ABSTRACT
Philosophers of religion probe and assess the consistency, coherence, truth and plausibility of religious beliefs presented as truth-claims – but the value and function of such philosophical scrutiny of religion is not self-evident. I shall argue presently that it is both undesirable and impossible to immunize the Quran against the sceptical thrust of persistently rational examination. It is impossible because the aggressively secular condition of sizeable and influential segments of humankind is no passing phenomenon. Given the global reach of a western secularized culture that sets the mental fashion of virtually the entire world, all faiths must sooner or later endure trial by secular reason. It remains an open question, in the case of Islam, whether it will come out unscathed. The future of the hitherto determined Muslim resistance to secularization is one of the exciting uncertainties at the start of the third Christian millennium. Many western observers are convinced that Islam cannot win in the court of secular reason – though they think there might be some amusement in watching how it will lose.
