John Kelsay, an international expert on Christian and Muslim ethics, especially in relation to war, has been named president of the Society for the Study of Muslim Ethics (SSME). According to the society’s website, the association, which was formed in August 2009, is “dedicated to advancing intellectual inquiry in Muslim ethics, including the relation of Muslim ethics to other ethical traditions and to social, political, and economic problems.”

The group is a spinoff of the Working Group on Muslim Ethics, created in 2003 by the Society of Christian Ethics, of which Kelsay is also a board member. According to Kelsay, the SSME's inaugural meeting in January was a great success: “We have an initial list of 20 scholars who are members of the society, and hope that will double by 2012." Membership is open to any and all university faculty and graduate students interested in the topic.

Kelsay, an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is the Richard L. Rubenstein Professor of Religion. Further information about the group may be found at http://ssmethics.org/