Neo-Muctazilismus?: Intention und Kontext im modernen arabischen Umgang mit dem rationalistischen Erbe des Islam

Abstract

related developments of textualisation and popularisation thus profoundly transformed cultural practices linked to the production, transmission and reception of texts in Egypt and Syria over the Middle Period” (p. 197). Growing textualisation did not, however, mean the displacement of oral and aural modes of cultural transmission by writing; rather, when new cultural practices emerged they were increasingly likely to take place in written form. The main agents of popularisation were not scholars, but traders and craftsmen (“middle classes”, p. 198), who were more able to participate in cultural practices attached to or associated with the scholarly world, such as by taking part aurally in readings or by making use of new institutions such as children’s schools and libraries. Over time, increasing textualisation and popularisation began to affect the virtual monopoly that scholarly and administrative elites enjoyed over the written word. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that among such elites there developed parallel discourses about the role that the written word could play in the generation and dissemination of deviant ideas and about how writing could be used to limit and stamp out such ideas. The volume is illustrated by a number of high quality images, including three floor plans of endowments with attached schools and nineteen plates, mostly in colour, and manuscript illustrations. There is also a bibliography of works cited (pp. 202–27) and an index of names, places and subjects (pp. 228–34). As stated at the beginning of this review, Hirschler has produced a very good book. It is clearly written and argued and is well-grounded in the primary sources and secondary literature. It will be of particular interest to scholars of textual practices elsewhere in the medieval world, both Arab and beyond. Indeed, throughout the book the author demonstrates a sound grasp of important cognate literature, such as Michael Clanchy’s work on England after the Norman Conquest (From Memory to Written Record: England, 1066–1307, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), and in his conclusion, points to a number of avenues for further research. Such research will be greatly facilitated by the ground-breaking work done in this book.