Between God and History: Politics of Modern Muslim Qur'an Hermeneutics

This book examines the political nature of contemporary Muslim Qur’ān Hermeneutics. In particular, it examines how a historical view of scripture – developed and canonized in a Western academic context – is debated by Muslim thinkers today. I argue that methodological discussions about the Qur’ān are used to negotiate farther-reaching ethical concerns, both societal and political. They hence offer a window into socio-religious change today.

Proponents of historical hermeneutics often consi...