Professor Matthew Wilkinson

Professor of Religion in Public Life

I am a philosopher and social scientist of religion in public life. My high-impact empirical research identifies and implements interventions to promote safe and creative manifestations of faith in prisons and schools.
I am the originator of the philosophy of Islamic critical realism designed to ‘underlabour’ the understanding and practice of Islam in Muslim-minority contexts.
I have been instructed as an expert witness in Islamic theology and Islamist radicalisation in 32 Terrorism and Hate Crime trials, including most recently by the Manchester Arena Inquiry.
I am Principal Investigator of Prison-based Interventions for Muslim Offenders (PRIMO) which is designing, piloting and testing interventions to maximise the rehabilitative effects of choosing to follow Islam in prison.
PRIMO builds on the research of Understanding Conversion to Islam in Prison (2018-2021) which documented the effects of religious change on the lives of 280 Muslim prisoners in England, Switzerland and France.
This research has been published in Islam in Prison: finding faith, freedom and fraternity (Policy Press: 2022).

In 1989, I won a scholarship in Theology & Religious Studies at Trinity College, University of Cambridge.
I embraced Islam in 1991 and studied The Qur’an, Arabic and Islamic law in traditional settings.
I am a qualified teacher and taught History, Citizenship and Islamic Studies in secondary schools for 15 years.
I completed my ESRC-funded PhD in Education at King’s College London in 2011.
From 2011-2014, I was the post-doctoral student of Professor Roy Bhaskar (1944-2014), the founder of the philosophy of critical realism, and developed an original educational philosophy of Islam called Islamic critical realism, designed to help young people of faith to flourish in multi-faith contexts.
This philosophy and educational theory have been published in my first book, A Fresh Look at Islam in a Multi-faith World: a philosophy for success through education (Routledge, 2015), which was awarded the 2014 Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize as the most “creative and innovative” work of critical realist philosophy.
I have been instructed as an expert witness in Islamic theology and Islamist radicalisation in 32 Terrorism and Hate Crime trials, including most recently by the Manchester Arena Inquiry to describe and explain the radicalisation of the bomber of the Manchester Arena in May 2017.
My second book is based on my experience and method as an expert witness, The Genealogy of Terror: how to distinguish between Islam, Islamism and Islamist Extremism (Routledge, 2019).

2014 - Awarded the 2014 Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize for my book, A Fresh Look at Islam in a Multi-faith World: a philosophy for success through education (Routledge, 2015) as the most “creative and innovative” work of critical realist philosophy.
2007 - Awarded ESRC-King's College London CASE PhD studentship to complete PhD research entitled 'History Curriculum, Citizenship and Muslim Boys: learning to succeed?'
1989 - Awarded Undergraduate Scholarship in Theology & Religious Studies by Trinity College, University of Cambridge.

2020-2021 - Reader in Religion & Criminal Justice, Birkbeck, University of London
2017-2020 - Senior Research Fellow in Contemporary Islam, SOAS, University of London
2015-2017 - Research Fellow in Contemporary Islam, SOAS, University of London
2013-2015 - Research Fellow for Islam and Muslims in Education, UCL, Institute of Education
2012 - Visiting Lecturer on Islam in Education, UCL, Institute of Education
2011-2015 - Visiting Lecturer on Islam in Education, University of Cambridge
2011-2013 - Research Fellow, Cambridge Muslim College
2010 - Visiting Lecturer in Education, Anglia Ruskin University
2010 - Visiting Lecturer in Education, London Metropolitan University

2021 - Prison Governors' Association Conference ‘Understanding Conversion to Islam in Prison'
2021 - European Society of Criminology Conference - 'Prison as a site of intense religious change: the example of conversion to Islam.'
2019 - The Royal Society of Asian Affairs, London. (Key note) 'The Genealogy of Terror: How to distinguish between Islam, Islamism and Islamist Extremism'
2017- Innovative Forms of Islamic Education in Western Europe, University of Leiden, Holland. 'Bridging the 'unserious' gap between the study and the experience of Islam'
2015 - Serious Crime Conference, The Judicial College, London. (Key note) 'The Relationship of Sharia' to UK Law: a philosophical, case-based approach'
2015 - Muslim Integration Conference, SOAS University of London. 'Our way of being British: a philosophical basis for Muslim integration'

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My empirical research maps and interprets the effects the presence and absence of religious faith in institutions of public life such as prisons and schools.
I am particularly concerned to understand how faith-based choices can enhance people's chances of holistic success and not lead them into the diffculties or dangers of extremist Worldviews.
Currently I am Principal Investigator of PRIMO (Prison-Based Interventions for Muslim Offenders).
On the basis of a strong body of mixed-methods evidence gathered by Understanding Conversion to Islam in Prison about the nature and needs of 280 Muslim prisoners and 60 prison staff, PRIMO (Prison-Based Interventions for Muslim Offenders) is designing, piloting and testing in seven prisons the effects of a six-week course of Religious Education for prisoners in an exciting, original and practical large-scale criminological field experiment.
PRIMO is also designing and testing training for the professional development of Prison Chaplains, Prison Officers and Prison Governors.
PRIMO is directed at maximising the rehabilitative and spiritual benefits and minimising the psychological and criminogenic risks of choosing to follow Islam in prison.

Areas of expertise