New Perspectives on the Qur'an: The Qur'an in Its Historical Context 2

Jul 8, 2026

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New Perspectives on the Qurʾān: the Qurʾān in Its Historical Context 2 assembles an international scholarly set that expands Qurʾānic studies beyond medieval Islamic traditions. The collection concentrates on current debates and controversies, especially clarifying the Qurʾān’s relationship with Judaism and Christianity. Methodological essays, assessments of material evidence such as inscriptions and ancient manuscripts, and discussions of Qurʾān language and textual emendation support new readings. The book also explores how knowledge of early religious groups and Qurʾān-Biblical literary relations can illuminate passages long surrounded by controversy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages561

Reading Time23 h 34 min

Contents

Acknowledgements; Contributors; Foreword

Introduction: the golden age of Qurʾānic studies?

PART I Method in Qurʾānic studies

The historian, the believer, and the Qurʾān

Studies in Qurʾānic vocabulary: the problem of the dictionary

Towards understanding the Qurʾān’s worldview: an autobiographical reﬂection

PART II The Qurʾān and material evidence

The Jews of the Hijaz in the Qurʾān and in

New Perspectives on the Qur ʾ ān In this book, which continues the work of The Qur ʾān in Its Historical Context, an international group of scholars address an expanded range of topics on the Qur ʾānand its origins, looking beyond medieval Islamic traditions to present the Qur ʾān’sown conversation with the religions and literatures ofits day. Particular attention is paid to recent debates and controversies in the ﬁeld, and to uncovering the Qur ʾān’s relationship with Judaism and Christianity. After a foreword by Abdolkarim Soroush, chapters by renowned experts cover: • method in Qur ʾān Studies; • analysis of material evidence, including inscriptions and ancient manuscripts, for what they show of the Qur ʾān’s origins; • the language of the Qur ʾān and proposed ways to emend our reading of the Qur ʾān; • how our knowledge of the religious groups at the time of the Qur ʾān’s emergence might contribute to a better understanding of the text; • the Qur ʾān’s conversation with Biblical literature and traditions that challenge the standard understanding of the holy book. This debate of recent controversial proposals for new interpretations ofthe Qur ʾān will shed new light on the Qur ʾānic passages that have been shrouded in mystery and debate. As such, it will be a valuable reference for scholars of Islam, the Qur ʾān, Christian–Muslim relations and the Middle East. Gabriel Said Reynolds is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology atthe University of Notre Dame (USA) . He is the author of The Qur ʾān and Its Biblical Subtext (Routledge 2010), the editor of The Qur ʾān in Its Historical Context (Routledge 2008), and the translator of ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s A Critique of Christian Origins (Brigham Young University 2010) . Routledge studies in the Qur ʾān Series Editor: Andrew Rippin University of Victoria, Canada In its examination of critical issues in the scholarly study of the Qur ʾān and its commentaries, this series targets the disciplines of archaeology, history, textual history, anthropology, theology and literary criticism. The contemporary relevance of the Qur ʾān in the Muslim world, its role in politics and in legal debates are also dealt with, as are debates surrounding Qur ʾānic studies in the Muslim world. Literary Structures of Religious Meaning in the Qur ʾān Edited by Issa J. Boullata The Development of Exegesis in Early Islam The authenticity of Muslim literature from the formative period Herbert Berg Biblical Prophets in the Qur ʾān and Muslim Literature Robert Tottoli Moses in the Qur ʾān and Islamic Exegesis Brannon M. Wheeler Logic, Rhetoric and Legal Reasoning in the Qur ʾān God’s arguments Rosalind Ward Gwynne Textual Relations in the Qur ʾān Relevance, coherence and structure Salwa M. El-Awa Sūfī Commentaries on the Qur ʾān in Classical Islam Kristin Zahra Sands The Qur ʾān in Its Historical Context Gabriel Said Reynolds Interpreting al-Tha ʾlabi’s Tales of the Prophets Temptation, responsibility and loss Marianna Klar The Qur ʾān and Its Biblical Subtext Gabriel Said Reynolds Qur ʾānic Hermeneutics Al-Tabrisi and the craft of commentary Bruce Fudge New Perspectives on the Qur ʾān The Qur ʾān in its historical context 2 Edited by Gabriel Said Reynolds New Perspectives on the Qur ʾ ān The Qur ʾān in its historical context 2 Edited by Gabriel Said Reynolds First published 2011 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2011 Gabriel Said Reynolds for selection and editorial matter, individual contributors; their contributions The right of the editor to be identiﬁed as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copy

FAQs

What scope does the book expand in Qurʾān studies?

It expands topics on the Qurʾān and its origins by looking beyond medieval Islamic traditions and examining the Qurʾān’s engagement with the religions and literatures of its day.

Which debates does the collection emphasize?

It gives particular attention to recent debates and controversies, including arguments about the Qurʾān’s relationship with Judaism and Christianity.

What types of evidence and methods are used to study Qurʾān origins?

Contributions include methodology in Qurʾānic studies, analysis of material evidence such as inscriptions and ancient manuscripts, and approaches to the language of the Qurʾān with proposed textual emendations.

Jul 8, 2026

Upload by Skyler