Professor Dr. James Robinson

Biography

James Theodore Robinson is the Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies and a Professor of History at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring in 2017. Robinson's research focuses on medieval Jewish intellectual history, philosophy, and biblical exegesis, particularly within the Islamic world and Christian Europe. He specializes in the literary and social dimensions of philosophy and its relationship to religion, with specific expertise in ethics, political philosophy, psychology, philosophical-allegorical exegesis, and interactions among Jewish, Islamic, and Christian intellectual traditions. Robinson has published several influential books, including works on Samuel Ibn Tibbon’s Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Maimonideanism, and medieval Jewish philosophy. His courses cover various topics, such as Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages, Medieval Commentaries, and the study of prominent Jewish intellectuals. His engaging pedagogical approach emphasizes critical thought and the interplay of cultures in shaping religious and philosophical ideas.

Research Interests