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

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of theology, College of Farabi, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran

2 Department of Philosophy, Faculty of theology, College of Farabi, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Angelika Neuwirth is one of the most prominent contemporary scholars of Qur’ānic studies. In response to traditional orientalist biases, she proposes a new historical approach to understanding the Qur’ān based on the historical-critical method used in Biblical studies. In the first chapter of her book The Qur’ān and Late Antiquity—which serves as an introduction to her multi-volume exegesis—she outlines her method, emphasizing the gradual development of the Qur’ān within an interactive context between the proclaimer and her audience, with the audience playing a formative role in shaping the text. In the second chapter, she discusses the nature of the Qur’ān, 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 ideas that the Qur’ān 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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References

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Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies
Volume 8, Issue 1
Winter & Spring 2026
January 2026
Pages 33-41

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