The influence of Late Antique Syriac texts on the Qurʾān has been a subject of scholarly discussion for a long time. This is also the focus of the volume “The Qurʾān and Syriac Christianity: Recurring Themes and Motifs”, edited by Ana Daitashvili. The book examines recurring motifs that appear both in the Qurʾān and in Syriac Christian texts. In this context, “Syriac” refers primarily to the Syriac language and the Christian traditions associated with it in Late Antiquity.
The volume also includes an article by Christian Lange entitled “Life as a Spiritual Struggle with the Evil One in Pre-Islamic Syriac Texts: The Theological Background to the Qurʾanic Idea of Spiritual Jihād?”. In this contribution, Lange explores whether pre-Islamic Syriac ascetic texts may have provided a theological foundation against which the Qurʾānic concept of a “spiritual” or “inner” jihād can be understood.
Intertextuality and Transformation: The Qurʾān in Dialogue with Its Syriac Christian Milieu
More specifically, the volume addresses a number of questions intended to illuminate both connections and differences between these traditions:
- Identification: Which themes and motifs recur in both traditions?
- Exclusivity: Are these motifs found exclusively in Syriac texts, or do they also appear in other sources (e.g., Jewish or Greek traditions)?
- Theological Relevance: How important are Syriac texts for understanding Qurʾānic theology in comparison with other contemporary influences?
- Distinction and Transformation: How does the Qurʾān adapt these Christian concepts in order to formulate its own distinct theological message?
Christian Lange’s contribution opens the second part of the volume, which is devoted to non-military and military forms of jihād. He examines the extent to which Syriac texts, with their understanding of life as a spiritual struggle against evil, may have provided a basis for the concept of spiritual jihād. He also demonstrates how the Qurʾān appropriates various Christian motifs while removing them from their original Christian context. In addition, he discusses the differences between the texts and highlights which models or motifs found in Syriac traditions do not play a role in the Qurʾān.
About the Series
“The Qurʾān and Syriac Christianity: Recurring Themes and Motifs” is volume 28 of the series “Texts and Studies on the Qurʾān”. Published by Brill, the series releases approximately one volume per year and features scholarly works devoted to the study of the Qurʾān and its interpretation from a variety of perspectives. Its publications focus on the Qurʾānic text itself as well as its interpretation, transmission, and impact in both past and present contexts.
👉 You can find the complete volume here.