Pendekatan Hermeneutika Kontekstual dalam Menafsirkan Narasi Penciptaan: Studi Komparatif Metodologis antara Islam dan Kristen

Siti Azurah; Nikson Siallagan

doi:10.64691/kamali.v1i1.77

Authors

Siti Azurah Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara Author
Nikson Siallagan Universitas HKBP Nommensen Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64691/kamali.v1i1.77

Keywords:

Contextual Hermeneutics; Creation Narrative; Methodological Comparison; Islamic Interpretation; Christian Hermeneutics

Abstract

A contextual hermeneutic approach is crucial in understanding the narrative of human creation so that interpretations of religious texts do not fall into reductive and ahistorical literal readings. This article aims to analyze and compare the methodology of contextual hermeneutics in the Islamic and Christian traditions to discover epistemological patterns and their theological implications for the interpretation of the creation story. This research uses a qualitative approach with a comparative-hermeneutic analysis method, which relies on primary sources such as the Quran, the Bible, and works of classical and modern hermeneutic interpretation and commentaries, accompanied by a review of contemporary academic literature. The results show that contextual hermeneutics in Islam, as developed by thinkers such as Fazlur Rahman and Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, emphasizes the close relationship between the text and its socio-moral context. The text is understood as a living discourse in history, demanding the reader’s intellectual engagement to uncover ethical messages and universal values that are in line with the dynamics of modern society. In contrast, in the Christian tradition, contextual hermeneutics, represented by Paul Ricoeur and Hans-Georg Gadamer, places greater emphasis on the symbolic, existential, and dialogical aspects of the creation narrative, where meaning is understood as the result of the encounter between the text’s horizon and the reader’s horizon in the experience of faith. A comparison of the two reveals a common ground in contextual awareness, an appreciation for the dynamics of meaning, and the active role of the interpreting subject. The conclusion of this study confirms that contextual hermeneutics, both in Islam and Christianity, can serve as a foundation for the development of interfaith interpretive discourse that is more dialogical, inclusive, and responsive to the challenges of contemporary humanity.

Author Biographies

Siti Azurah, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara

Mahasiswa Program Sarjana (S1) Studi Agama-Agama
Nikson Siallagan , Universitas HKBP Nommensen

Mahasiswa Program Sarjana (S1) Pendidikan Agama Kristen

References

Abu Zayd, N. H. (2002). Rethinking the Qur’an: Towards a Humanistic Hermeneutics. Leiden: Brill.

Adinugraha, H. H., & Ulama’i, A. H. A. (2020). Understanding of Islamic Studies Through Textual and Contextual Approaches. Farabi, 17(1), 26–48. https://doi.org/10.30603/jf.v17i1.1281 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30603/jf.v17i1.1281

Al-Żahabī, M. al-S. Ḥusayn. (1976). Al-Tafsīr wa al-Mufassirūn. Kairo: Maktabah Wahbah.

Almirzanah, S. (2020). God, humanity and nature: Cosmology in Islamic spirituality. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(1), a6130. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6130 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6130

Arkoun, M. (1994). Rethinking Islam: Common Questions, Uncommon Answers. Boulder: Westview Press.

Arrauf, I. F., & Miswari, M. (2018). Menangkap Pesan Tuhan: Urgensi Kontekstualisasi Alquran Melalui Hermeunetika. Jurnal At-Tibyan: Jurnal Ilmu Alquran dan Tafsir, 3(2), 223–236. https://doi.org/10.32505/tibyan.v3i2.698 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32505/tibyan.v3i2.698

Barlas, A. (2012). “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Brueggemann, W. (2010). Genesis: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.

Bultmann, R. (1953). Kerygma and Myth: A Theological Debate (H. W. Bartsch, Ed.). London: SPCK.

Bultmann, R. (1958). Jesus Christ and Mythology. New York: Scribner’s.

Chambers, N. (2019). Genesis 1.1 as the first act of creation. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 43(3), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089217734746 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089217734746

Cho, A. (2024). The church as a trinitarian hermeneutical community. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 80(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i1.9170 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i1.9170

Dahl, D. E. (2023). Giving, Showing, Saying: Jean-Luc Marion and Hans-Georg Gadamer on Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, and Revelation. Religions, 14(10), 1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101250 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101250

Eckert, T. L. (2016). Book Review: Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send. Missiology, 44(4), 499–500. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091829616670086c DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0091829616670086c

Fadillah, R., & Purba, K. A. (2025). Humanisasi Pendidikan Islam Melalui Konseling Qur’ani: Menjawab Tantangan Individualisme dan Materialisme Global. Arba: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 1(3), 234–250. https://doi.org/10.64691/arba.v1i3.17 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64691/arba.v1i3.17

Feng, J. C. (2024). Deificational Hermeneutics as Theological Interpretation: A Theological Exegesis on 2 Peter 1:1–11. Religions, 15(12), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121557 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121557

Gadamer, H.-G. (1977). Truth and Method. London: Sheed and Ward.

Giri, A. K. (2021). With and Beyond Epistemologies from the South: Ontological Epistemology of Participation, Multi-topial Hermeneutics and the Calling of Planetary Realisations. Sociological Bulletin, 70(3), 366–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380229211014666 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00380229211014666

Harahap, A. P., Nazmi, K., & Yusuf, M. F. (2025). Kontekstualisasi Hadis Tentang Puasa dan Relevansinya dalam Mencegah Pelecehan Seksual Terhadap Perempuan di Indonesia. Al Qalam: Jurnal Ilmiah Keagamaan dan Kemasyarakatan, 19(1), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.35931/aq.v19i1.4006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35931/aq.v19i1.4006

Holtzman, L. (2021). Seeing God in Sufi Qur’an Commentaries: Crossings between This World and the Otherworld by Pieter Coppens. Ilahiyat Studies, 12(2), 297–306. https://doi.org/10.12730/13091719.2021.122.229 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12730/13091719.2021.122.229

Howe, T. A. (2022). Preunderstanding, Presuppositions and Biblical Interpretation. Religions, 13(12), 1206. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121206 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121206

Kalbasi, F. (2022). The Role of Rationalism and Thoughtfulness in Educating the Moral Society Using Imam Ali Hadiths. International Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, 2(2), 53–61. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijcrs.2022.2.2.6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32996/ijcrs.2022.2.2.6

Kerwanto, K., Hasani, M. A. F. Al, & Hamdani, M. M. (2024). Contextual Interpretation (Study of Epistemology, History, Variety of Books and Examples of Interpretation). QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies, 3(3), 451–470. https://doi.org/10.23917/qist.v3i3.5737 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23917/qist.v3i3.5737

Kooria, M. (2020). Introduction: narrating Africa in South Asia. South Asian History and Culture, 11(4), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2020.1827592 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2020.1827592

Lehman, D. W., O’Connor, K., & Carroll, G. R. (2019). Acting on Authenticity: Individual Interpretations and Behavioral Responses. Review of General Psychology, 23(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1089268019829470 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1089268019829470

Lesmana, S. (2025). Rekontekstualisasi Filsafat Islam dalam Kurikulum Madrasah untuk Penguatan Nalar Kritis dan Pembentukan Insan Kamil. Al-Qarawiyyin: Jurnal Ilmu Ushuluddin, 1(3), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.64691/al-qarawiyyin.v1i3.53 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64691/al-qarawiyyin.v1i3.53

Levicheva, L. (2023). Introducing Old Testament Theology: Creation, Covenant, and Prophecy in the Divine-Human Relationship. Bulletin for Biblical Research, 33(3), 337–339. https://doi.org/10.5325/bullbiblrese.33.3.0337 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5325/bullbiblrese.33.3.0337

Longxi, Z. (2018). The Hermeneutic Circle, Textual Integrity, and the Validity of Interpretation. Christianity & Literature, 68(1), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148333118789757 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0148333118789757

Madubuko, J. C. (2022). Making a Case for Psychological Hermeneutics as a Method in New Testament Interpretation. Neotestamentica, 56(1), 87–107. https://doi.org/10.1353/neo.2022.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/neo.2022.0001

Moad, E. (2020). The Qur’an and the Just Society By Ramon Harvey. Foreword by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem. Journal of Islamic Studies, 31(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etz037 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etz037

Nasr, S. H. (1996). Religion and the Order of Nature. New York: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195108231.001.0001

Nasr, S. H. (2009). The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. Michigan: Zondervan.

Pillay, M. N. (2020). Women, priests and patriarchal ecclesial spaces in the anglican church of Southern Africa: On ‘interruption’ as a transformative rhetorical strategy. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.4102/HTS.V76I1.5820 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5820

Purba, R. (2025). Kritik Hermeneutik Filsafat Islam atas Dominasi Positivisme dalam Pendidikan Madrasah di Indonesia. Al-Qarawiyyin: Jurnal Ilmu Ushuluddin, 1(3), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.64691/al-qarawiyyin.v1i3.51 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64691/al-qarawiyyin.v1i3.51

Rahman, F. (1980). Major Themes of the Qur’an. Chicago: Bibliotheca Islamica.

Rahman, F. (1982). Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: The University of Chicago.

Ramadhani, R., Nasution, I. F. A., Faza, A. M., Armainingsih, A., & Harahap, A. P. (2025). Semantic Analysis of the Synonymity of the Meaning of Khatama and Ṭaba’a in the Quran: Contextual Relevance for Contemporary Interpretation Studies. Al Qalam: Jurnal Ilmiah Keagamaan dan Kemasyarakatan, 19(3), 1618. https://doi.org/10.35931/aq.v19i3.4482 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35931/aq.v19i3.4482

Ricoeur, P. (1967). The Symbolism of Evil. Boston: Beacon Press.

Ricoeur, P. (1970). Freud and Philosophy: An Essay on Interpretation. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Ricoeur, P. (1976). Interpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press.

Ricoeur, P. (1981). Hermeneutics and the Human Sciences: Essays on Language (J. B. Thompson, Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ricœur, P. (1991). From Text to Action: Essays in Hermeneutics II. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.

Schleiermacher, F. (1998). Hermeneutics and Criticism and Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511814945

Siregar, L. S. A. (2025). Hadis Tentang Dialog Antaragama: Membangun Jembatan Antara Komunitas Muslim dan Non-Muslim. Al-Qarawiyyin: Jurnal Ilmu Ushuluddin, 1(2), 77–95. https://doi.org/10.64691/al-qarawiyyin.v1i2.23

Słomka, M. (2025). The Christian Approach to Divine Creation in the Context of Scientific Worldview. Religions, 16(3), 316. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030316 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030316

Sopiani, S., Dini, D., Nadiya, R. A., Natanae, R., & Inriani, E. (2023). Forgiveness As Solidarity in Christian Education Based on Johann Baptist Metz. SEIKAT: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, Politik dan Hukum, 2(5), 480–488. https://doi.org/10.55681/seikat.v2i5.948 DOI: https://doi.org/10.55681/seikat.v2i5.948

Studies, T. (2020). 'Adam’s Istifā’ in Qur’an and human evolution. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5795 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5795

Thiselton, A. (2009). The Hermeneutics of Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Thiselton, A. C. (1992). New Horizons in Hermeneutics: The Theory and Practice of Transforming Biblical Reading. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Wahdah, Y. A. (2023). Hermeneutika Double Movement Fazlur Rahman Dalam Studi Hadits. Al FAWATIH:Jurnal Kajian Al Quran dan Hadis, 2(2), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.24952/alfawatih.v2i2.4841 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24952/alfawatih.v2i2.4841

Wardhani, N. K., Zulfah, E. M., Fachrullah A.J, M. I., & Humaira, D. E. (2023). The Urgency of Abou El Fadl’s Hermeneutics in the Book “In the Name of God.” Jurnal Transformatif (Islamic Studies), 7(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.23971/tf.v7i2.7324 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23971/tf.v7i2.7324

Zahl, S. (2020). The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198827788.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198827788.001.0001

Zaid, N. H. A. (2004). Reformation of Islamic Thought: A Critical Historical Analysis. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.