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Arabic

2024

What does the reformation of religion mean?

Lecture given by Mohamed El Haddad as part of the Anawati Chair at the Dominican Institute of Oriental Studies in Cairo.

Summary Plural

Mohamed El Haddad presents his conception of religious reform within the framework of modern human and social sciences. He first defines these sciences as resulting from the modern scientific revolution, with an objective and comparative approach to human phenomena.

He then addresses the relationship between religions and human sciences. Historically, the study of religions often lacked objectivity. The modern science of religions, developed in the 19th century, aims for a more scientific and comparative approach.

El Haddad defines religious reform as a scientific concept applicable to all religions facing modernity. He identifies three possible attitudes:

  1. Traditionalism: maintaining traditional positions outside their original context.
  2. Fundamentalism: desire to return to the past and impose religious ideas on society.
  3. Reform: adaptation of religious ideas to the modern context.

For El Haddad, reform is necessary because religions cannot ignore social, political, and scientific changes. It aims to reconcile religious thought with modern reality, without breaking with tradition or rejecting modernity.

He concludes that these three attitudes exist in all religions, to varying degrees depending on the context. A scientific approach to religious reform allows for moving beyond sterile debates and objectively analyzing this phenomenon in different traditions.

Conférence donnée par Mohamed El Haddad dans le cadre de la Chaire Anawati de l’Institut dominicain d’études orientales au Caire.

Résumé Pluriel

Mohamed El Haddad présente sa conception de la réforme religieuse dans le cadre des sciences humaines et sociales modernes. Il définit d’abord ces sciences comme résultant de la révolution scientifique moderne, avec une approche objective et comparative des phénomènes humains.

Il aborde ensuite la relation entre religions et sciences humaines. Historiquement, l’étude des religions manquait souvent d’objectivité. La science moderne des religions, développée au 19ᵉ siècle, vise une approche plus scientifique et comparative.

El Haddad définit la réforme religieuse comme un concept scientifique applicable à toutes les religions face à la modernité. Il identifie trois attitudes possibles :

  1. Le traditionalisme : maintien des positions traditionnelles hors de leur contexte originel.
  2. Le fondamentalisme : volonté de retour au passé et d’imposer les idées religieuses à la société.
  3. La réforme : adaptation des idées religieuses au contexte moderne.

Pour El Haddad, la réforme est nécessaire car les religions ne peuvent ignorer les changements sociaux, politiques et scientifiques. Elle vise à concilier la pensée religieuse avec la réalité moderne, sans rompre avec la tradition ni rejeter la modernité.

Il conclut que ces trois attitudes existent dans toutes les religions, à des degrés divers selon les contextes. Une approche scientifique de la réforme religieuse permet de dépasser les débats stériles et d’analyser objectivement ce phénomène dans différentes traditions.

محاضرة ألقاها محمد الحداد في إطار كرسي العناواتي بالمعهد الدومينيكاني للدراسات الشرقية بالقاهرة.

ملخص منصة الجامعة للبحث عن الإسلام

يقدم محمد الحداد رؤيته للإصلاح الديني في إطار العلوم الإنسانية والاجتماعية الحديثة. يعرّف أولاً هذه العلوم بأنها نتاج الثورة العلمية الحديثة، مع نهج موضوعي ومقارن للظواهر الإنسانية.

ثم يتناول العلاقة بين الأديان والعلوم الإنسانية. تاريخياً، كانت دراسة الأديان تفتقر غالباً إلى الموضوعية. يهدف علم الأديان الحديث، الذي تطور في القرن التاسع عشر، إلى نهج أكثر علمية ومقارنة.

يعرّف الحداد الإصلاح الديني كمفهوم علمي قابل للتطبيق على جميع الأديان في مواجهة الحداثة. ويحدد ثلاثة مواقف محتملة:

  1. التقليدية: الحفاظ على المواقف التقليدية خارج سياقها الأصلي.
  2. الأصولية: الرغبة في العودة إلى الماضي وفرض الأفكار الدينية على المجتمع.
  3. الإصلاح: تكييف الأفكار الدينية مع السياق الحديث.

بالنسبة للحداد، الإصلاح ضروري لأن الأديان لا يمكنها تجاهل التغيرات الاجتماعية والسياسية والعلمية. يهدف إلى التوفيق بين الفكر الديني والواقع الحديث، دون قطع الصلة بالتقاليد أو رفض الحداثة.

يختتم بأن هذه المواقف الثلاثة موجودة في جميع الأديان، بدرجات متفاوتة حسب السياقات. يسمح النهج العلمي للإصلاح الديني بتجاوز النقاشات العقيمة وتحليل هذه الظاهرة بموضوعية في مختلف التقاليد.

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