Divine Covenant - Science and Concepts of Natural Law in the Qur’an and Islamic Disciplines - Ulrika Mårtensson
Qurʾānic Theory of Concept?
Divine Covenant - Science and Concepts of Natural Law in the Qur’an and Islamic Disciplines - Ulrika Mårtensson
Ulrika Mårtensson [+]
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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Description
Chapter 2 introduces the meta-concept for this study of Qurʾānic concepts, namely ‘concept’. I start by addressing the problem that there are different theories of what a ‘concept’ is, within both ‘western’ and Arabic-Islamic discourses on the topic, then I sketch the contours of the main theoretical paradigms I will continue to refer to throughout the study. I also reach a conclusion as to which theories of ‘concept’ I perceive to be reflected in the Qurʾān itself. At the end of the chapter I return to the Religious studiesdebates about ‘religion’ and refer it to the theories of ‘concept’ treated here. This approach opens up a new perspective on the debate over whether and how Islamic discourses produce knowledge relevant to current research; I will argue that they are not only sources for information, but offer theoretically informed analysis as well.