The Qur'an in Its Historical Context (Book Review‪)‬

The Qur'an in Its Historical Context. Edited by GABRIEL SAID REYNOLDS. London: ROUTLEDGE, 2008. Pp. xv + 294. $160. Reactions to Christoph Luxenberg's study (Die syro-aramaische Lesart des Koran [Berlin, 2000; Eng. tr. Berlin, 2007]) vary greatly. To some a seminal turning point in Qur'anic studies, to others a work based on "wayward philology and exegetical caprice" (see review by Simon Hopkins in JSAI 28 [2003]), it has certainly contributed to the revival of scholarly interest in the critical study of the Qur'an. One fruit of this renewed attention is the volume under review, the outcome of a conference held in 2005 at the University of Notre Dame.