The Idea
This claim speaks of the possibility of a religious reform that does not stop at partial adjustment or moral exhortation, but looks toward a broader model that changes the way religion is understood and its place in public life. What is intended is not the copying of a ready-made formula, but the search for a horizon that brings together faith and the demands of the age. For that reason, the question remains more open than settled.
Concise Formulation
Text: It raises the possibility of building a higher model for religious reform
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim appears as an extension of the book’s argument in its search for a way out of stagnation. Reform here is not a cosmetic embellishment of the old, but a reordering of the relationship between text, history, and reason. In this way, the question of the higher model becomes a question about the conditions for renewing religious discourse itself, not about superficial improvements in discourse.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in showing that the book does not stop at describing the crisis, but tests the possibility of overcoming it. It also reveals Arkoun’s understanding of reform as a search for a comprehensive horizon, not for localized solutions. This helps the reader grasp both the limits of the project and its ambition.
Brief Evidence
The text raises the question of the possibility of building a “higher model” for religious reform. What is meant is a reform that does not stop at partial adjustment or moral exhortation, but looks toward a broader horizon that changes the way religion is understood and its place in public life. For that reason, the question remains more open than settled.
Reading Questions
- Does reform here mean a change in content or in the mode of understanding?
- What is the difference between partial reform and reform that calls for a higher model?
Documentation Level
High: the claim appears in a clear location within the book’s material.