Scriptural Reasoning

The history of Scriptural Reasoning Tübingen Hub (SR-TüB) goes back to 2015 when the method of Scriptural Reasoning (SR) was first introduced to the University’s curriculum. This exciting interfaith endeavour was initiated by Prof. Dr. Lejla Demiri in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Christoph Schwöbel (1955–2021) who, together co-taught seven courses of SR seminars between 2015 and 2021, covering a range of topics, from ‘Theological Anthropology’ to ‘Ecology’, from ‘Salvation’ to ‘Monotheism’, from ‘Time, God and Eternity’ to ‘Eschatology’. Prof. Demiri and Prof. Schwöbel established the norms of this interfaith practice within the Theologies and equipped participating scholars and students over the years with tools for effective SR across faith traditions, with some participants going on to lead SR groups in various other contexts.

In 2022, the SR seminar, focused on the theme of ‘Hope’, and co-taught by a number of distinguished Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, was dedicated to the memory of Prof. Schwöbel. And the 2023 SR sessions on ‘Prophethood’ at the Center for Islamic Theology (ZITh) with two founding scholars of SR, Emeritus Professors David F. Ford (Cambridge) and Peter Ochs (Virginia), marked SR-TüB as a leading hub for Scriptural Reasoning in Germany.

As we come close to the first decade of SR in Tübingen, our team is fully galvanized to further develop SR within the University, strengthen our collaborations with local and international scholars worldwide and forge new pathways for reading and reflecting on scripture both together, and in respective faith traditions. We are also looking forward to collaborating intensively with Muslim theologians from across the world and creating more Scriptural Reasoning (inter-faith) as well as Textual Reasoning (intra-faith) opportunities within the teaching and research of the Chair of Islamic Doctrine at ZITh.

“Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is one of the world’s unique practices for stimulating shared study of scriptural texts across the borders of age-old religious traditions. On a recent visit to the University of Tübingen, I had the pleasure of participating in Muslim-Jewish-Christian scriptural reasoning sessions hosted by Dr. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine in the University’s Center for Islamic Theology. It was at once a scholarly and deeply personal gathering of undergrads and grads, researchers, faculty, and visitors, who, with high spirit, energy, and intellectual focus, plunged into the Qur’anic and Biblical sources. Around the large room, voices spoke the scriptural texts, probed questions of grammar and meaning, proposed contrasting answers and delivered openhearted agreements and disagreements on matters of theology, ethics, religious law, spirituality, faith, politics, and science. Eventually it seemed that the whole room was talking, and with the talking came a sense of being-there-together with each other and with these different texts, and with the talking came joy and gratitude.”

Peter Ochs, Edgar M. Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia

“The Tübingen University 2023 Scriptural Reasoning seminars that Prof Lejla Demiri, Prof Peter Ochs, and I took part in confirmed for me that Tübingen University has not only become the leading centre for the practice of SR in continental Europe, but is now also a leading global shaper of the practice. This holds great promise both for university engagement across religious divisions, and for interreligious relations beyond the academy within and far beyond Germany. I have been involved in Scriptural Reasoning since it began in the early 1990s and have seen it spread around the world, and into many spheres of life, including seminaries, schools, local religious congregations, civil society organisations, hospitals, prisons, the armed forces, businesses, peacebuilding work, and leadership programmes. Tübingen University is an inheritor of a great tradition in theological and other scholarship, and this current development in interfaith engagement promises to be one of its most important contributions so far. But just as important as its wider academic, social, and interreligious significance is the sheer quality and liveliness of what was in evidence in those May seminars. A remarkably diverse group, both academics and students, engaged in intensive conversation around rich scriptural texts. There was learning, humour, delight, and wisdom, and they were able to go deeper into the texts of both their own and other traditions. Above all there were surprises, as fresh insights and interpretations were somehow generated through the exchanges. I am most grateful for the privilege of being able to take part in these gatherings.”

David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Cambridge