If I had to pick someone to write the preface to the first printed edition of the Qur’an, Martin Luther, father of the protestant Christian movement would not be first on the list. However, in 1543 that is exactly what he did, penning a short introduction (below) to a Latin translation published by Theodore Bibliander and Johannes Oporinus in Basel, Switzerland. It was the first translation of the Qur’an into a Western language. Luther found a translation of the earlier work from 1160 Lex Mahumet pseudoprophete (The Laws of the False-Prophet Muhammed). Luther hoped that a published Qur’an (along with other Muslim texts) would help Christians understand the continuing power of the other religion. Of course, this was not to nurture a relationship of understanding and compassion between them, the press of the Sultan was very present, but to better argue and refute the words of Muhammad. It is worth saying that in this preface, as well as other writings he did about “the Turks” in previous years, he takes a less aggressive position than many of his contemporaries. His focus, overall, is more about convincing Christians to repent of their sins (for which he believed the Muslims were a punishment from God) than advocating the continued fight against the enemies. Martin Luther represents a continuation of a trend that sets Christianity and Islam up as enemies. Certainly there is a political aspect to this position, with a long history of conquest and fighting since they first came into contact, however Luther put this into a moral context. While one can argue that this is to make the fight against the Muslims more palatable, but whatever the original reason this moral war of faiths continues. Political conflicts in the Middle East and beyond are translated into a moral battle with Christians viewing Muslims as misguided, or, even worse, tools of the devil. It is this view that is engrained within the broader Christian consciousness. It is not the intention to learn and grow from Islam, but rather to “defeat” Islam (while other faiths are spared this specific ire). To help to mend issues that plague much of modern human history we must consider this belief and evaluate the issues and conflict inherent within it. While Islam is a rapidly growing religion (possibly threatening the power that Christianity possesses) there is still much to learn and much peace to be made despite the legacy that Martin Luther propagated.
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AuthorI am a student at the University of New Mexico working on a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Professional Writing. I am fascinated by why people believe weird things and how that impacts broader society. ArchivesCategories
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