Date:  April 15-16, 2020

Venue: Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

In Muslim communities, there is a consensus that the Quran is the central source of Islam. However, this agreement generally ends with questions as to the nature of the Quran and questions of access to meaning within the text. A diverse and multi-faceted tradition of interpretation has therefore developed against backgrounds of constantly changing socio-political circumstances.

Based on the conviction that faith-based Islamic theology in Germany has the responsibility to explore this interpretative tradition, and to adapt it in a way that acknowledges the living realities for Muslims in the West (esp. Germany), we would like to stimulate this process further by organizing a conference that addresses the hermeneutics of the normative dimension of the Quran.

The conference is structured around the three following themes that seem to be of particular relevance for today:

1) The nature of human being in the Quran

2) The individual and the community (within Islam)

3) Living together in ideologically pluralistic societies

The following are some questions that can be addressed by those who contribute with a paper to the conference: What is the relationship between preconceived norms (e.g., epistemological, conceptual, or sociopolitical) and the interpretation of the Quran, and how do the two affect each other? Which hermeneutical strategies are used? Which verses have been chosen [by who] as relevant, and why have others been neglected? How are tensions between historicity and validity in Quranic verses negotiated? What insights can be derived from this for Islamic theology in general and for contemporary Quranic exegeses in particular?

Source: FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg’s Website