Roman Catholic Approaches to the Qur'an since Vatican II

Abstract

Vatican II opposes polemical attitudes to Islam but gives no specific guidance on the Qur'an. Modern Roman Catholic writing on the Qur'an includes a considerable variety of approaches. At the positive end of the spectrum: for Christian members of GRIC (Groupe de Recherche Islamo-Chrétien) the Qur'an is “an authentic Word of God, but one in part essentially different from the one in Jesus Christ”; George Dardess affirms that the Qur'an and the Eucharist are both means through which “God shares with us God's self through the word”; for Giulio Basetti-Sani the Qur'an is divine revelation but it does not contradict Christian doctrine; Jacques Dupuis sees the Qur'an as a real but imperfect revelation. More cautious approaches are found in the writings of Jacques Jomier and Christian Troll, for whom the biblical testimony to Christ is the decisive word of God, and not just one divine revelation alongside another in the Qur'an.

Keywords:

• Roman Catholic theology
• Qur'an
• Word of God
• revelation

Notes

1. Some diversity in the patterns of early Arab Christian engagement with the Qur'an can be noted in Griffith (2008, 166–169). For further discussion of pre-modern Christian approaches to the Qur'an, see: Bobzin (1996) and Zirker (1999, 6–11).

2. As the focus of this essay is on the period after Vatican II, there will be little further direct reference to Massignon, who died in 1962. On his approach to the Qur'an, see Arnaldez (1996). Note also Jomier's (1996, 27–30) personal reminiscences about Massignon, discussed later in this article. Among many discussions of Massignon's wider approach to Islam see, for example, Robinson (1991); Griffith (1997, esp. 201), for discussion of Massignon's view of the Qur'an; and Troll (1998, 27–28).

3. The Guidelines for Dialogue between Christians and Muslims, “prepared” by Maurice Borrmans and published by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1990) make some significant but brief comments on Christian approaches to the Qur'an, calling for a sympathetic and respectful attitude that does not compromise Christian convictions (47–49). However, a developed Christian theological response to the Qur'an is not offered. Troll (2009, 160) comments that the Guidelines “do not on the whole address the question of an adequate Christian theological view of Islam”.

4. For discussion of the GRIC approach, see Ford (1993); of all the approaches he surveys, it is that of GRIC that Ford finds most promising (159–161). Also see Zebiri (1997, 204–206, 210).

5. Arguably, Robert Caspar should be discussed in his own right in this article. However, the account offered here of the work of GRIC probably covers the main emphases in his approach (relevant works by Caspar include: Caspar 1987, esp. 75–116, 1980, 1982). The Islamochristiana essay (Caspar 1982) is concerned largely with the Bible and the Church Fathers, but presents itself as “Part 1”, with a sequel promised. As far as I am aware, this sequel, which would presumably have been more directly relevant to the focus of the present article, was never published.

6. For a brief account of the evolution of Bassetti-Sani's distinctive approach to the Qur'an, see Troll (1998, 46–48).

7. The sections of Bassetti-Sani's book referred to in this article can be found in Gaudeul (2000).

8. For a recent example, see Reynolds (2009); cf. the article by Nancy Roberts in the present volume (doi: 10.1080/09596410.2013.783297).

9. A slightly related, but really quite different, type of recent scholarship seeks to identify Christian influences or even a Christian Ur-text underlying the Qur'an (see, for example, Reynolds 2010). Reynolds is a Catholic but it does not seem to be his intention in this work to develop an explicitly Catholic response to the Qur'an of the kind explored in this essay. He comments briefly on Bassetti-Sani and related works at 247–248.

10. See Borrmans (1990, 49, 109) for comments discouraging the development of a “Christian reading” of the Qur'an.

11. The “tears of gratitude” mentioned here by Dardess call to mind the praiseworthy response of Christians described in Q 5.83.

12. The “Notification” is printed as an appendix in Dupuis (2001, 434–438; here 435).

13. For more on Küng's approach to Muhammad, see Marshall (2013).

14. Other Catholic writers on the Qur'an whom it has not been possible to discuss here include Michel Cuypers, François Jourdan, Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Daniel A. Madigan SJ and Gabriel S. Reynolds.

15. For an exploration of Protestant approaches to the Qur'an, see Whittingham (2012).

16. Dupuis supports the discerning use of non-Christian scripture in Christian worship, but the “Notification” appears to be criticizing this position when it argues that non-Christian scriptures should not be considered as complementary to the Old Testament (Dupuis 2001, 253, for Dupuis's view, and 437 for the “Notification”).

17. This view is proposed by the Protestant writer Ford (1993).