“Disenchantment” of the Bible and the Koran
Thomas Kaufmann and Angelika Neuwirth on the significance and exegesis of the holy scriptures
At the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”, church historian Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaufmann and scholar of Arabic Studies Prof. Dr. Angelika Neuwirth discussed how Christians and Muslims deal with the Bible and the Koran. Following an invitation from the German Academy for Language and Literature (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung) and the Cluster of Excellence, they talked in Münster about the significance, interpretation and translation of these texts and about the different opinions that existed and exist thereof in the religions in the past and the present. They also discussed the origins of the texts and the canonisation, the development of binding versions of the Bible and the Koran. For that they looked at various exegetical traditions of both religions and the role of institutionalised authorities.
In a short lecture, Thomas Kaufmann outlined the historical development of the Christian understanding of the Bible until the period of Reformation. Christianity not only took over the holy scriptures of Judaism as Old Testament, but also “the openness for translations that was natural to ancient Judaism.” The church historian explained how the Bible, since ancient times, had increasingly become an “instrument of power of the Roman-Catholic clerical church” in Latin. Later, by interpreting and translating the Bible in a revolutionary way, Luther had enabled “participation and interference”.
“Instrument of Enchantment”
As an introduction, Angelika Neuwirth presented the Koran as a text of Late Antiquity that needed to be examined within the context of its date of origin. Thus the “word” in Koran was an “instrument of enchantment” that embedded reality “into a significant before, the time of creation, and a significant after, the end of times”. This “enchantment of the world” granted mankind a new status, “he enjoys ‘double civil rights, namely in this life and in the afterlife’”. The scholar of Arabic studies voiced the impression that, as Max Weber has put it, a “disenchantment” of the holy scripture “has not yet advanced as much in Islam” in modern times and that here the “transcendent embedding of the world is still a source of spiritual fulfilment of the believers.”
On the panel, the researchers discussed how binding versions of the holy scriptures developed. Prof. Neuwirth argued that it is also possible to see historical stages of the textual formation of the Koran although to a far lesser degree than the Bible. Prof. Kaufmann emphasised that even today, the Christian confessions do not see the canon of the biblical books in a completely uniform way. Further, they critically examined the concept of verbal inspiration of the Koran, according to which God himself spoke the text. The researchers discussed to what extent a historical-critical interpretation of the holy scriptures contributed to their “disenchantment” and which effects this could have on the believers' piety.
Area of Tension of Text and Religion
The public panel “Arbeit am Text – Tora, Bibel und Koran” (Working on the text – Torah, Bible and Koran) was part of the national series of events “Wo das Wort ist, da tappe nach” (Where you find the word, go further) (Luther) that was arranged by the Academy on the occasion of the anniversary programme “Luther 2017”. The series is sponsored by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Historian Dr. Iris Fleßenkämper of the Cluster of Excellence hosted the evening.
The lecture series “Wo das Wort ist, da tappe nach” (Where you find the word, go further) (Luther) within the framework of the programme “Luther 2017” concentrates in four lectures on the area of tension of between text and religion. The first two lectures took place in Darmstadt and Munich and covered religious tolerance in literature and comparative considerations on the religious and poetic power to inspire. In Münster the focus was on the sacred scriptures of the three monotheistic religions. The scholar of Jewish Studies PD Dr. Ottfried Fraisse from Halle, who had also been invited, had to cancel his attendance at short notice due to damages caused by storms.
The closing event in Cologne on 19 October is about the aesthetic power of religious texts: “The beauty of God's word”. The German Academy for Language and Literature (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung), based in Darmstadt, is dedicated to fostering and supporting the German language. Every year, it awards the Georg-Büchner-Preis, one of the most renowned literature prizes in German-speaking countries. (ill/vvm)
"Katika mkutano wa ""Disenchantment"" wa Biblia na Qur'ani, Thomas Kaufmann na Angelika Neuwirth walijadili umuhimu na tafsiri ya maandiko matakatifu, na katika mkutano wa ""Religion and Politics,"" mwanahistoria wa kanisa Profesa Thomas Kaufmann na msomi wa masomo ya Kiarabu Profesa Angelika Neuwirth walijadili jinsi Wakristo na Waislamu wanavyoshughulika na Biblia na Qur'ani." Baada ya kualikwa na Chuo cha Lugha na Fasihi cha Ujerumani (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung) na Kikundi cha Excellence, walizungumza huko Münster juu ya umuhimu, tafsiri na tafsiri ya maandishi haya na juu ya maoni tofauti yaliyokuwa na yaliyopo katika dini za zamani na za kisasa. Pia walijadili asili ya maandishi na canonization, maendeleo ya matoleo ya kisheria ya Biblia na Qur'ani. Kwa hiyo walitazama mapokeo mbalimbali ya tafsiri ya dini zote mbili na jukumu la mamlaka za taasisi. Katika hotuba fupi, Thomas Kaufmann alifafanua maendeleo ya kihistoria ya uelewevu wa Kikristo wa Biblia hadi kipindi cha Marekebisho Makubwa ya Kidini. "Kristo hakuchukua tu maandiko matakatifu ya Kiyahudi kama Agano la Kale, lakini pia ""ufunguzi kwa tafsiri ambayo ilikuwa ya asili kwa Kiyahudi wa kale.""Mhistoria wa kanisa alielezea jinsi Biblia, tangu nyakati za kale, ilikuwa inazidi kuwa ""chombo cha nguvu ya kanisa la Kirumi-Katoliki la kanisa"" katika Kilatini." Baadaye, kwa kutafsiri na kutafsiri Biblia kwa njia ya mapinduzi, Luther alikuwa amewezesha "ushirikiano na kuingilia kati". "Kama utangulizi, Angelika Neuwirth aliwasilisha Qur'ani kama maandishi ya Enzi za Baadaye ambayo yanahitaji kuchunguzwa ndani ya muktadha wa tarehe yake ya asili. """ Hivyo "neno" katika Qur'ani lilikuwa "chombo cha uchawi" ambacho kiliingiza hali halisi "katika kabla muhimu, wakati wa uumbaji, na baada muhimu, mwisho wa nyakati". Hii "kuvutia ulimwengu" ilimpa binadamu hadhi mpya, "anafurahia haki mbili za kiraia, yaani katika maisha haya na katika maisha ya baada ya kifo". "Mtaalamu huyo wa masomo ya Kiarabu alitoa maoni kwamba, kama Max Weber alivyosema, ""kuvunjika moyo"" kwa maandiko matakatifu ""haijaendelea sana katika Uislamu"" katika nyakati za kisasa na kwamba hapa ""kuingizwa kwa ulimwengu wa juu bado ni chanzo cha kutimiza kiroho kwa waumini.""" Prof. Neuwirth alisema kwamba ni uwezekano wa kuona hatua za kihistoria za muundo wa maandishi ya Qur'ani ingawa kwa kiwango kidogo kuliko Biblia. Profesa Kaufmann alisisitiza kwamba hata leo, madhehebu ya Kikristo hayaoni kanuni ya vitabu vya Biblia kwa njia moja kabisa. Zaidi ya hayo, walichunguza kwa uangalifu wazo la uchochezi wa maneno wa Qur'ani, kulingana na ambayo Mungu mwenyewe alizungumza maandishi. Watafiti walijadili kwa kiwango gani tafsiri ya kihistoria na ya kukosoa ya maandiko matakatifu ilichangia "kuvunjika moyo" kwao na athari gani hii inaweza kuwa na juu ya uaminifu wa waumini. "Mkutano wa ""Kutumia Maandishi: Torah, Biblia na Qur'ani"" ulikuwa sehemu ya mfululizo wa matukio ya kitaifa ""Wo das Wort ist, da tappe nach"" (Wapi unapopata neno, nenda zaidi) (Luther) ambayo iliandaliwa na Chuo cha Kiislamu kwa ajili ya programu ya maadhimisho ya miaka ya ""Luther 2017.""" Mfululizo huo unafadhiliwa na Kamishna wa Serikali ya Shirikisho kwa Utamaduni na Vyombo vya Habari. Mwanahistoria Dakt. Iris Fleßenkämper wa Kikundi cha Ubora aliongoza jioni hiyo. Mfululizo wa hotuba "Wo das Wort ist, da tappe nach" (Wapi unapopata neno, nenda zaidi) (Luther) katika mfumo wa programu "Luther 2017" unazingatia katika hotuba nne eneo la mvutano kati ya maandishi na dini. Mikutano miwili ya kwanza ilifanyika Darmstadt na Munich na kufunikwa uvumilivu wa kidini katika fasihi na kuzingatia kulinganisha juu ya nguvu ya kidini na mashairi ya kuchochea. Huko Münster, mambo makuu yalihusisha maandishi matakatifu ya dini tatu za miungu mmoja. Mtaalamu wa masomo ya Kiyahudi, Dk Ottfried Fraisse, kutoka Halle, ambaye pia alikuwa amealikwa, alilazimika kufuta kuhudhuria kwake kwa taarifa fupi kwa sababu ya uharibifu uliosababishwa na dhoruba. "Tamasha la mwisho la mwaka huu la Köln, Oktoba 19, ni ""Uzuri wa Neno la Mungu.""" Chuo cha Kijerumani cha Lugha na Fasihi (Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung) ni taasisi ya lugha ya Kijerumani iliyoanzishwa mwaka wa 1945 na inaundwa na wanafunzi wa lugha ya Kijerumani. Kila mwaka, inatoa tuzo ya Georg-Büchner-Preis, mojawapo ya tuzo maarufu zaidi za fasihi katika nchi zinazozungumza Kijerumani. (ill) (m)