Communities of Interpretation The Case of the Qur’an

Abstract

This article discusses “Communities of the Qur’an,” a conference,
public talk, and forthcoming book that will examine the Qur’an’s
“communities of interpretation.” They are represented by ten worldrenowned
academics and leaders from the Sunni, Shi‘i, and Ahmadi
communities; reformist LGBT, feminist, African American, and
Qur’an-only groups; as well as non-Muslims like the Bahais. In this
brief paper, I discuss their nature, engagements with the Qur’an as
a text or an experience, and the challenges they face in the twentyfirst
century.