ECU Libraries Catalog

Gender hierarchy in the Qurʾān : medieval interpretations, modern responses / Karen Bauer.

Author/creator Bauer, Karen
Format Book and Print
Publication Info New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, [2015]
Descriptionxi, 308 pages ; 24 cm.
Subject(s)
Series Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization
Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization. ^A244196
Contents Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Women's testimony and the gender hierarchy; 2. Modern readings of women's testimony; 3. From a single soul: women and men in creation; 4. Contemporary reinterpretations of the creation narrative; 5. Who does the housework? The ethics and etiquette of marriage; 6. The marital hierarchy today; Conclusion.
Abstract "This book explores how medieval and modern Muslim religious scholars ('ulamā') interpret gender roles in Qur'ā;nic verses on legal testimony, marriage, and human creation. Citing these verses, medieval scholars developed increasingly complex laws and interpretations upholding a male-dominated gender hierarchy; aspects of their interpretations influence religious norms and state laws in Muslim-majority countries today, yet other aspects have been discarded entirely. Karen Bauer traces the evolution of their interpretations, showing how they have been adopted, adapted, rejected, or replaced over time, by comparing the Qur'ān with a wide range of Qur'ānic commentaries and interviews with prominent religious scholars from Iran and Syria. At times, tradition is modified in unexpected ways: learned women argue against gender equality, or Grand Ayatollahs reject sayings of the Prophet, citing science instead. This innovative and engaging study highlights the effects of social and intellectual contexts on the formation of tradition, and on modern responses to it"-- Provided by publisher.
Abstract "This book explores how medieval and modern Muslim religious scholars ('ulamā') interpret gender roles in Qur'ānic verses on legal testimony, marriage, and human creation. Citing these verses, medieval scholars developed increasingly complex laws and interpretations upholding a male-dominated gender hierarchy; aspects of their interpretations influence religious norms and state laws in Muslim-majority countries today, yet other aspects have been discarded entirely. Karen Bauer traces the evolution of these interpretations, showing how they have been adopted, adapted, rejected, or replaced over time, by comparing the Qurʾān with a wide range of Qur'ānic commentaries and interviews with prominent religious scholars from Iran and Syria. At times, tradition is modified in unexpected ways: learned women argue against gender equality, or Grand Ayatollahs reject sayings of the Prophet, citing science instead. This innovative and engaging study highlights the effects of social and intellectual contexts on the formation of tradition, and on modern responses to it"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2015010542
ISBN9781107041523 (hardback)
ISBN110704152X (hardback)

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks BP134 .S49 B38 2015 ✔ Available Place Hold