Who is Allah? The teachings and the temperament of the figure at the center of the world’s second-largest religion have drawn widely varying—and often controversial— interpretations over the course of the centuries.
Drawing on his new book, God in the Qur’an, noted religious scholar Jack Miles undertakes to clarify that question of identity by portraying the unique nature of Allah as reflected the context of the Qur’an and in interactions with humanity. Setting passages from the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur'an side by side, Miles suggests a way for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to better understand and interpret the beliefs of a people and the deity whom they worship. Jane McAuliffe, director of national and international outreach at the Library of Congress and editor of The Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, leads the conversation.
Miles is a distinguished professor emeritus of English and religious studies at the University of California, Irvine, and senior fellow for religion and international affairs with the Pacific Council on International Policy. He is the winner of a 1996 Pulitzer Prize for his book God: A Biography and a recipient of Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships.
Copies of God in the Qur’an (Knopf), are available for purchase and signing.
Other Connections
Listen to Jack Miles’ interview on the Not Old Better podcast with host Paul Vogelzang.
