The European Qur’an: The Role of the Muslim Holy Book in Writing European Cultural History

Abstract

In this essay I present the work of the ERC Synergy project “The European Qur’an.” This project studies the place of the Muslim holy book in European cultural and religious historiography (ca. 1150–1850), situating European perceptions of the Qur’an and of Islam in the evolving religious, political, and intellectual landscape of this long period. Through a few specific examples of my own personal research, I aim to show how following the individual networks and clusters of translators and collectors of Qur’ans help us understand the circulation and uses of the Muslim Holy Book in Europe. The essay argues that these examples (and many similar and at the same time very different ones), which imply polemics, evangelization, erudite knowledge, and collaboration with European Muslims and Muslims converts, illustrate and at the same time enlarge our concept of “reception.”