Freedom in amina wadud's Tawḥīdic Hermeneutics and Mouhanad Khorchide's Theology of Mercy

ABSTRACT Western Islamology often regards liberal Islamic intellectuals as the exotics among the exotics. However, contemporary freethinkers from within academia employ concepts already prominent among the first generation of postcolonial Muslim emancipators, and they also refer to philosophical thought not only from the Islamic heritage but also from other traditions. In the following description and comparison of amina wadud and Mouhanad Khorchide, we trace their ideas on hermeneutics and freedom. With an individual confessional outlook on a cosmopolitan and essentially humanistic Islam, both authors provide authentic versions of a profoundly anthropocentric faith. Their aim is to do justice to the dynamism of life by actively safeguarding Islam's relevance for today. It is time to give these alternative voices the weight they deserve within the rich landscapes of Islamic philosophies.