Toby Mayer | Voices of IIS Episode 10

In this episode of Voices of IIS, Dr. Toby Mayer reflects on his two-decade journey at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. With a half-Indian, half-English heritage, he pursued his undergraduate degree in Indian Studies at Cambridge before transitioning to medieval Arabic thought at Oxford. He discusses his forthcoming work on al-Shahrastani's esoteric Quranic commentary, which seeks to bridge Eastern and Western intellectual traditions while exploring the rational and mystical dimensions of Islamic thought.00:00 Introduction 00:51 Indian Studies and what drew him to the field01:05 Gap year experience working in India02:10 Transition from Indian Studies to Arabic and Islamic studies03:52 Personal encounters with Sufism and Islamic thought04:49 Languages and working with medieval texts05:54 Joining IIS and two decades of work06:15 Memorable conferences and collaborations07:57 The 2019 Esoteric Cultures of Scripture conference08:21 Working with the late Professor Madelung09:42 Teaching in the Graduate Programme10:12 IIS's unique approach to Quranic studies11:31 Forthcoming esoteric texts series12:15 Current work on Shahristan's Quran commentary13:25 Bridge-building between East and West, modernity and tradition15:18 Personal interests in music, art, and human expression16:19 Closing thoughts and gratitude