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Third workshop of the project "Jewish and Islamic hermeneutics as cultural critique", jointly held by the Working Group Modernity and Islam of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and the Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World.

Conveners: Nasr H. Abu-Zayd and Galit Hasan-Rokem

Abstract: 

Texts play dominant roles in the religions of “the book”, or rather “the books”, that are at the focus of our project, Judaism and Islam. Following the two earlier workshops of the project (Istanbul, June, 13-15 2002, and Berlin, December, 12-15 2002), where we addressed the audial and visual aspects of religious expression and performance in both traditions, we now propose to dedicate ourselves to what has after all constituted the basic authority for both religions – the text.

Our understanding of the concept of text does not, however, reduce it to a “dead letter", but rather attempts to view texts in their capacity of embodying, as well as precipitating, cultural, spiritual and political processes. How do authoritative texts, which for suceeding generations of believers mark a decisive beginning, an arché, nevertheless locate themselves within a pre-existing textual space? How do cultural practices endow these texts with new vitality and meaning by making them interact with other texts, be it inside or outside the respective community? The proposed workshop will thus channel the overarching interest of the project into the cultural appropriations of Judaism's and Islam's textual legacy. The scope of the discussion will naturally be rooted in the existence of their two foundational texts, the Torah and the Qur`an, but also extend to later texts relating to these in various ways, such as citation, interpretation, clarification, amplification etc. Practices of textual transmission versus processes of erasure, censorship, concealment and oblivion will also be addressed.

In order to work towards a solid theoretical underpinning for the study of practices of intertextuality in Judaism and Islam, the workshop will be concerned to critically review and apply the rich theoretical background already available, including Mikhail Bakhtin’s cultural approach, Julia Kristeva’s extension of the concept to literature, and Daniel Boyarin’s application to the world of Midrash. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to typologize, if possible, the variety of modes employed by both religions to unfold and maintain the textual presence of their foundational writings. What are the historical and social conditions under which such modes become prevalent and gain dominant authority? Does their emergence point towards a hidden dialogue between Islam and Judaism over the crucial question of how to ensure a text's vitality and meaningfulness in a changing world? Generally, the workshop will strive to transcend conventionally accepted identity boundaries so as to replace linear and hierarchical paradigms of influence with a model of mutual interaction that allows for a more nuanced analysis of the dynamics of textual and intertextual practices.

Schedule: 

Thursday, 23 October
7.00 pm
Welcome and introductory remarks by the hosts and conveners

Friday, 24 October
9.00 - 12.00 am 
First Session: Q-r-': Between Initiation and Recitation
Nasr H. Abu Zayd (ISIM, Leiden and Utrecht University)
Galit Hasan-Rokem (Jerusalem)
Chair: Abdelkader Tayob (ISIM, Nijmegen)

2.00 - 5.00 pm 
Second Session: Risks and Chances of Narrative Interpretation
Dina Stein (Berkeley)
Nicolai Sinai (AKMI - Berlin)
Chair: Judith Frishmann (Utrecht)

Saturday, 25 October
9.00 - 12.00 am 
Third session: Back to the Bare Text?
Sarah Stroumsa (Jerusalem)
Muhammad Khalid Masud (Pakistan)
Chair: Navid Kermani (Köln)

2.00 - 5.00 pm
Fourth session: Philosophical and Mystical Contacts
Sabine Schmidtke (Berlin)
Sarah Sviri (London/Jerusalem)
Chair: S. P. Koningsveld (Leiden)

Sunday, 26 October
9.00 - 12.00 am
Fifth Session: Poetry in Andalusia, Andalusia in Poetry
Haviva Ishay (Be'er Sheva)
Abdul-Rahim Al-Shaikh (Jerusalem/AKMI, Berlin)
Chair: Angelika Neuwirth (Berlin)

1.00 - 2.00 pm 
Summary

Participants: 

Nasr H. Abu Zayd (Utrecht)
Daniel Boyarin (Berkeley)
Almut Bruckstein (Berlin)
Islam Dayeh (Leiden)
Judith Frishman (Utrecht)
Galit Hasan-Rokem (Jerusalem)
Haviva Ishay (Be'er Sheva)
Navid Kermani (Köln)
Sjoerd van Koningsveld (Leiden)
Ali Mabrook (Capetown)
Muhammad Khalid Masud (Pakistan)
Michael Marx (Berlin)
Angelika Neuwirth (Berlin)
Marcel Poorthuis (Utrecht)
Abdul-Rahim Al-Shaikh (Jerusalem/Berlin)
Sabine Schmidtke (Berlin)
Nicolai Sinai (Berlin)
Dina Stein (Berkeley)
Sarah Stroumsa (Jerusalem)
Sara Sviri (London/Jerusalem)
Abdelkader Tayob (ISIM/Nijmegen)
Khalil Athamina (Ramallah)
Stefan Wild (Bonn/Berlin)
 

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