Chapter 11 Can There Be an Islamic Comparative Theology?
In: A Companion to Comparative TheologySearch for other papers by Vahid Mahdavi Mehr in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
Many theologians, not unlike historians and qur’anic scholars, assume that the Qur’an has a supersessionist attitude towards Judaism and Christianity. It seems, however, that this supersessionist framework is not derived from the Qur’an but is presupposed by the scholars. In this chapter, I try to challenge this presupposition through a preliminary investigation of the concept of the covenant, and the figure of Abraham in the Qur’an. If my observations are correct, it will be difficult for an Islamic theology that claims to be based on the Qur’an, to maintain a supersessionist framework in understanding earlier Abrahamic traditions. This will have important consequences for the definition, limits, and possibilities of Islamic comparative theology.