Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Evolution of Revelation Theory in Soroush's Thought: Epistemic Bases and Interpretive Outcomes

Document Type : Original article

Authors
Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2026.589797.1411
Abstract
This study reconstructs and critically evaluates the evolution of Abdolkarim Soroush's theory of revelation using a descriptive-analytical method. Its central problem is the internal coherence of his three main formulations of revelation and their interpretive consequences for understanding the Qurʾān. The study identifies a shared epistemic foundation: the presupposition-laden nature of understanding, the historicity of religious knowledge, and the mediating role of the human subject. In the first formulation, human agency is confined to understanding religion; in the second, it extends to formulating the revealed text; in the third, the discussion shifts to the text's linguistic and symbolic character, treating parts of the Qurʾān as dream narratives. The study argues that this trajectory, while offering a coherent account of revelation's historical and human dimensions, leaves unresolved difficulties concerning textual authority, the distinction between dream and waking language, inimitability, and the historical reliability of Quranic narratives. It concludes that Soroush's later existential engagement with the Qurʾān attempts to moderate earlier radical implications rather than definitively resolve these challenges.
Keywords
Subjects

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Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 13
September 2026
Pages 243-284

  • Receive Date 14 July 2026
  • Revise Date 27 August 2026
  • Accept Date 28 August 2026