The Intended Meaning
Shahrur argues that religion is not based on coercion, but on voluntariness and free choice For him, religiosity is a voluntary act to which a person commits oneself out of conviction, not compulsion
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: value-based
- Argument movement: He maintains that religion rests on voluntariness and choice, not coercion.
- Key terms: religion, voluntariness, choice, conviction.
- Degree of centrality: central.
This atom establishes the centrality of freedom in religiosity, and links religious commitment to conscious voluntary action rather than coerced submission.
Reading Aids
- Muhammad Shahrur Religion and Power
- Freedom, the Human Being, and Responsibility
- Islamic heritage has become a criterion instead of remaining a subject of study
Basis
- Supporting text: “Religion in Shahrur’s contemporary conception is based on voluntariness and choice.”
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: The atom rests on an explicit witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of reading: The wording above is an analytical summary, and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is transmitted word for word.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it establishes a meaning or conceptual distinction on which Shahrur relies in building the idea.
Related to
Editorial Note
This is a comprehensive root that explains many of its other branches.