The Idea
Arkoun calls for religious institutes and faculties of sharia to open up to the human and social sciences, because religious knowledge, in his view, is not sufficient on its own to understand society, history, and language. This opening does not mean abolishing religious education, but expanding it so that it becomes more capable of reading reality. Intellectual isolation makes the religious institution narrow in outlook, whereas dialogue with other sciences opens the way to deeper understanding.
Concise Formulation
Religious institutes: open up to the human and social sciences
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This call falls within a project that links the renewal of religious thought to the renewal of its cognitive tools. The argument here is not against religion, but against the closure of the institutions responsible for teaching it. Hence, introducing the human and social sciences into these spaces is consistent with a broader idea in Arkoun’s thought: religious discourse cannot be reformed without reforming the conditions of its epistemic production.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim lies in showing that Arkoun wants the religious institution to learn how to understand human beings and society, rather than merely repeat inherited tradition. It is also important because it reveals that renewal, for him, is tied to method and intellectual breadth, not slogans. In this way, religious knowledge becomes more relevant to the age and better able to confront its questions.
Brief Evidence
This passage calls for religious institutes and faculties of sharia to open up to the human and social sciences. In this view, religious knowledge alone is not enough to understand society, history, and language. And this opening does not mean abolishing religious education, but expanding it so that it becomes more capable of reading reality and interacting with it.
Reading Questions
- Why does Arkoun see the human sciences as necessary for understanding religious education?
- Is the aim here to weaken the religious institution, or to expand its capacity for understanding?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book material.