understand the relationship between the Caliphate and more secular domains of power and the ways in which state bureaucrats function as political thinkers whose writings influence what it means to be an Islamic state. 

Professor DeGifis serves on the editorial board of the Mamluk Studies Review, the Publications and Research Committee of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA), and is founding co-editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Qur'anic Studies Association (JIQSA).

Islamic text traditions; Qur'an and Tafsir; Arabic-Islamic rhetoric; the Abbasid Caliphate; the Mamluk Sultanate

•  MLA Pathways Step Grant, Transfer Pathways for Equitable Access to Global Learning, Modern Language Association, 2024
•  African Languages Program Development (with University of Michigan), U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023 
•  Provost's Fellowship for Student Success, WSU, 2016 
•  Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, WSU, 2015