Papers by Manolis Ulbricht
Bloomsbury Academic eBooks, 2022
Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Sep 1, 2021
De medio aevo, May 10, 2023
Der Artikel schlägt ein einheitliches System für die Kategorisierung von aus dem Arabischen in ei... more Der Artikel schlägt ein einheitliches System für die Kategorisierung von aus dem Arabischen in eine andere Sprache übersetzten Koranpassagen vor. Die Einteilung in vier sogenannte ,Philologische Kategorien' basiert auf Kriterien, die die sprachliche Beziehung zwischen der Ausgangs-und der Zielsprache in Bezug auf die dort verwendete Grammatik, Syntax und Semantik widerspiegeln. Die Kategorisierung stützt sich auf einen früheren Forschungsansatz, der durch die Definition von vier Kategorien weiterentwickelt wurde: Wörtliches Zitat, Freies Zitat, Paraphrase und Anspielung. Zunächst werden Definitionen für jede ,Philologische Kategorie' gegeben (Abschnitt 2). Das System der Kategorisierung wird dann anhand der griechischen Koranübersetzung Coranus Graecus (9. Jh. terminus ante quem), die in die Zeit der griechischarabischen Übersetzungsbewegung zurückreicht, exemplifiziert (Abschnitt 3). Zur Veranschaulichung der vorgeschlagenen Systematisierung werden mehrere Fallbeispiele angeführt und Grenzfälle kritisch diskutiert (Abschnitt 3.1-4). Die Analyse zielt einerseits auf eine vertiefte vergleichende Untersuchung der griechischen und arabischen Philologien ab, um andererseits einen methodischen Gesamtansatz zur Diskussion zu stellen, wie Koranübersetzungen philologisch klassifiziert und somit miteinander vergleichbar gemacht werden können. Ein theoretischer Rahmen, der den philologischen Kontext der übersetzten Passagen berücksichtigt, wird eine angemessenere und kontextbezogene Interpretation von Texten aus der Zeit der Graeco-Arabica gewährleisten. Der Artikel hat zum Ziel, eine weiterführende Diskussion darüber anstoßen, wie die philologische Beziehung zwischen griechischen und arabischen Textpassagen in einer einheitlichen Weise systematisiert werden könnte, um so mehr quellenbasierte Schlussfolgerungen zu ermöglichen.
Bloomsbury Academic eBooks, 2022
Journal of transcultural medieval studies, Nov 1, 2018
Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Nov 14, 2017
Chronos (Tripoli), Mar 23, 2019
«أطلعني على الخير الذي أتى به محمد، ولن تحد إلا السوء واللاإنسانية، كوصيته بنشر الدين الذي بشر به... more «أطلعني على الخير الذي أتى به محمد، ولن تحد إلا السوء واللاإنسانية، كوصيته بنشر الدين الذي بشر به بحد السيف»" (2006 ٦١ X B). هذا ما قاله الإمبراطور البيزنطى عمانوئيل الثاني باليولوغوس (11aXatoXöyog "R (»M) والذي استشهد به بابا الرومان-الكاثو ليك بينيديكتس السادس عشر (XVI p.M.Benedictus) أثناء إلقاء خطابه ف جامعة ريغنسبور Regensburg(C) الألمانية في ١٢ أيلول/سبتمبر ٢٠٠٦. واستتع الاستشهاد بهذا القول فحسب النقد الصارم سواء من قبل المسلمين وغير المسلمين، وحتى من قبل السياستين الأوروبيين، بصرف النظر عن أن البابا عر في المحاضرة ذاتها عن أنه لم يشاطر الإمبراطور المستشهد به رأيه، وإنما قد استعمله افتتاحا لتأمله في دور العقل في مسائل الإعان ومشجعا على تسامح الأديان. ويرجع هذا النصي، الذي استشهد بينيديكتس به، إلى آخر القرن الرابع عشر الميلادي، وهو المحادثة السابعة المأخوذة من مؤلم «اشحاد ثات) ((EeeغهA») للإمبراطور البيزنطي عمانوئيل، الذي يتضمن عدة حوارات بين الامبراطور وعالم فارسي حول ديانتيهما جرت سنة ١٣٩١ م قرب أنقرة في الأناضول، حقر البيز نطي فيها الإسلام و نبيه محمدا تحقيرا شديدا. وأظهر رد الفعل القاسي، من جميع الأطراف، على اقتباس البابا من نص قديم أكثر من ٦٠٠ عام عدم التفكير المجرد من التحيز كما اللاتفاهم بل الجهل الذي نشهده في عصرنا بين الديانتين السماويتين الإسلام والمسيحية من جهة، وفقدان الثقة المستم، لا بل المتجدد بين المجتمعين الغربي والشرقي من جهة أخرى.
Zeitschrift Fur Religions-und Geistesgeschichte, 2010
Dumbarton Oaks Papers 77, 2023
This article sheds light on the first Greek translation of the Quran and the possible cultural-re... more This article sheds light on the first Greek translation of the Quran and the possible cultural-religious background of its translator(s). The fragments of this quranic translation are mainly preserved in the anti-Islamic work of Nicetas of Byzantium (ninth/tenth century), Refutation of the Quran. Through a philological-theological analysis of the remnants of this quranic translation handed down in Nicetas’s work, referred to as Coranus Graecus, the article aims at giving a detailed picture of the understanding of the Arabic quranic text and its subtly nuanced rendering in Greek. Therefore, the article examines some of the Greek quranic fragments in terms of their philological rendering into Greek and compares them synoptically with the Arabic quranic readings. Through this Greek–Arabic analysis, the article elaborates on the early Christian understanding of the quranic text as documented in the Coranus Graecus. The argument therefore focuses on verses which are theologically relevant to Christian–Muslim interfaith topics. In a final part, conclusions are presented about the cultural and religious background of the translator(s) of the Coranus Graecus based on the philological-comparative analysis and its cultural-historical interpretation.
De Medio Aevo
The article suggests a uniform system for the categorization of translated passages of the Qurʾān... more The article suggests a uniform system for the categorization of translated passages of the Qurʾān from Arabic into another language. The classification into four so-called ‘Philological Categories’ is based on criteria reflecting the linguistic relationship between the source and target languages in terms of their grammar, syntax, and semantics used therein. The categorization relies on a previous research approach further developing it by defining four categories: Verbatim Quotation, Free Quotation, Paraphrase, and Allusion. The paper first gives definitions for each ‘Philological Category’ (section 2). The system of categorization is then tested (section 3) on the basis of the Greek translation of the Qurʾān Coranus Graecus (9th century terminus ante quem), thus dating back to the time of the Graeco-Arabic translation movement. Several examples are given and borderline cases are critically discussed to illustrate the suggested systematization (section 3.1–4). The study aims, on th...
Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik
The Bloomsbury Reader in Christian-Muslim Relations, 600–1500, 2022
The research project on a witness to one of the earliest translations of the Qurʾān, preserved in... more The research project on a witness to one of the earliest translations of the Qurʾān, preserved in the Vat. gr. 681, is directed by Manolis Ulbricht within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 980 "Episteme in Motion. Transfer of Knowledge from the Ancient World to the Early Modern Period" at the Free University Berlin.
Conference Report: Preliminary Considerations on the Corpus Coranicum Christianum. The Qur'an... more Conference Report: Preliminary Considerations on the Corpus Coranicum Christianum. The Qur'an in Translation – A Survey of the State of the Art, Berlin, 5–7 December 2018
The Bloomsbury Reader in Christian-Muslim Relations, 600–1500
Byzantinische Zeitschrift
The article analyzes the anti-Islamic polemical discourse of Nicetas of Byzantium (9th/10th c.), ... more The article analyzes the anti-Islamic polemical discourse of Nicetas of Byzantium (9th/10th c.), one of the most important Byzantine apologists and polemicists flourishing in the intellectual-theological context of Patriarch Photios in Constantinople. This paper crystallizes the main topics of discussion in Nicetas’ Refutation of the Qur’an (Vat. gr. 681) and presents his argumentation against Islam.To structure and evaluate the wayNicetas perceives Islam, I have developed a methodology of four thematic categories (Theology, Ethics, History, Physiology) with correspondent polemical subcategories. This research approach may also serve as a paradigm enhancing further studies on other sources related to Christian-Muslim interfaith dialogue.
of Coranus Graecus The Oldest Transmitted Translation of the Qurʾān within the «Ἀνατροπὴ τοῦ Κορα... more of Coranus Graecus The Oldest Transmitted Translation of the Qurʾān within the «Ἀνατροπὴ τοῦ Κορανίου» of Nicetas of Byzantium Introduction -Text -Translation -Commentary (1,261 pages, III volumes) [Für die deutsche Fassung bitte hier klicken] Manolis Ulbricht, M. A.
“الترجمة الأولى للقرآن الكريم من القرن ٨ / ٩ م في سجال نيكيتاس البيزنطيّ (القرن ٩ م) مع الإسلام باسم تفنيد القرآن”, Chronos – Révue d’histoire de l’Université de Balamand/Lebanon, n. 25, 2012, pp. 33–58, 2012
"The Byzantine translation of the Qurʾān from the eighth/ninth century CE and its role in the polemic of Nicetas of Byzantium", Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies Newsletter, No. 8, 07/2014, S. 5–6, 2014
This short article gives an overview of my research project on the first translation of the Qur'an.
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Papers by Manolis Ulbricht
The workshop seeks to shed new light on the crossroads at which the Late Antique world of the Eastern Mediterranean heralded diverse exchanges between Oriental Christendom, Byzantine culture and the Islamic world. Furthermore, how these exchanges impacted the development of diverse regions, cultures, languages, and religions.
The workshop will provide an inter-disciplinary overview of the various perspectives emerging from the Christian Oriental, Byzantine, Early Islamic and Archaeological approaches to this area of research. The key objective of the workshop is to explore the possibilities of a unified and holistic approach to understanding the "Sattelzeit" (R. Koselleck) – i.e. the period between 500 and 750 CE. While the scope of the workshop has been intentionally left broad, papers are particularly welcome in, but not limited to, the following areas:
- The role of Eastern/Oriental Christians in the relationship(s) formed between the Islamic Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire.
- Scripture and Arts as a medium of interchange between Christians and Muslims.
- The historical narratives and administrative reality of the expansion of the Islamic Empire.
The workshop will take place on 4th December, 2017 at Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin) and is the collaborative effort of the Chair of Byzantine Studies (FU Berlin), Radboud University’s Institute for Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS), and Gorgias Press.
We hope that the workshop will encourage fruitful discussions about the state-of-the-art of the field and highlight potential areas for future inquiry. Furthermore, that the workshop will provide a platform for both established researchers in the field and early-career academics (e.g. advanced Ph.D. students and Postdocs). Each paper will be allocated 20 minutes with a further 15 minutes for discussion. The workshop proceedings will be published in an edited volume under Gorgias Press’ Islamic History and Thought series and each participant will be provided with a complimentary hardback copy of the edited volume.
To submit a paper, please provide an abstract (max. 500 words) and a professional biography (max. 250 words) by 1st May, 2017 to [email protected]. Full papers should be submitted by 30th September, 2017. Limited funding will be available for accommodation and/or travel. As there are limited spaces for non-participants, kindly inform the conveners if you would like to attend the workshop and places will be allocated on an RSVP basis.
Conveners:
Manolis Ulbricht, Byzantine Studies, Freie Universität Berlin
Adam Walker, HLCS, Radboud University / Gorgias Press
The workshop is aiming at mapping out the different scholars and research traditions dealing with varied translations of the Qur’an and to facilitate further scientific exchange. It will also examine the possibilities of using methods in the Digital Humanities for building an annotated database of the Corpus Coranicum Christianum. This workshop is sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Freie Universität Berlin.