Red Letter Christians

Is the Quran Divinely Inspired?

by Brian McLaren Sunday, June 5th, 2011

Here’s the Q:

I will keep this short and to the point. I am a devout Christian and will stay that way. But, I am also exploring Islam and trying to learn how to live at peace with our Muslim brothers and sisters. I’ve been reading the Quran and Allah: A Christian Response and have come to a question.The Quran, divinely inspired?

I’m just wondering how I should treat the Quran and what you think about it.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks for your ministry.

Here’s the R:
I’m so glad you’re reading Miroslav Volf’s book “Allah: A Christian Response.” On “divine inspiration,” I recommend you read my book A New Kind of Christianity as a follow-up. There I talk in some detail about the assumptions we bring to a text when we use a term like “divinely inspired.”

This is a key difference between classic Christian faith and Islam. The Christian faith has affirmed the divine inspiration of the Bible, but that has never meant – among non-fundamentalist* Bible scholars – that the Bible is “dictated.” Inspiration is a far more complex and nuanced concept than dictation.

The Quran, in contrast, is widely believed to be divinely dictated. True, even this concept of divine origin doesn’t eliminate the complexities of interpretation, but it’s a very different concept.

I’m a Christian, so I affirm the inspiration of the Bible. If I were a Muslim, I would affirm the dictation of the Quran. In either case, though, I’d have to bring up the complex issue of interpretation. No text has any practical authority apart from interpretation, and so whoever interprets the text participates in its responsible use or irresponsible abuse.

*Speaking of abuse, I was on the Harold-Camping-Family-Radio site over the weekend (which, I notice, has by this morning purged all references to May 21 as the end of the world! A miracle?). I was intrigued to see that it claimed the Bible was divinely dictated … which was not unrelated to its claim that the Bible “guaranteed” that May 21 was the end of the world.

Part of what is emerging in both the Christian faith and Islam is a more mature and honest way of dealing with our founding texts. We might say there is a naive or pre-critical approach (stages 1 and 2 in terms of my book Naked Spirituality), then a critical approach (stage 3 in NS), and then a post-critical re-discovery of our texts (stage 4 – what some might call a second naivete). That’s why I can’t offer a simple yes or no to questions about inspiration of any text … It depends on whether you’re using the term “divinely inspired” in a pre-critical (stage 1-2), critical (stage 3), or post-critical (stage 4) way.

—
Brian McLaren is an author and speaker who’s new book is Naked Spirituality: A Life With God in 12 Simple Words


PrintFriendly
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    The Quaran is indeed divinely inspired. Inspired by none other than Satan who uses a counterfeit text to deceive billions of people into believing in the god of Islam. Now, that is my fundamentalist self talking. My emergent self is saying there are indeed ways to reconcile and be at peace with our Muslim neighbors other than what Volf presupposes. We don’t have to claim that the god of the Quaran and the God of the Bible are the same in order to make amends with them. The Holy Spirit that lives within us produces the necessary fruit to develop relationships with Muslims, engage them with intentional discussion, and incarnate the kingdom of God before their very eyes. Jesus is enough. His grace is sufficient enough. And, no text can incarnate this truth, but only our lives that emulate our wonderful Savior, Jesus.

  • Jodancingtree

    This is supposed to be an answer?  ”Go read my book”???  Pretty lazy answer.

  • Lauren

    He’s already written the answer once or twice. It’s not lazy to refer to what you have already written.

  • liberale

    I’m unfamiliar with Islam.  I’m a little bit more familiar with Christianity.
    I’ve some doubt on the statement: “I’m a Christian, so I affirm the inspiration of the Bible.”
    The word that caused my doubt is “so”.
    A Christian might not affirm the inspiration of the Bible.
    For examples, quite a number of liberal Christians, Unitarian Universalist Christians, those at The Center for Progressive Christianity, and those Christians in Jesus Seminar (Westar Institute) (Jesus Seminar consists of Christians and non-Christians, I just count the Christians).
    That said, I must say that you certainly have full freedom of affirmation of the inspiration of the Bible, just that the causation (Christian => affirm inspiration) suggested by the word “so” does not exist, I’m afraid.

  • http://www.travismamone.net/ Travis Mamone

    Hey Brian.

    I used to think that God dictated the Bible to its writers the same way Muslims believe God dictated the Qu’ran to Mohamed.  But now I’m thinking that maybe the writers of the Bible were writing about God based on their own experiences and knowledge . . . and yet the Bible is still God’s Word because these writings point us towards God.  Hopefully that makes some sense.

  • Iambingle

    Brian has written volumes on this subject… lazy is commentiong without reading his work 1st.

  • Sean

    I think your Manichean elevation of Satan to “divine” status is very wrongheaded.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1388514701 Greg Dill

    Then the Apostle Paul must be very “wrongheaded” too.

    First, the definition of the word “divine”: of or pertaining to a god; addressed, appropriated, or devoted to God or a god; religious; sacred. (Dictionary.com)

    Second, Paul’s description of Satan: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
    cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
    image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

    Pray tell, where have I transgressed?

  • Benmanben

    If you don’t believe in the Bible, (which it seems you are trying to justify with the wording of “divinely inspired”. 

    I’m not sure what you mean by “divinely inspired,” and I’m not sure that you are certain of what it means either. Perhaps there is a secret temptation to be uncertain.
    What is the nonsense? More complex? Meaning what? Where does that get us? An opportunity to hide from telling the truth to the world? Couldn’t this work out badly, being an excuse to not stand for the truth even when it is right in front of your eyes?
    Now what shall you say if a worldly man asks you whether you think such and such is a sin, and he would be angry if you said yes? Wouldn’t you be very tempted to give in to such pressure? Couldn’t you be tempted to use this “divinely inspired” interpretation as an excuse for not being certain? Would it really be in a search for TRUTH? Couldn’t this have something to do with the Bible not being popular?

  • Benmanben

    If you don’t believe in the Bible, why would you write for a “Christian” site?

blog comments powered by Disqus