Organized By Axel Marc Takács
40 Francis Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138-1912 (42.380130, -71.112490)
Joseph Lumbard, assistant professor of classical Islam in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, will present the first lecture of the Society for Comparative Theology. ** The question of the covenant in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures was among the most fertile topics for critically engaged Jewish-Christian dialogue in the 20th century and has given rise to more pluralistic readings in both. But such developments have not occurred in the field of Quranic Studies. Nonetheless, the idea of the covenant is central to the Quranic conception of humanity and of religious history. Discussions of the covenant are prevalent in the text itself and in the commentary tradition, where many issues and concepts central to Islam are linked to the covenant. This lecture will examine the manner in which the Quran and the commentary tradition treat the idea of the covenant (ʿahd or mīthāq). It will demonstrate how the Quranic presentation of the covenant is central to the Quranic understanding of human history, the human condition, and the relationships among different religious traditions. ** To be held in the Common Room of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School (42 Francis Ave). Refreshments will be served.