Qur'an in Conversation

by Michael L. Birkel

The Qur’an is God’s verbatim speech for most traditional Muslims. Qur’an in Conversation reflects how this sacred text of Islam comes into dialogue with the contemporary world through the voices of the eloquent interpreters gathered in this volume.

In Qur’an in Conversation, author Michael Birkel engages North American Muslim religious leaders and academics in conversations of scriptural interpretation. Scholars, practicing imams, and younger public intellectuals wrestle with key suras of the Qur’an.

Qur’an in Conversation demonstrates a wide spectrum of interpretation and diversity of approaches in reading Islam’s scripture. The discussions directly address key issues in Muslim theology—good versus evil, the nature of God, and the future of Islam. Younger North American Muslims read the Qur’an in varied ways; this is analogous to the diverse ways in which Jews and Christians have interpreted their own holy books.

Michael Birkel welcomes people of goodwill into a public conversation about the current role of Western Muslims in Islam. Qur’an in Conversation encourages non-specialists and Muslim scholars alike to imagine how the Qur’an will be interpreted among North American Muslims in years to come.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

292 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Michael L. Birkel is a professor of Religion at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and director of the school's Newlin Center. He holds degrees from Wilmington College, the Earlham School of Religion, and Harvard University. Birkel is the author of numerous books on Christian and Quaker figures, as well as more general studies of religious tradition.

Reviews

[Muhamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I approached the book with little expectations. Little did I know. I am heavily impressed by the great and plentiful insights of the scholars interviewed in this book. Great job and thanks to all of them for their great work. What an amazing project this book is. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in approaching the Qur'an with an intellectual and real attitude.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really can't say enough great things about Qur'an in Conversation. Birkel has very attentively and compassionately compiled a set of interviews with Islamic scholars and leaders from all over North America, each revealing and expounding on her or his favorite passage from the Qur'an. It is a sensitive and insightful book for anyone genuinely interested in learning more about our Muslim friends and neighbors in North America. Highly recommended.

[Salma]

حوار لمؤلف الكتاب في موقع الألوكة
محادثات حول القرآن (حوار مايكل بيركل) لـ عبد الرحمن أبو المجد
http://www.alukah.net/culture/0/79025/

[Chris Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible yet deep set of contemplations by Muslim scholars in the United States about the meaning of the Qur'an in modern America. I picked it up to understand more about the Qur'an in light of its use and misuse by political Islam, hoping I would get a straighter story about what is "Islamic" and what isn't. As with all sacred scripture, the text is vast and contradictory, and interpretations thus vary widely. Most of these essays would not be in the mainstream of Islamic scholarship, so I had to read them on their own merits as attempts to reconcile scripture with current Western culture, not as representative of current Islamic thinking. A good and eye-opening read.

[Chel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a scholarly book, and I'm not qualified to comment on it as such. I don't know a whole lot about Islam--more than the average North American, I think, but that's not saying much. Nonetheless, I found it very interesting and sometimes inspiring. I appreciated the wide diversity of perspectives and approaches to interpretation that the many North American Islamic scholars bring to this collection--that part was intellectually interesting. I appreciated the focus on specific verses, because when I have attempted to read the Qur'an, I have frequently found myself mystified, or just not making a good connection, and these explorations made it more accessible. Yet in the end, what I most valued personally was when the material cast light on my own relationship to Christian scripture by offering examples of ways to delve deeply into the text and when the contributors' own reported experiences of their relationship to the Divine inspired my own efforts to be faithful.

I wish very much that the editor had provided more explanation of the process behind the development of these essays. He indicates they are based on conversations, but these are not transcriptions of two-part conversations; they are single-voiced essays, mostly in a polished voice rather than in a conversational tone. How did that happen? What was the nature of the back-and-forth between the editor and the authors that went into the polishing? This is a question I wondered about frequently in the course of reading the book--did the author put it this way or did the editor?

I read the epub version on my Nook. (Goodreads does not offer an opportunity to review that edition.) I suspect the publisher cut corners on their budget for this version. It's perfectly readable, but the formatting is not great--for example, you really have to pay attention to catch transitions between the editor's introductory remarks and the author's statements. I haven't looked at the paper version, but it may be a better investment than the download.

[Andrew]

Why I abandoned it - in one sentence: Turns out it really was almost verbatim conversations with academics instead of short essays, which was just a little jarring.

I probably would have given it: three stars.

[Mills College Library]

297.1226 B6191 2014