Founding Member
Academic Staff
Academic Staff
Member
Vice Chair
Department REF Coordinator
- Name:
- Dr 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
- Academic Support Hours:
- Thursdays, 1-3pm (from Week 3) or by appointment
Biography
Matthew Nelson (PhD Columbia) is a Reader in 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.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) In the Shadow of Shari‘ah: Islam, Islamic Law, and Democracy in Pakistan. New York: Columbia University Press.
Nelson, Matthew J. and Bali, Asli and Lerner, Hanna and Mednicoff, David (2019) 'From Foreign Text to Local Meaning: The Politics of Religious Exclusion in Transnational Constitutional Borrowing'. Law and Social Inquiry. [Forthcoming]
Nelson, Matthew J. (2019) 'Constitutional Migration and the Meaning of Religious Freedom: From Ireland and India to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan'. Journal of Asian Studies. [Forthcoming]
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.
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: Cambridge 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.
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.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2016) 'Review of Nicholas Martin, 'Landlords, Politics, and Islam in Pakistan' Routledge: (Exploring the Political in South Asia), 192 p.'. South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) 'Review of: Hilary Synnott, Transforming Pakistan: Ways Out of Instability (London: Routledge and the International Institute of Strategic Studies [IISS], 2009), 198 pp.'. South Asia Research, (31) 2, pp 183-185.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2011) 'Review of Irfan Ahmad, 'Islam and Democracy in India: The Transformation of Jamaat-e-Islami''. American Ethnologist, (38) 2, pp 405-406.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2009) 'Review of David Loyn, 'Butcher and Bolt: two hundred years of foreign engagement in Afghanistan''. The Middle East in London, (6) 1.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2008) 'Review of Vazira Fazila-Yaqoobali Zamindar, 'The Long Partition and the Making of Modern South Asia: Refugees, Boundaries, Histories''. Asian Affairs, (39) 2, pp 447-448.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2008) 'Review of Srirupa Roy, 'Beyond Belief: India and the Politics of Postcolonial Nationalism''. Asian Affairs, (39) 2, pp 287-288.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2007) 'Review of Tariq Rahman, 'Denizens of Alien Worlds: A Study of Education, Inequality, and Polarization in Pakistan''. South Asia Research, (27) 1.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2006) 'Review of Jan-Peter Hartung and Helmut Reifeld, 'Islamic Education, Diversity, and National Identity: Dini Madaris in India Post-9/11''. South Asia Research, (26) 3, pp 308-310.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2019) Constituting Religion: From South Asia to Malaysia.
Nelson, Matthew J. and Shah, Dian (2017) 'The Politics of Administrative "Reasonableness" in Malaysia'.
Nelson, Matthew J. (2013) Does Democracy Mean Different Things in India and Pakistan?.
This list was last generated on Tuesday, 19th November 2019, 08:38 Europe/London.