Professor Matthew J Nelson

Department of Politics and International Studies

Professor of Politics

Centre on Conflict, Rights and Justice

Founding Member

Centre for the Study of Pakistan

Academic Staff

London Middle East Institute (LMEI)

Member

Senate

Vice Chair

Name:: Professor Matthew J Nelson
Email address:: mn6@soas.ac.uk
Telephone:: +44 (0)20 7898 4742
Address:: SOAS University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Building:: Russell Square: College Buildings
Office No:: 218
On Sabbatical:: 2021/22

Biography

Matthew Nelson (PhD Columbia) is a Professor of Politics at SOAS. His research focuses on the comparative and international politics of South Asia, with an emphasis on non-elite politics, comparative political thought, the politics of Islamic institutions, and democracy. Before coming to SOAS Dr Nelson taught at UC Santa Cruz, Bates College, and Yale University.

Dr Nelson has spent several years conducting archival, ethnographic, and survey-based research in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. His first book was titled In the Shadow of Shari‘ah: Islam, Islamic Law, and Democracy in Pakistan (Columbia, 2011); his current research focuses on comparative constitutional politics and the politics of sectarian and doctrinal diversity in Islamic law and education.

Dr Nelson is a founding member of the Centre for Comparative Political Thought and the Centre for the International Politics of Conflict, Rights, and Justice at SOAS. In 2009-2010 Dr Nelson was the Wolfensohn Family Member at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton; in 2011 he was a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) in Washington, D.C.; in 2014-15 he was a Fellow at the Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF) in Bielefeld (Germany).

Dr Nelson has also served as an elected board member for the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS), the South Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and the Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA).

Dr Nelson has completed several consultancies for The Brookings Institution, the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), The Asia Foundation, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the British Foreign Office (FCO), the British Department for International Development (DFID), and others.

Teaching

Modules Taught

PhD Students supervised

Guy Robert Eyre, Understanding everyday North Africans' ideas about halal and haram lifestyles: an ethnographic study of grassroots Muslim educational and Quranic reading circles (tajwid) in Algeria and Morocco.
Mehdi Beyad, A Claim to Space: The Discourse of Arab-Iranian Rivalry as Geopolitical Imaginary in Ba’thist Iraq and Pahlavi Iran
Salman Rafi, Intra-Ethnic Fragmentation and the Politics of De-centralising Constitutional Change in Pakistan: A Comparative Study

Other students supervised:

Tobias Berger 'Global Norms and Local Courts: Translating the Rule of Law in Rural Bangladesh' (Professor Thomas Risse, Free University, Berlin) 2014
Tahrat Shahid (Professor Elizabeth Frazer, Oxford) 2015
Maha Aziz (Professor John Sidel, LSE) 2012
Mahvish Shami (Dr. Jean-Paul Faguet, LSE) 2011

Research

South Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India); Islamic institutions (law, education); comparative political thought; comparative constitutionalism; politics and religion (Political Islam), non-elite politics; democracy.

Expertise

For help in contacting SOAS academics and advice on services to business and the community, please contact SOAS Enterprise on +44(0)20 7898 4837 or email enterprise@soas.ac.uk.
For all press and media enquiries please call +44 (0)20 7898 4135 or email press@soas.ac.uk

Available for

Special Study Programmes
Short Term Consultancy
Briefings

Regional Expertise

South Asia

Country Expertise

Pakistan

Languages

Urdu

Publications

Authored Books

Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) In the Shadow of Shari‘ah: Islam, Islamic Law, and Democracy in Pakistan. New York: Columbia University Press.

Articles

Nelson, Matthew J. and Bali, Asli and Mednicoff, David and Lerner, Hannah (2020) 'From Foreign Text to Local Meaning: The Politics of Religious Exclusion in Transnational Constitutional Borrowing'. Law and Social Inquiry, (45) 4, pp 935-964.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2020) 'Constitutional Migration and the Meaning of Religious Freedom: From Ireland and India to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan'. Journal of Asian Studies, (79) 1, pp 129-154.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2018) 'Indian Basic Structure Jurisprudence in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Reconfiguring the Constitutional Politics of Religion'. Asian Journal of Comparative Law, (13) 2, pp 333-357.

Nelson, Matthew J. and Shah, Dian A. H. (2018) 'Operationalizing and Regulating Religious Freedom: Apostasy and Administrative "Reasonableness" in Malaysia and Beyond'. International Journal of Constitutional Law, (16) 4, pp 1293-1321.

Schonthal, Benjamin and Moustafa, Tamir and Nelson, Matthew J. and Shankar, Shylashri (2016) 'Is the Rule of Law an Antidote for Religious Tension? The Promise and Peril of Judicializing Religious Freedom'. American Behavioral Scientist, (60) 8, pp 966-986.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2014) 'Social, Religious, and Political Change in Pakistan'. Seminar: The Monthly Symposium, (664), pp 20-23.

Milam, William B. and Nelson, Matthew J. (2013) 'Pakistan's Populist Foreign Policy'. Survival: Global Politics and Strategy, (55) 1, pp 121-134.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) 'Embracing the Ummah: Student Politics beyond State Power in Pakistan'. Modern Asian Studies, (45) 3, pp 565-596.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) '“Faith” and “Development” in Secular and Religious Schools'. Comparative Education Review, (55) 1, pp 115-117, 129-131.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2010) 'Pakistan in 2009: Tackling the Taliban?'. Asian Survey, (50) 1, pp 112-126.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2010) 'Persistent Legal Pluralism and the Challenge of Universal Human Rights'. Oxford Journal of Human Rights Practice, (2) 3, pp 401-407.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) 'Dealing with Difference: Religious Education and the Challenge of Democracy in Pakistan'. Modern Asian Studies, (43) 2, pp 591-618.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) 'Pakistan in 2008: Moving Beyond Musharraf'. Asian Survey, (49) 1, pp 16-27.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2008) 'Religious Education in Non-Religious Schools: A Comparative Study of Pakistan and Bangladesh'. Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, (46) 3, pp 271-295.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2007) 'Who Speaks for Islam?: 'Authenticity' and the Interpretation of Islamic Law in America's War on Terror'. Australian Journal of International Affairs, (61) 2, pp 247-66.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2006) 'Muslims, Markets, and the Meaning of 'A Good Education' in Pakistan'. Asian Survey, (46) 5, pp 699-720.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2006) 'Madrasas and the Modern State'. RUSI Newsbrief, (26) 7, pp 74-76.

Book Chapters

Nelson, Matthew J. and Shah, D.A.H. (2019) 'Regulating Religion through Administrative Law: Religious Conversion in Malaysia Beyond Fundamental Rights'. In: Neo, J. and Jamal, A. and Goh, D., (eds.), Regulating Religion in Asia: Norms, Modes, and Challenges. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp 233-255.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2018) 'The Constitutional Politics of “Indian” Religious Freedom in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan'. In: Barkey, K. and Kaviraj, S. and Vatsal, N., (eds.), Negotiating Democracy and Religious Pluralism in India, Pakistan, and Turkey. New York: Oxford University Press. [Forthcoming]

Nelson, Matthew J. (2017) 'Islamic Law in an Islamic State: What Role for Parliament?'. In: Bâli, Aslı Ü. and Lerner, Hanna, (eds.), Constitution Writing, Religion and Democracy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp 235-264.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2017) 'Pakistan'. In: Hamid, Shadi and McCants, William, (eds.), Rethinking Political Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, pp 164-178.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) ''Informal Agencies of Influence in Pakistan: The Interdependence of Social, Religious, and Political Trends''. Mapping Pakistan's Internal Dynamics: Implications for State Stability and Regional Security. Washington, D.C.: National Bureau of Asian Research, pp 59-77.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) 'Islamist Parties and Their Proxies in Pakistan: Working With - and Against - the State'. In: Hamid, Shadi and McCants, William, (eds.), Rethinking Political Islam. New York: Oxford University Press.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2014) ''Ilm and the Individual: Islamic Education and the Production of Political Ideas in Pakistan'. In: Jeffrey, R. and Sen, R., (eds.), Being Muslim in South Asia: Diversity and Daily Life. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp 161-180.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2013) ''Supporting Subversion? International Organisations and "Freedom of Conscience" in Islamic States''. In: Annicchino, Pasquale, (ed.), The Protection and Promotion of Freedom of Religion and Belief in Foreign Policy. Florence: European University Institute, pp 42-46.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2013) 'Supporting Subversion? International Organisations and “Freedom of Conscience” in Islamic States'. In: Annicchino, P., (ed.), The Protection and Promotion of Freedom of Religion in Foreign Policy. Florence: European University Institute, pp 42-46.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2012) 'Inheritance Unbound: The Politics of Personal Law Reform in Pakistan and India'. In: Khilnani, Sunil and Raghavan, Vikram and Thiravengadam, Arun, (eds.), Comparative Constitutionalism in South Asia. Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, pp 219-246.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2012) 'Pakistan'. In: Dizard, Jake and Walker, Christopher and Tucker, Vanessa, (eds.), Countries at the Crossroads 2011: An Analysis of Democratic Governance. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: Freedom House, pp 449-472.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) 'Pakistan 2006-2011'. Countries at the Crossroads. New York: Freedom House, pp 463-486.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2010) 'Dealing with Difference: Religious Education and the Challenge of Democracy in Pakistan'. In: Merry, M.S. and Milligan, J.A., (eds.), Citizenship, Education, and Identity in Muslim Communities. London: Palgrave, pp 103-123.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2010) 'Muslims, Markets, and the Meaning of "A Good Education" in Pakistan'. In: Abbas, Tahir, (ed.), Islam and Education. Vol. 2. London: Routledge.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) 'Religion, Politics, and the Modern University in Pakistan and Bangladesh'. In: Ahmad, Mumtaz and Nelson, Matthew, (eds.), Islamic Education in Bangladesh and Pakistan: Trends in Tertiary Institutions. National Bureau of Asian Research, pp 61-94.

Monographs and Working Papers

Nelson, Matthew J. and Oldmixon, Seth (2017) Bangladesh on the Brink: The New Social Geography of Political Violence. Washington D.C.: Resolve Network Research Report No.1: Bangladesh Research Series.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) 'Local Orders and International Engagement in South Asia'. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) Local Orders and International Engagement in South Asia, Local Orders Paper Series; Paper 2, May. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) Informal Agencies of Influence: The Interdependence of Social, Religious, and Political Trends in Pakistan. In: Mapping Pakistan’s Internal Dynamics.. Seattle: National Bureau of Asian Research.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2015) Islamist politics in South Asia after the Arab Spring: Parties and Their Proxies Working With—and Against—the State. Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institution; Rethinking Political Islam Series.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2015) Islamic Law in an Islamic Republic: What Role for Parliament?. Oxford: The Foundation for Law, Justice and Society; University of Oxford.

Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) Campus Conflict, Party Politics, and the Secular State in Bangladesh. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, British High Commission (Dhaka).

Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) Religion, Politics, and the Modern University in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Seattle: National Bureau of Asian Research.