What role does the Holy Scripture of Islam, the Qur?an, play in the history of European thought? How has it been read and understood in Europe since the first translations in the Middle Ages? The Qur?an and Islam are traditionally seen as an antithesis to Europe's self-narrative of cultural achievements: the Enlightenment, secularization, and religious tolerance. Some claim that Islam in general and the Qur?an in particular are alien to Europe's culture and political institutions. This publication endeavours to counter this popular belief and to tell a different story by documenting the role the Qur?an has played in the formation of culture, religion, scholarship, and politics in Europe.

Look inside