David M. Freidenreich

Holiness and impurity in the Torah and the Quran: Differences within a common typology

David M. Freidenreich — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:56:28 PST

In sharp contrast to the Torah’s hierarchical conception of society, the Quran articulates an egalitarian worldview in which all humanity has equal access to the holiness that comes from being in relationship with God. Quranic egalitarianism serves to undermine biblically-grounded Jewish and Christian claims to elevated status. The significant differences in quranic and biblical discourse about both holiness and the antithetical state of impurity, however, can best be understood as existing within the framework of a common typology. Both the Torah and the Quran distinguish between impurity that results from physiological events and impurity caused by sin. These works, moreover, describe in similar ways the entirely different implications of these two types of impurity for a person’s relationship with God. This essay demonstrates how the juxtaposition of the Torah and the Quran can enrich our understanding of these works and of broader religious phenomena.

Food and Table Fellowship

David M. Freidenreich — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:50:09 PST

Fusion Cooking in an Islamic Milieu: Jewish and Christian Jurists on Food Associated with Foreigners

David M. Freidenreich — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:45:41 PST

Christians in Early and Classical Shiʿi Law

David M. Freidenreich — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:45:17 PDT

Muslims in Western Canon Law, 1000–1500

David M. Freidenreich — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:41:16 PDT

The Implications of Unbelief: Tracing the Emergence of Distinctively Shiʿi Notions Regarding the Food and Impurity of Non-Muslims

David M. Freidenreich — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:19:19 PDT

The distinctively Shiʿi conception of non-Muslims as bearers of a contagious form of impurity emerges gradually, reaching its classical form only in the 5th/11th century. Contrary to common scholarly presumptions, Q. 9.28 does not constitute the point of origin for this conception but rather serves as retroactive justification for its validity. This essay utilizes ḥadīth collections and works of law from the 2nd/8th through 5th/11th centuries to trace the emergence of Shiʿi notions regarding the impurity of non-Muslims and the parallel emergence of distinctively Shiʿi norms regarding the meat of animals slaughtered by non-Muslims. It concludes by suggesting that the differences between Sunni and Shiʿi notions regarding the food and impurity of non-Muslims reflect the different ways in which Sunnis and Shiʿi conceive of the Islamic community itself.

Five Questions about Non-Muslim Meat: Toward a New Appreciation of Ibn Qayyim al-Ǧawziyyah’s Contribution to Islamic Law

David M. Freidenreich — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:08:13 PDT

Apparatus in quinque libros Decretalium

Innocent IV — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:23:15 PDT

Kiddushin: A Service for Yom Hashoah

David M. Freidenreich — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:57:56 PDT

Comparisons Compared: A Methodological Survey of Comparisons of Religion from ‘A Magic Dwells’ to A Magic Still Dwells

David M. Freidenreich — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:49:14 PDT

Die papstlichen Kanzleiordnungen, ed. Michael Tangl

Michael Tangl — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:29:19 PDT

Regulae cancellariae apostolicae, ed. Emil von Ottenthal

Emil von Ottenthal — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:07:20 PDT

The history of medieval canon law in the classical period, 1140-1234, ed. Hartmann and Pennington

-- — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:42:11 PDT

Summa Parisiensis, ed. Terence P. McLaughlin

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:36:15 PDT

Registri dei cardinali Ugolino d'Ostia, ed. Guido Levi

Guido Levi — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:04:05 PDT

Hostiensis, Summa aurea, liber 5

Hostiensis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:37:56 PDT

Hostiensis, Summa aurea, liber 4

Hostiensis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:21:41 PDT

Hostiensis, Summa aurea, liber 3

Hostiensis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:14:22 PDT

Hostiensis, Summa aurea, liber 2

Hostiensis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:03:50 PDT

Hostiensis, Summa aurea, liber 1

Hostiensis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:51:31 PDT