On Understanding Islam: Selected Studies

by Wilfred Cantwell Smith

Since its founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories, theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the study of religion. Topics include (among others) category formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology, myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism, structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the history of the discipline.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Wilfred Cantwell Smith (July 21, 1916 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian professor of comparative religion who from 1964–1973 was director of Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions. The Harvard Gazette characterized him as one of the field's most influential figures of the past century. In his 1962 work The Meaning and End of Religion he notably and controversially questioned the validity of the concept of religion.

Reviews

[Fred Dameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book of essays I thought a lot. The last essay proved to be the most thought provoking. The question asked is "Is the Quran the true word of God?" Now for most Christians the answer would be no and for any Muslim the answer is yes, but the next, and obvious question why neither side could answer. Why can't they? Because most people of faith believe and that belief is unquestioned. They never thought to question that belief. But, when you ask that one question you now must, or at least should ask another,"Are any of the worlds holy writs the word of God and if so why?" I have spent the last eight years studying the worlds religions. I have read the Dignatha, Buddist, the Quran, the Hindu Vedes, Upanisads, Bhagavadgitas, the Bible, currently reading the Septuagint and for me I find the answer to be yes. With some qualifiers all the worlds great religious works are the word of God as given through meditation and insight to prophets. But I have also studied religion in a general and overall way. So lets stat with the qualifiers to this statement and those that don't need qualification. Islam and the Quran. Muhammad received the word from Gabriel, had a scribe write it down and the Quran was born. No qualification on that. The work has many suras that Christians will find useful in their day to day life and a reading of the Quran will widen any Christians horizons. The Dignatha: the syayings of the Budda are also very helpful to Christians especially the Buddist view on childhood death. They actually have a answer for why a child died as a child or was miscarried. That child was so close to earning enlightenment that it did not have to suffer on earth any more. It's soul or spirit was so close to Nirvana that it was taken and now has light duty helping the gods or if you prefer angels. Very useful for women who miscarry in to days world of GOP punishment for Gods will. Veddic/Hindu literature: I found very little that I could use, but also around a billion Hindues can't be sneezed at so since it does create a society with casts, not coll, with obligations both up and down the chain of casts that lead to good order a great cultural and since God likes peace and harmony Godly religion. What I have read of the Septuagint I find also useful but edited. Example would be the Books of Enoch are not in it. Enoch is mentioned but his books arn't there. Some of the early part of the Septuagint refers to knowledge that is only in Enoch. He is quoted but his works arn't there to be read. Editorial issues are ripe through out. Lastly the Bible. No religious work has had more editing or more redacting than the standard Protestant Bible. A NIV or NRSV with out Apocrypha is extremely edited. It is missing the works considered canonical by the Copts, Armenians, Russian and Greek Orthodox Church, and parts of the Catholic Vulgate. With Apocrypha the NIV NSRV, or KJV, is still not complete since they all miss the 350 or so pages of the NON-Canonical works that were purged at the Council of Nicea. These works are still read today and as late as the 1950's some were well known in the U.S. I point to Holy Woods great Biblical epics: Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Barrabas, the Robe, and Peter. All based on books of the Bible or Biblical works that every body, or at least enough people to make large amounts of money knew. Many of these works can be found on Amazon today, some for a decent price so some one is reading them. Or you can buy for 130 Euro's a 1 meter tall statue of Thecalla, (ANother removed book and a Saint until Vatican II removed her. She was the First Women of NOW) 60 Euro's gets you a 30 centimeter tall work and for 25 Euros a ten Centimeter tall statue for your family shrine/alter. The last time I looked the Ten Cn statue was sold out. People still believe in these Saints 1700 years after Nicaea. After these works have been removed/redacted from the Bible. SO I would say that of all the books called the word of God it is only the Bible that has been butchered by man to make his political point and as such unless you have read the Non-Canonical books and the Apocrypha you have NOT read the whole word of God. But once you have read all the Biblical works you have and then it is a complete word of God and the answer is now yes. Just one of the questions that W.C. Smith asks. For others you must read the essays, they are all as thought provoking as the last one.