Contemporary Approaches to the Qurʾan and its Interpretation in Iran (Contemporary Thought in the Islamic World)

This book sets out how contemporary Iranian scholars have approached the Qurʾān during recent decades. It particularly aims to explore the contributions of scholars that have emerged in the post 1979-revolution era, outlining their primary interpretive methods and foundational theories regarding the reading of the Qurʾān. Examining issues such as the status of women, democracy, freedom of religion and human rights, this book analyses the theoretical contributions of several Iranian scholars, some of which are new to the English-speaking academy. The hermeneutical approaches of figures such Abdolkarim Soroush, Muhammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Mohsen Kadivar, Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari, Abolqasem Fanaie and Mostafa Malekian are presented and then analysed to demonstrate how a contextualist approach to the Qu’ran has been formed in response to the influence of Western Orientalism. The effect of this approach to the Qu’ran is then shown to have wide-ranging effects on Iranian society. This study reveals Qu’ranic thought that has been largely overlooked by the West. It will, therefore. Be of great use to academics in Religious, Islamic and Qurʾānic studies as well as those studying the culture of Iran and the Middle East more generally. This book sets out how contemporary Iranian scholars have approached the Qurʾān during recent decades. It particularly aims to explore the contributions of scholars in the post-1979 Revolution era, outlining their primary interpretative methods and foundational theories regarding the reading of the Qurʾān. Examining issues such as the status of women, democracy, freedom of religion and human rights, this book analyses the theoretical contributions of several Iranian scholars, some of them new to the English-speaking academy. The hermeneutical approaches of figures such as Abdolkarim Soroush, Muhammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Mohsen Kadivar, Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari, Abolqasem Fanaie and Mostafa Malekian are presented and then analysed to demonstrate how a contextualist approach to the Qurʾān has been formed, in part, in response to the influence of Western orientalism. The effect of this approach to the Qurʾān is then shown to have wide-ranging effects on Iranian society. This study reveals key areas of Qurʾānic thought that have been largely overlooked by scholars outside Iran. It will, therefore, be of great use to students and scholars of religious, Islamic and Qurʾānic studies, as well as those studying the culture of Iran and the Middle East more generally. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Title 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 PART I Introduction and reception of Western scholars' approaches to the Qurʾān in Iran 10 Introduction 12 1 Reception of Western scholars' approaches to the Qurʾān in Iran: orientalism refuted 20 PART II Approaches of contextualist Iranian scholars towards interpretation of the Qurʾān 58 2 Abdolkarim Soroush 66 3 Muhammad Mojtahed Shabestari 84 4 Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari 98 5 Mohsen Kadivar 111 6 Abolqasem Fanaei 121 7 Mostafa Malekian 128 PART III Contextualist approaches in practice 138 8 Gender issues 140 9 Pluralism and freedom of religion 153 10 Human rights, democracy and methods of governance 164 PART IV Concluding remarks 184 Bibliography 187 Index 197 "This book sets out how contemporary Iranian scholars have approached the Qurʼān during recent decades. It particularly aims to explore the contributions of scholars that have emerged in the post 1979-revolution era, outlining their primary interpretive methods and foundational theories regarding the reading of the Qurʼān. Examining issues such as the status of women, democracy, freedom of religion and human rights, this book analyses the theoretical contributions of several Iranian scholars, some of which are new to the English-speaking academy. The hermeneutical approaches of figures such Abdolkarim Soroush, Muhammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Mohsen Kadivar, Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari, Abolqasem Fanaie and Mostafa Malekian are presented and then analysed to demonstrate how a contextualist approach to the Qu'ran has been formed in response to the influence of Western Orientalism. The effect of this approach to the Qu'ran is then shown to have wide-ranging effects on Iranian society. This study reveals Qu'ranic thought that has been largely overlooked by the West. It will, therefore. Be of great use to academics in Religious, Islamic and Qurʼānic studies as well as those studying the culture of Iran and the Middle East more generally"-- Provided by publisher This book sets out how contemporary Iranian scholars have approached the Qur'an during recent decades. It particularly aims to explore the contributions of scholars that have emerged in the post 1979-revolution era, outlining their primary interpretive methods and foundational theories regarding the reading of the Qur'an. 0Examining issues such as the status of women, democracy, freedom of religion and human rights, this book analyses the theoretical contributions of several Iranian scholars, some of which are new to the English-speaking academy. The hermeneutical approaches of figures such Abdolkarim Soroush, Muhammad Mojtahed Shabestari, Mohsen Kadivar, Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari, Abolqasem Fanaie and Mostafa Malekian are presented and then analysed to demonstrate how a contextualist approach to the Qu'ran has been formed in response to the influence of Western Orientalism. The effect of this approach to the Qu'ran is then shown to have wide-ranging effects on Iranian society. This study reveals Qu'ranic thought that has been largely overlooked by the West. It will, therefore. Be of great use to academics in Religious, Islamic and Qur'anic studies as well as those studying the culture of Iran and the Middle East more generally