The Religious Studies Podcast17 Apr 2025

Chaos in the Quran: Rhetoric, Ritual, Reception

This episode draws from Thomas Hoffmann's insightful article, "Quranic/Chaotic: On the Quran's Semantics, Rhetoric, Ritualization, Reception and Composition in Light of the Concept of 'Chaos'," and the personal notes of Bastian Friborg to examine how chaos serves as a valuable analytical category for understanding the Quran's textual intricacies, ritual practices, and historical reception, particularly in the West.

Discover how the podcast navigates through key themes, including the etymological roots of 'chaos' in Arabic and its resonance with Quranic narratives of creation and destruction. We explore the Quran's cosmogony in comparison to biblical and Greek traditions, the concept of 'disorderly chaos' manifesting as social and psychological turmoil, and the ritualized recitation of the Quran as a potential site of both divine connection and satanic interference.

Furthermore, the episode sheds light on the protective function of paratextual elements like the basmala and ta'awwudh in safeguarding against malevolent influences during recitation. It also addresses the historical perception of the Quran as 'chaotic' within Western scholarship and the ongoing efforts to challenge this perspective by highlighting the text's internal coherence.

Join us as we unpack the 'gift and challenge' that chaos presents as an analytical tool, offering fresh perspectives on the Quran and its complex relationship with order, disorder, and the divine. This episode promises a thought-provoking exploration for scholars and anyone interested in a nuanced understanding of Islamic scripture and its cultural impact.

This episode is AI generated for this experimental podcast series.

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