Comparative Theology and Scriptural Reasoning: A Muslim’s Approach to Interreligious Learning

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doi:10.3390/rel9100297

Abstract

In this paper, I examine Comparative Theology (CT) and Scriptural Reasoning (SR), two distinctive interreligious learning practices, in relation to each other. I propose that these practices, with respect to their dialogical features and transformative power, represent two of the most noteworthy current modes of interreligious dialogue. They achieve this by their ability to explicitly understand the “other.” This is also because they serve not only as tools in service of understanding in academic circles, but also as existentially/spiritually transformative journeys in the exotic/familiar land of the “other.” In respect to religious particularity and (un)translatability, I argue that both CT and SR have certain liberal and postliberal features, as neither of them yields to such standard taxonomies. Finally, I deal with Muslim engagement with CT and SR and present some initial results of my current comparative questioning/learning project. Consequently, I plan for this descriptive work to stand as a preliminary to, first, an SR session that focuses on some Qur’anic verses and biblical accounts with a probable progressivist view of history and, second, an in-depth study of the Islamic tradition in that light.

Highlights

Over the past 20 years, Comparative Theology (CT) and Scriptural Reasoning (SR), two distinctive practices of interreligious—or dialogical—learning, have gained attention in both academic and non-academic circles
Clooney, inspired by Ben Quash’s depiction of SR’s basic features of particularity, provisionality, sociality, and surprise argues that all four features apply to CT
While SR was mainly initiated among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim academics, it has recently extended to schools, hospitals, correction facilities, and non-academic circles

Summary

Introduction

Over the past 20 years, Comparative Theology (CT) and Scriptural Reasoning (SR), two distinctive practices of interreligious—or dialogical—learning, have gained attention in both academic and non-academic circles. Clooney, inspired by Ben Quash’s depiction of SR’s basic features of particularity, provisionality, sociality, and surprise (italics are the author’s) argues that all four features apply to CT As he notes, the main distinction between the two practices is that SR is extroverted, explicitly conversational, and focuses mainly on scripture, in contrast to CT’s inclination toward individual, introverted reading, focusing on secondary theological writings (Clooney 2013). Murray draws attention to family resemblances between SR, CT, and Receptive Ecumenism He argues that all three are “self-consciously postliberal strategies” on the grounds that they all prefer particularity and plurality over commonality and final agreement. They seek to learn from and across differences and disagreements (Murray 2013). I plan for this descriptive work to stand as a preliminary to, first, an SR session that focuses on some Qur’anic verses and biblical accounts with probable progressivist view of history and, second, an in-depth study of the Islamic tradition in that light

Comparative Theology and Scriptural Reasoning

Muslim Engagement with Comparative Theology and Scriptural Reasoning

Asymmetricality between Christian and Islamic Traditions: A Personal

Concluding Remarks