SSH/ISP Institut supérieur de philosophie (ISP)
Gregory Vandamme is a scholar of classical Sufi thought, with a particular focus on the works of Ibn ʿArabī and his commentators.
He earned his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from UCLouvain with a dissertation on the concept of ḥayra (perplexity) in Ibn ʿArabī’s thought, examining its epistemological, metaphysical, and hermeneutical dimensions.
He is currently a Research Fellow at the F.R.S.–FNRS and UCLouvain. He previously held positions as Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Chester and Guest Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris.
His research explores speculative mysticism, Qurʾānic hermeneutics, and the pedagogy of spiritual formation in Sufism.
His current project, Ibn ʿArabī and the Governance of the Caliphate: Theology and Politics in Akbarī Thought (F.R.S.–FNRS/UCLouvain), investigates the political philosophy of the Akbari school.
Réseaux sociaux
Vandamme, Gregory. Devotion and Metaphysics in a Litany Ascribed to ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī. In: Faruque, Muhammad U. ; et al. (ed.), I of the Heart. Texts and Studies in Honor of Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Islamic History and Civilization. Studies and Texts; 221), Brill, 2025, p. 220-234. 9789004734944. doi:10.1163/9789004734951.
Vandamme, Gregory. Akbarian Anarchism: Ivan Aguéli (d. 1917) on Islam, Freedom and Shariʿa. In: Religiographies, Vol. 3, no.2, p. 6-24 (2024). doi:10.69125/RELIGIO.2024.V3.N2.6-24.
Vandamme, Gregory. The Many Lives of Ibn ʿArabi’s Thought. In: Religiographies, Vol. 3, no.2, p. 2-5 (2024). doi:10.69125/RELIGIO.2024.V3.N2.1-5.
Vandamme, Gregory. Muḥyī d Dīn b.ʿArabī. In: edited by: Georges Tamer, Handbook of Qurʾānic Hermeneutics, Volume 3: Qurʾānic Hermeneutics from the 13th to the 19th Century (Handbook of Qurʾānic Hermeneutics; 3), De Gruyter: Berlin, 2024, p. 19-39. 9783111316741. doi:10.1515/9783111320083.
Vandamme, Gregory. Panorama de la littérature francophone sur le soufisme : Aperçus sur les auteurs et les démarches éditoriales. In: Anne-Laure Zwilling (éd.), La foi musulmane par les livres : Dynamiques, stratégies et évolution religieuse des publications en langue française (Cerf Patrimoines), Édtitions du Cerf: Paris, 2023, p. 145-180. 9782204158121.
Vandamme, Gregory. Some Notes on Ibn ʻArabī's Correlative Prophetology. In: Mohamed Rustom (ed.), Islamic thought and the art of translation: texts and studies in honor of William C. Chittick and Sachiko Murata (Islamic History and Civilization; 202), Brill: Boston-Leiden, 2023, p. 97-116. 978-90-04-52902-1.
Vandamme, Gregory. Ḥayra : la perplexité chez Ibn ʿArabī (épistémologie, métaphysique, herméneutique coranique), prom. : Bonmariage, Cécile, 28/04/2023.
Vandamme, Gregory. Develación (kašf) y desprendimiento (taǧrīd): La función educativa del maestro (šayẖ) en el proceso de realización espiritual sufi. In: El Azufre Rojo. Revista de estudios sobre Ibn Arabi, Vol. 10, no.10, p. 28-34 (2022). doi:10.6018/azufre.533981.
Vandamme, Gregory. The “Veil of Glory”: Perplexity (ḥayra) and Revelation in the Qur’ānic Hermeneutics of Ibn ʿArabī. In: Sylvain Camilleri & Selami Varlik (ed.), Philosophical Hermeneutics and Islamic Thought (Contributions to Hermeneutics; 10), Springer: Cham, 2022, p. 79-94. 978-3-030-92753-0. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-92754-7_5.
Vandamme, Gregory. La résurrection dans les commentaires coraniques soufis (IXème—XIXème siècles). Insaniyyat - Forum international des sciences humaines et sociales (Table ronde "Penser la résurrection en islam") (Tunis, Tunisia, du 20/09/2022 au 24/09/2022).
Vandamme, Gregory. Spiritual Education and the “Imaginary Master” in Ibn ʿArabī’s K. al-Ajwiba al-ʿarabiyya. Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series, dir. Fârès Gillon (The Institue of Ismaili Studies, London (Online), 27/10/2022).
Vandamme, Gregory. Une lecture symbolique et littéraliste des règles d’ablution : la purification selon les Futūḥāt makkiyya d’Ibn ʿArabī. Insaniyyat - Forum international des sciences humaines et sociales (Table ronde "Enjeux de la ritualité en Islam") (Tunis, Tunisia, du 20/09/2022 au 24/09/2022).
Vandamme, Gregory. [Book review] Ibn ʿArabī. Les chatons des sagesses et les demeures des paroles. Fusus al-Hikam. Translation and presentation by Paul Ballanfat. Combas: L’éclat, 2020. 317 pp.. In: Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society, Vol. 1, no. 69, p. 115-118 (2021).
Vandamme, Gregory. L’ontologie corrélative d’Ibn ̔Arabî : métaphysique de l’être et de ses relations. In: J.-M. Counet (éd.), La non-dualité. Perspectives philosophiques, scientifiques, spirituelles (Bibliothèque philosophique de Louvain; 112), Peeters: Leuven, 2021, p. 89-102. 9789042946040.
Vandamme, Gregory. Voorwoord ["Heilige verbeelding. Ibn Al-Arabi over religieuze diversiteit"]. In: Chittick, William C. (trad. Colpaert, Marc), Heilige verbeelding. Ibn Al-Arabi over religieuze diversiteit, Synthese-Milinda: Geraardsbergen, 2021, p. 9-14. 9789062711666.
Vandamme, Gregory. La perplexité (ḥayra) comme voie de connaissance dans le soufisme classique : de Sarrāj à Ibn ʿArabī. Journées d’études ‘Courants anti-intellectuels en islam’ (IREMAM-Université d'Aix-Marseille, MMSH, Aix-en-Provence, du 01/12/2021 au 02/12/2021).
Vandamme, Gregory. L’influence de la pensée d’Ibn ‘Arabî dans les débats contemporains en islam : de l’inspiration à l’appropriation. Universalisation et patrimonalisations du soufisme, dir. N. Chabloz & F. Piraino (EHESS, Paris (Online), 19/03/2021).
Vandamme, Gregory. A Mystical Reading of the Paradoxical Quranic Metaphors: Ibn ʿArabī’s Hermeneutics of ‘Perplexity’ (Ḥayra). Mystical Theology Network Annual conference (Boston College, Boston, du 29/02/2019 au 03/03/2019).
Vandamme, Gregory. Qu’est-ce que la “tradition” ? Transmission et formulation de l’expérience islamique. Journée d'étude : Pratiques nouvelles en islam et engagements citoyens. Comment dépasser les clôtures dogmatiques ? (Académie royale de Belgique, Bruxelles, 07/12/2019).
Vandamme, Gregory. Towards a Correlative Ontology: A New Approach to the Notions of “Being” (wujūd) and “Fixity” (thubūt) in Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240), through his Epistemology of “Perplexity” (ḥayra). Sufism and Philosophy: Historical Interactions and Crosspollinations (University of Birmingham, du 26/04/2019 au 27/04/2019).
Vandamme, Gregory. [Compte rendu] ʿUMAR B. AL-FĀRIḌ, Al-tāʾiyya al-kubrā. La grande Tāʾiyya, traduction et commentaire par Jean-Yves L’HOPITAL (Études arabes, médiévales et modernes, PIFD 289), Beyrouth-Damas, Presses de l’Ifpo, 2016. In: Museon, Vol. 3-4, no.131, p. 490-493 (2018). doi:10.2143/MUS.131.3.3285657.
Vandamme, Gregory. Adam in Ibn ʿArabī and Bernard of Clairvaux: Contrasting Views on a Universal Figure. Engaging Particularities (16th ed.) (Boston College, Boston, 08/04/2018).
Vandamme, Gregory. Bewilderment (ḥayra) as the Heart of Revelation in the Quranic Hermeneutics of Ibn ʿArabī. Philosophical Hermeneutics in the Islamicate Context (UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, du 09/05/2018 au 11/05/2018).
Vandamme, Gregory. Ādam and Muḥammad in the Correlative Prophetology of Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240). 5th Annual Conference of the British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS) (University of Exeter, du 09/04/2018 au 11/04/2018).
Vandamme, Gregory. "De praktijk van Dhikr en Waẓîfa in het soefisme van de Tarîqa Qâdiriyya Bûdchîchiyya". In: Johan Leman & Ann Trappers ed., Spirituele en grootstedelijke zachte trance, Garant: Antwerpen, 2017, p. 17-28. 9789044135398.
Vandamme, Gregory. Perplexité et intelligence du cœur chez Ibn ʿArabī. GIS Moyen-Orient et Mondes Musulmans (CNRS) - Atelier 71, "L'Irrationnel au Moyen-Orient et en Islām" (INALCO, Paris, du 05/07/2017 au 08/07/2017).