The Idea
The text understands “repentance” here as entry into the covenant and submission to its authority, not merely as an abstract moral expression. The meaning links the word to its historical and political context, where it becomes a sign of moving from a position of refusal to one of commitment. In this understanding, the term is not read apart from the relationship of the believing community with its opponents and its conditions.
Concise Formulation
Repentance here: means the submission of the polytheists and their entry into the covenant
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim serves the book’s argument because it shows that religious terms carry a historical dimension tied to the organization of the community and its relationship with others. The reading here does not stop at the direct lexical meaning, but looks at the function the word performed within the reality in which it appeared. In this way, the analysis is connected to the book’s broader project of linking the text to its context.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in the fact that it gives the reader a tool for understanding how the meaning of a word changes when it enters the context of community, authority, and covenant. This makes clear that Arkoun does not treat words as fixed expressions, but as elements with a history of use. This reading therefore helps in understanding the relationship between religious meaning and historical meaning.
Brief Evidence
The text understands “repentance” here as entry into the covenant and submission to its authority, not merely as an abstract moral expression. The meaning links the word to its historical and political context, where it becomes a sign of moving from a position of refusal to one of commitment. Thus the term is not read apart from the relationship of the believing community with its opponents and its conditions.
Reading Questions
- What does understanding repentance as entry into the covenant add to the usual moral meaning?
- How does the historical context affect the interpretation of religious terms here?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.