Juan José Tamayo

Who is Juan José Tamayo?

Juan José Tamayo is a Spanish theologian and professor of theology at the Charles III University of Madrid. He specializes in Catholic hierarchy but has broadened into Islamic studies. He has contributed to controversies about Opus Dei, and has written over 50 books. He is president of the Asociación de Teólogos Juan XXIII.

On September 16, 2009, Tamayo won the Seventh President of the Republic of Tunisia International Prize for Islamic Studies for his book Islam: Culture, Religion and Politics, beating some 28 candidates from 13 different countries. Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali presented the award during a ceremony held in Carthage Palace in Carthage. The book examines western prejudices against the Islamic world, questioning the commons western stereotypes of Islamic counties as a sexist, patriarchal, and fundamentally violent religion and how it has become a successor to communism in critique following recent events of extremism and terrorism.