Carl W. Ernst

Carl W. Ernst (born September 8, 1950, Los Angeles, California) is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Islamic studies at the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also the director of the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations.
Ernst received his A.B. in comparative religion at Stanford University in 1973, and his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1981. He taught at Pomona College from 1981 to 1992.
It was his suggestion for the UNC's Summer Reading Program of Michael Sells (1999). Approaching the Qurʼan. White Cloud Press. that set in motion the UNC-Qur'an Controversy in 2002.
Ernst's recent book, Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World (UNC Press, 2003), has received several international awards, including the 2004 Bashrahil Prize for Outstanding Cultural Achievement.