Theological Presuppositions in the Historical Study of God’s Word; Examining Angelika Neuwirth's Extra-Historical Premises in Her Historical Approach to The Qur’an as Explained in the Book “The Qur’an and Late Antiquity”

Articles in Press

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 PhD candidate in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Farabi Collegiate, University of Tehran

2 Associate Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Farabi Collegiate, University of Tehran

10.22059/jcis.2025.394412.1421

Abstract

Angelika Neuwirth is one of the most prominent contemporary scholars of Qur’anic studies. In response to traditional orientalist biases, she proposes a new historical approach to understanding the Qur’an based on the historical-critical method used in Biblical studies. In the first chapter of her book The Qur’an and Late Antiquity—which serves as an introduction to her multi-volume exegesis—she outlines her method, emphasizing the gradual development of the Qur’an within an interactive context between the proclaimer and his audience, the latter playing a formative role in shaping the text. In the second chapter, she discusses the nature of the Qur’an, venturing beyond the scope of literary or historical inquiry into theological territory. This descriptive-analytical article first identifies the non-historical presuppositions in Neuwirth’s approach and then critiques them. Contrary to her claim of offering a purely historical reading, Neuwirth imports theological assumptions into her work. These include the idea that the Qur’an is a product of the Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be upon Him and His Progeny) interaction with his community, that its verses are adapted from Biblical texts, that revelation is merely a mystical experience, and that some verses do not convey objective truths.

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Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 June 2025

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