Emerging Scriptures: Torah, Gospel and Qur�an in Christian perspective

Rodney Schofield

Description

Rodney Schofield traces the beginnings of Biblical and Qur�anic literature and attempts a reconstruction of their original settings. He reassesses some of the classical theories and shows that the sceptres of the Abrahamic faiths, (Torah, Gospel and Qur�an) possess many shared perspectives, reflecting their common heritage. A better appreciation of this shared legacy, he comtend, could promote greater mutual understanding and foster respectful co-existence among believers.

Informations

• Publié par: Mzuni Press
• Date de parution: 22 août 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789990804003
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

Emerging Scriptures

Torah, Gospel & Qur’an in Christian perspective

© Copyright 2014 Rodney Schofield All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmltted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers. Published by Mzuni Press P/Bag 201 Luwinga, Mzuzu 2, Malawi ISBN 978-99908-0-399-0 (Mzuni Press) Mzuni Press is represented outside Africa by: African Books Collective Oxford (also for e-books) ([e-mail] ) www.mzunipress.luviri.net www.africanbookscollective.com

Emerging Scriptures

Torah, Gospel & Qur’an in Christian perspective

Rodney Schofield Mzuni Press 2014

The cover illustration is from th Codex Aureus (probably the work of8 century), monks in Canterbury. The school of archbishop Theodore (from Tarsus) and of abbot Hadrian (from North Africa) flourished there from the late th 7 century. St Matthew is shown seated in a Temple setting (cf. the Jewish Temple depicted at Dura Europos), receiving angelic inspiration (cf. Muhammad’s intermediary Gabriel) The codex is kept in the Royal Library, Stockholm.

The illustration on the title page is known as th The fall of the idolsa wall painting(13 century), in Brook Church near Wye, Kent. th It depicts an episode found in the 6 century apocryphalArabic Infancy Gospelin which temple idols fell when the Holy Family arrived in Egypt (cf. Isaiah 19.1). The theme of dethroning idols is one held in common by the three Abrahamic faiths. Yet the sacred space remains ...

CONTENTS

Introduction 1. Many Roads, One Goal Page 2 Part 1 – Reflecting on the Hebrew Scriptures 2. The Jewish Inheritance of Jesus and the Early Church Page 10 3. Valuing the Hebrew Scriptures Page 24 4. Israel’s History Page 38 5. Theological Perspectives of the Hebrew Bible Page 51 6. Messianic Expectations Page 64 Part 2 – Assessing the Christian Writings 7. The Earliest Christian Witnesses Page 78 8. From Oral Testimony to Written Records Page 92 9. The Emergence of Christian Scripture Page 105 10. Ongoing Formation of Faith Page 119

Part 3 – Responding to the Qur’an 11. Encountering the Qur’an Page 134 12. The People of the Book Page 147 13. The Seal of the Prophets Page 163 14. Some Qur’anic Themes Page 176 15. Early Christian Responses Page 190 Map of Arabia and her Neighbours Page 193 Epilogue 16. Dialogue Today Page 206

Biblical quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version Those from the Qur’an are in the translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (Oxford World Classics 2010) References to Early Texts other than the ‘canonical’ scriptures are usuallyitalicised Abbreviations CCTQ: The Cambridge Companion to the Qur’an (2006) OHCW: The Oxford History of the Classical World (1995) TQHC: The Qur’an in its Historical Context (Routledge 2008)

INTRODUCTION

Abraham’s ‘Terebinth’ [right of centre] th within the 6 century Holy Land map at Madaba, Jordan ‘Everyone venerates this place according to his religion’ [so the early historian Sozomen]

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1. Many Roads, One Goal ‘In man’s present situation, the dialogue of religions is a necessary condition for peace in the world and it is therefore a duty for Christians as well as other communities.’ Those words of Benedict XVI are taken from one of his last major speeches as Pope, on the occasion of his Christmas 2012 address to the Roman Curia. The same theme has motivated the writing of this book, and the series of Lent lectures on which it has been based. A condensed version of several of these has been published inThe Pastoral Review.  The intention has not been to provide a comprehensive introduction to the three scriptural compilations (the Old and New Testaments, the Qur’an) that are considered in turn, but to offer an overview of literary, historical and theological issues arising in each of them. The approach varies widely, depending on the reader’s assumed degree of familiarity with each text. While the majority of those who attended the lectures already had considerable knowledge of most New Testament writings, their acquaintance with Old Testament scholarship was less extensive and – not untypically – with the Qur’an itself was fairly minimal. In places, therefore, a general summary is included before more detailed questions are considered. It is hoped that the latter will be of interest to those from an academic background as well, since (for example) not only are new readings proposed for various biblical and extra-biblical writings, but the crucial question of the ‘hierarchy’ of texts within the canon is also addressed. Within this context it has seemed appropriate from time to time to examine existing preconceptions and the various doubts to which they give rise. Thus, in the public domain there is a readiness to dismiss scriptural teachings as irrelevant to modern society or riddled with superstitious fictions, while it is apparent that literal readings of some Old Testament passages most certainly clash with Christian principles and that the ideology of fundamentalist Muslim sects all too easily prejudices public opinion against the Islamic faith. Indeed, religious convictions have undeniably been perceived as a mixed blessing down the centuries.  As well as considering the process by which each diverse corpus of texts circulated orally as well as in writing, possibly through different stages of revision, before being collected together within the course of more general 2

dissemination and eventual ‘canonisation’, attention is given to the range of other writings with which they co-existed or which developed later. Some of these, often labelled ‘pseudepigraphic’ or ‘apocryphal’ in a biblical context or known ashadithin Islam, may now be identified solely through references or citations elsewhere; but even surviving texts may be incomplete, partially illegible or only available in modified or translated versions. Yet together with the recognised scriptural writings they influenced not only followers of the faith from which they sprang, but to some extent became part of the (often oral) inheritance of the other ‘Abrahamic’ traditions. Indeed, some documents are only known to us because of this: The rabbis of the first and second centuries CE had not permitted religious writings of that epoch to go down to posterity unless they conformed fully to their ideas, and although some of these texts were preserved by Christians … the fact that they had served as a vehicle for Church apologetics 1 caused their textual reliability to be suspect. Much later on, although to a lesser degree, even stories from thehadithfed back into medieval Christian tradition. This continuing overlap and cross- fertilisation is a reminder that all three faiths share much in common – supremely a belief in monotheism, but also many ethical ideals.  The conviction underlying this book is that, certainly at the present time, there is a pressing need to promote greater understanding among Christians of the heritage of faith that is shared with Jews and with Muslims. This book offers a partial contribution viz. by encouraging deeper knowledge both of the Christian canon as well as the foundational documents of Judaism and Islam. It is not the intention to delve here into broader issues of religious belief and practice e.g. to survey how Rabbinic Judaism developed or to consider the changing face of Islam in today’s world. The focus is above all on the recognised scriptures, even though ultimately these cannot be detached from the traditions which interpret them and so bring them to life. Jews refer at this point to the prime importance of their so-called Oral Torah, Christians to Church Tradition, and

1 Geza Vermes:The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English(London 2011, 24) 3