The below is the transcript from an interview with boardering on belief you tube channel (that has not yet happended ) 1. What is meant by Progressive Islam (PI) and where does it sit in the traditional–modernist spectrum? Progressive Islam is best understood not as a fixed school of thought but as an evolving intellectual and ethical orientation toward the Islamic tradition. It is characterized by a commitment to ethical humanism, epistemological openness, and methodological pluralism. On the traditional–modernist spectrum, PI does not simply occupy a midpoint; rather, it seeks to transcend the binary. It critically engages the pre-modern tradition without being bound by it, while also resisting uncritical adoption of modernity. Instead, it advocates a dynamic, process-oriented understanding of Islam that is historically conscious and ethically driven. --- 2. Why do we need PI? What are the problems that a traditional view causes in today's world? Traditionalist app...
Khaled Abou El Fadl’s Religious Humanism: A Qur’anic Call to Love and Unity in a Divided World Adis Duderija In an era marked by rising polarization, religious extremism, and global conflicts, the essence of faith often gets lost in the noise of dogma and division. Yet, buried within the teachings of Islam lies a profound vision of religious humanism that could serve as a beacon for our troubled times. Drawing from the insights of scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl in one of his seminal works The Great Theft , I argue that true religious devotion is not about isolation or supremacy, but about actively pursuing goodness, beauty, and love on earth as a reflection of the Divine. This perspective transforms faith from a rigid set of rules into a luminous force for compassion, urging believers to create the conditions where humanity can truly know and love one another. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century—from interfaith tensions to social injustices...