Crossing the Threshold of Hope: John Paul II and Tariq Ramadan's Approaches to the Traditional Hermeneuti

Abstract

with an eye towards the development of the exegetical tradition of Catholic hermeneutics on relation with the Jews, the article briey surveys the development of the hermeneutical tradition of the relation and attitude of the Catholic Church towards the Jews and Judaism over the centuries, especially through the prism of the acts of St John Paul II and his relationship with the Jewish people. The paper proposes that Islam can prot from the same approach, and Tariq Ramadan, a scion of Hasan alBanna (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood) offers a hypothesis of what he calls “necessary diversity” on how Islam can coexist peacefully with other religious traditions, especially the ahl al-Kitāb (people of the Book)—Jews and Christians.