IQNA – In a recent lecture, Professor Ida Glaser explored the complexities and opportunities of reading Genesis and Galatians through an Islamic perspective, also discussing the works of other scholars in his field.
She delivered the online lecture on August 29, 2024, which was organized by Inekas Institute. Glaser is head of a research project titled “Reading the Bible in the Context of Islam” at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, in Oxford.
Delivered to a diverse audience and translated into Persian, Professor Glaser's lecture highlighted the complexities and insights involved in reading the Bible through the lens of Islamic culture.
Professor Glaser began her talk by sharing her own journey into the field of comparative theology. Originally trained in physics, she transitioned to theology with the conviction that understanding the person behind the study is as crucial as the study itself.
"One of the things you realize if you're in physics is that a really important part of your report on your experiment is to say what your apparatus is," she explained. "And when one's doing theology, a very important part of the apparatus is, of course, the theologian."
Her early work in theology was shaped by her experiences in a multicultural inner-city area in the United Kingdom, where she was surrounded by communities from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
This diverse setting inspired her to compare narratives from the Bible and the Quran, specifically focusing on the parallel stories found in Genesis and Islamic texts. This approach laid the groundwork for her broader project of reading the Bible in the context of Islam.
Exploring Two Biblical Commentaries: Genesis and Galatians
The lecture delved into two specific biblical commentaries: one on Genesis 1-11 and another on Galatians. These two texts, while both part of the Bible, present distinct challenges and opportunities when read in an Islamic context, according to Glaser.
She pointed to her doctoral research on Genesis 1-11, exploring parallels with the Quran: "I looked for narratives in the Quran that were parallel to the narratives in Genesis 1 to 11." She then shifts to Galatians, noting the lack of direct parallels and instead focusing on the historical context surrounding its writing.
The speaker identified the controversies during the formation of early Christian and Muslim communities as significant parallels: "Galatians was being written in a key time with a lot of controversy in the development of the early community of believers in Jesus."
For Genesis, Professor Glaser's approach, according to herself, was to identify narratives in the Quran that parallel the Genesis stories, such as the creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Tower of Babel. By comparing these accounts, she sought to understand how Islamic perspectives could reshape a reader's understanding of these biblical narratives.
Shen then continued the discussion by referring to two books about the topic; 1) Genesis 1-11: Bible Commentaries from Muslim Contexts by Anwarul Azad and Ida Glaser and 2) The New Testament in Muslim Eyes by Shabbir Akhtar.
Reading The Bible in the Islamic Context edited by Shabbir Akhtar, Daniel J. Crowther, Shirin Shafaie, and Ida Glaser is also another book that delves into the discussion.
While Al-Azad approached the Genesis commentary with a poetic and peaceful lens, highlighting common theological ground, Akhtar’s treatment of Galatians was more confrontational, reflecting his philosophical background and deep engagement with Christian and Islamic debates, she said.
Further discussing the Galatians, the scholar said the commentary on the book faced a different set of challenges compared to Genesis.
Galatians, a New Testament epistle written by the Apostle Paul, lacks the direct narrative parallels found in Genesis, she said, adding that understanding Galatians in an Islamic context required a focus on the underlying themes and controversies, both in Paul's time and within early Muslim communities.
"What I realized was that instead of looking at the narrative within the text, I could ask about the narrative behind the text," she said, pointing out the similarities between the historical contexts of early Christianity and Islam.
"Galatians was being written in a key time with a lot of controversy in the development of the early community of believers in Jesus,” she noted, comparing the situation to that the revelation of the Quran “at least in Medina, in a time of controversy in the early establishment of the Muslim community."
Role of Analogy
A key element of Professor Glaser's method, as depicted above, involves using analogy to bridge the gaps between these two religious texts. She explained that rather than focusing solely on similarities or differences, she sought to find analogical connections that resonate across faiths.
This approach, she maintains, helps to facilitate a deeper understanding of both the Bible and the Quran, not as rival scriptures but as texts that engage in a larger conversation about faith and the divine.
Three worlds to consider when reading scriptures
The professor discussed three different "worlds" related to understanding religious scriptures:
1. The World Behind the Text: This refers to the historical and cultural context in which the text was written. It's like using the text as a window to look at the world that existed when it was created.
2. The World of the Text: This is about analyzing the text itself—its structure, shape, and overall composition. It's like looking at the text as a piece of art and appreciating its form and beauty.
3. The World in Front of the Text: This is the reader's own world and perspective. When people read the text, they often see their own experiences and beliefs reflected in it, using it as a mirror.
Glaser emphasized that to faithfully understand and interpret scriptures, one must consider all three worlds. Ignoring any of these perspectives can lead to misunderstandings, she stressed.
“For a thorough reading of the text, and particularly for the reading of a scripture, if we're going to be faithful, we have to take all of these worlds into account, and we have to think explicitly about them; otherwise, we can be in trouble,” she said.
For example, she maintained, focusing only on the historical context might make the reader forget the text's relevance today, while using it solely as a mirror might prevent them from understanding its original meaning.
Reading the Bible in an Islamic context requires a nuanced approach that considers the text's historical and cultural background, its internal structure, and the contemporary world in which we read it, she said.
Intertextuality, particularly the conversation between the Bible and the Quran, is crucial for understanding the text's meaning in an Islamic context, noted the scholar, highlighting that analogy can be a valuable tool for bridging the gap between different worlds and achieving a deeper understanding of the text.
Akhtar’s work on Galatians
The scholar went on to describe Akhtar's approach to reading Galatians as "critical inquiry" and "comparative interfaith intellectual encounter."
Akhtar, she said, recognizes that Galatians is not just a Christian book, but also a text that engages with Jewish thought. His commentary is relevant to the current political and diplomatic landscape, as it addresses the need for building bridges between different religious communities, she added.
Glaser noted that the commentary on Galatians is described as a "clearly Islamic commentary written in a secular context." This distinction is crucial as it highlights the unique approach taken by Akhtar, who worked closely with a team for five years on this project.
"Galatians is arguably the most difficult book in the Bible for a Muslim to read seriously" due to its fundamental differences with Islamic views on Jesus and salvation, she added.
Akhtar's approach to exegesis, she maintained, is rooted in a "critical inquiry into the largest issues at stake," including the nature of sin, grace, and the role of sacred law. The speaker emphasized that Akhtar's work is not merely about scripture but also about fostering dialogue between different faiths: "This is also about the interaction between the people who are reading it."
One of the challenges of reading Galatians for Akhtar as a Muslim reader was how a letter written by a human can be considered scripture inspired by God, added the professor.
She went on to mention three methods proposed by Akhtar for Muslim readings of the Bible. The first method views the Bible as a "later corruption of a divinely revealed original," which inevitably leads to a polemic reading, Glaser said. The second method acknowledges the growing respect for agnosticism as differences become apparent, while the third method involves suspending judgment to treat the text on its own terms.
The speaker noted that Akhtar found enjoyment in the confrontational nature of Galatians, paralleling Paul's assertive style with that of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). "Shabir thought that somebody who's truly an apostle should be confrontational," which reflects his own philosophical approach to debate and discussion, she said.
By approaching the Bible and the Quran not as isolated scriptures but as part of a larger, interconnected narrative, Glaser encourages a more nuanced and empathetic engagement with both traditions.
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