The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'?n (Cambridge Companions to Religion)

Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 11/23/2006
EAN 9780521831604, ISBN10: 0521831601

Hardcover, 352 pages, 23.5 x 15.9 x 2.5 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English

As the living scriptural heritage of more than a billion people, the Qur'an (Koran) speaks with a powerful voice. Just as other scriptural religions, Islam has produced a long tradition of interpretation for its holy book. Nevertheless, efforts to introduce the Qur'an and its intellectual heritage to English-speaking audiences have been hampered by the lack of available resources. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an seeks to remedy that situation. In a discerning summation of the field, Jane McAuliffe brings together an international team of scholars to explain its complexities. Comprising fourteen chapters, each devoted to a topic of central importance, the book is rich in historical, linguistic and literary detail, while also reflecting the influence of other disciplines. For both the university student and the general reader, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an provides a fascinating entrée to a text that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries.

List of figures
Notes on contributors
Introduction Jane Dammen McAuliffe
Part I. Formation of the Qur'ānic Text
1. The historical context Fred M. Donner
2. Creation of a fixed text Claude Gilliot
3. Alternative accounts of the Qur'ān's formation Harald Motzki
Part II. Description and Analysis
4. Themes and topics Daniel A. Madigan
5. Structural, linguistic and literary features Angelika Neuwirth
6. Recitation and aesthetic reception William A. Graham and Navid Kermani
Part III. Transmission and Dissemination
7. From palm leaves to the Internet Fred Leemhuis
8. Inscriptions in art and architecture Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom
Part IV. Interpretations and Intellectual Traditions
9. The tasks and traditions of interpretation Jane Dammen Mcauliffe
10. Multiple areas of influence Alexander Knysh
11. Western scholarship and the Qur'ān Andrew Rippin
Part V. Contemporary Readings
12. Women's readings of the Qur'ān Asma Barlas
13. Political interpretation of the Qur'ān Stefan Wild
14. The Qur'ān and other religions Abdulaziz Sachedina
Qur'ān citation index
General index.