Papers Session: The Study of the Qur'an and the Bible in Late Antiquity
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
This paper draws a comparison between the treatment of the figure of the Jew in the Pauline Epistles and the Qur’an, with the goal of illuminating the necessarily polemical nature of historical, revealed monotheism. It begins by providing some background as to why such a juxtaposition has been only seldom attempted, explains how the author came to see these two texts as related, and briefly suggests how the parallels might have come about. It then develops a more detailed comparison and contrast, laying the groundwork for a conclusion that draws out some implications for our understanding of monotheism, in critical dialogue with Jan Assmann.