Critical-Progressive Muslims: On Islamic hermeneutics, Gender and Interreligious Dialogue

In his highly informative  book , The Prophet's Whistle: Late Antique Orality, Literacy, and the Quran , George Archer explores the fascinating interplay between orality and literacy in the development of the Quran. Archer argues that the Quran emerged in a cultural environment transitioning from primarily oral to increasingly literate modes of thought. This transition is reflected in the Quran itself, which initially manifests as an oral performance but gradually incorporates more signs of literary thinking. This perspective carries significant implications for how we approach the interpretation of the Quran, demanding a methodology attuned to the nuances of its historical and cultural context. Archer argues that the Quran's earliest passages are deeply rooted in oral culture . These passages presume the physical presence of a speaker, Muhammad, and rely on pronouns and contextual cues rather than proper nouns and detailed explanations. This suggests that the early Quran wa...