Description: As the living scriptural heritage of more than a billion people, the Qur'an (Koran) speaks with a powerful voice. Just as other scriptural religions, Islam has produced a long tradition of interpretation for its holy book. Nevertheless, efforts to introduce the Qur'an and its intellectual heritage to English-speaking audiences have been hampered by the lack of available resources. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an seeks to remedy that situation. In a discerning summation of the field, Jane McAuliffe brings together an international team of scholars to explain its complexities. Comprising fourteen chapters, each devoted to a topic of central importance, the book is rich in historical, linguistic and literary detail, while also reflecting the influence of other disciplines. For both the university student and the general reader, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an provides a fascinating entrée to a text that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries.
Brief description: Jane Dammen McAuliffe is Professor in the Departments of History and Arabic and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University. Her numerous publications have focused primarily on the Qur'an, on early Islamic history and on the multiple relations between Islam and Christianity. Her books include Qur'anic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis (1991), and With Reverence for the Word: Medieval Scriptural Exegesis in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2003), and she has edited the five-volume Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an (2001-2006),
Review Quotes: "This companion to the Qur'an is essential for any reader before embarking on a serious reading of the Holy Book of Islam. In particular, it is a welcome addition to other works on Qur'anic studies at Western universities, and strongly recommended to all those engaged in understanding the Qur'an and learning about the vast scholarship that explores its meaning and function in the life of Muslims." - Digest of Middle East Studies