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Abstract

By means of the three questions “what can I know, what shall I do, what may I hope”, which can be traced back to Immanuel Kant, this article highlights the role of religion concerning in generating meaning and questions its exclusive claim to truth. Especially when dealing with the written religious heritage the author sees the need for a critical self-questioning on the part of the religions in view of an awareness of empirical as well as historical human sciences. The author calls for the “self-historicization” and a “humanized enclosure” of the religions. For this purpose, it is necessary to critically analyze the texts and traditions and be willing to say farewell to outdated traditions and interpretations in order to be open for the future of new exegesis, which satisfies the scientific demand. The author takes up a much-discussed Islamic tradition in order to show that Kant’s categorical imperative has also to be applied to religious issues.