Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Muslim Qur'anic interpretation today is beset by tensions: tensions between localising and globalising forces; tensions between hierarchical and egalitarian social ideals; tensions between the quest for new approaches and the claim for authority raised by defenders of exegetical traditions. It is this complex web of power structures, local as well as global, that this book seeks to elucidate. This book provides a fresh perspective on present-day Qur'anic interpretations by analysing the historical, social and political dimensions in which they take place, the ways in which they are performed and the media through which they are transmitted. Besides discussing the persistence of exegetical traditions and the emergence of new paradigms, it examines the structural conditions in which these processes occur. Languages, nation states, global human rights discourses and intra-Islamic divisions all shape the nature of interpretive endeavours and frequently fuel conflicts over the correct understanding of the Qur'an. The book contains more than twenty detailed case studies of recent Qur'anic interpretations, based on translated texts that cover a variety of languages, regions, media, genres, approaches, authors and target groups. They are integrated into the chapters, bring their arguments to life and stimulate fundamental reflections on the authority of the text and the authority of its interpreters.
Synopsis
This book takes a comprehensive look at the ways in which Muslims interpret the Qur'ān today and at the themes and structural conditions that shape their engagement with their sacred scripture. Muslim Qur'ānic interpretation Today includes boldly innovative approaches as well as staunchly traditional ones. They are represented and performed in all types of media and target a wide variety of audiences. The book aims at making sense of these diverse phenomena by combining an analytical overview of the field with detailed case studies of exegetical texts and media from the 2000s and 2010s. The first part offers a comprehensive introductory survey of the field of contemporary Muslim Qur nic interpretation. It provides a fresh perspective on present-day discourses by emphasising the historical, social, and political dimensions in which they take place. The second part presents samples from recent exegetical works that exemplify larger themes such as media, interpretive methods, and the diversity of the global Muslim community. Commentaries on the texts and their authors help to contextualise the samples and highlight core themes and features of contemporary exegetical debates. Taken together, the two parts of the book can be read as a spotlight on Muslim Qur'ānic interpretation in a specific period of time, a time of great challenges and tremendous social transformations, some of them obvious and some of them rarely noted.