Humanism and Muslim Culture: Historical Heritage and Contemporary Challenges

Edited by Stefan Reichmuth Jörn Rüsen, Aladdin Sarhan

The papers collected in this volume move from the abstract scheme of an intercultural humanism of the future to the concrete cultural express ions of different times up to the present. They concentrate mainly on three issues. The first is related to contemporary attempts to develop a humanist and historical hermeneutics of the Qur′an and of Islamic history.

The second concerns the discussion about the humanist heritage and the humanitarian trends of Muslim religious and literary culture, and their significance for the history of Islamic Studies in Europe and merica.
The third presents a case study on contemporary challenges to the European humanist position towards Islam posed by political communalism in Europe. In all of them, different concepts of humanism and their application are discussed. Taken together, they are appropriate to provide some ground for further productive discussions on the future of an intercultural humanism with respect to the Muslim world.

Abu Zayd, Nasr Hamid
Prof. Dr. (1943 –2010) Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Universities of Cairo, Leiden and Utrecht.
 
Arkoun, Mohammed
Prof. Dr. (1928–2010) Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris La Sorbonne; Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
 
Biesterfeldt, Hans Hinrich
Prof. Dr. Professor Emeritus of Islamic Studies at the University of Bochum; former Director of Arabicum at the National Language Institute (LSI) of North Rhine-Westphalia.
 
Kemper, Michael 
Prof. Dr. Professor of Eastern European Studies at the University of Amsterdam.
 
Kreutz, Michael
Dr.Researcher at the University of Halle-Wittenberg.
 
Reichmuth, Stefan
Prof. Dr.: Professor of Islamic and Oriental Studies at the University of Bochum, Co-editor of DieWelt des Islams, International Journal for the Study of Modern Islam.
 
Rusen, Jorn 
Prof. Dr. Dr. hc: Senior Fellow at the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut (Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities) KWI Essen, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Witten /Herdecke.
 
Sarhan, Aladdin, M.A. 
Researcher at the University of Erfurt.
 
Schabler, Birgit, Prof. Dr.
Professor of History at the University of Erfurt.
 
Wild, Stefan, Prof. Dr.
Professor Emeritus of Semitic Languages and Islamic Studies at the University of Bonn, Co-editor of DieWelt des Islams, International Journal for the Study of Modern Islam.
 
Wursch, Renate, Prof. Dr.
Professor for Islamic Studies at the University of Basel and Zurich.
Contents
 
Stefan Reichmuth / Joorn Rusen / Aladdin Sarhan
1. Foreword
 
Stefan Reichmuth / Jorn Rusen / Aladdin Sarhan
2. Humanism and Muslim Culture: Historical Heritage and Contemporary Challenges
 
 
Part I: A humanist hermeneutics of Islam?
 
Stefan Wild
3. The Concept of Man in the Qur′an. Non-Muslim Perspectives
 
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd
4. Rethinking the Qur′an: Towards a Humanistic Hermeneutics
 
Mohammed Arkoun
5. The Vicissitudes of Ethics in Islamic Thought
 
 
Part II: Debates on humanist elements in Islamic culture
 
Renate Wursch
6. Humanism and Mysticism – Inspirations from Islam
 
Hinrich Biesterfeldt
7. The Perfect Man – a Humanist?
 
Stefan Reichmuth
8. Humanism in Islam between Mysticism and Literature
 
Michael Kreutz
9. Understanding the Other: Taha Husayn on Reason and Individualism
 
 
Part III: Humanism and Islam in European identity politics: German and Dutch cases
 
Birgit Schabler
10. Humanism, Orientalism, Modernity : A Critique
 
Michael Kemper
11. The Cracks in Civilizations: The Dutch Public Discourse on Humanism and Islam
 
About the Contributors
Index of Names
Index of Places
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