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Dramatic Islamic Preaching: A Close Reading of ʿAmr Khālid
Abstract This chapter focuses on a rhetorical technique used by different Islamic preachers on the basis of the prominent example of ʿAmr Khālid, namely the mimetic telling of stories within his sermons. It provides a detailed analysis of his dramatic technique and of the effects it produces. For this analysis, I have chosen a close reading of a short passage from one of his programmes. The advantage of this approach is that it allows for a detailed discussion of the narrative and performative techniques used. The theoretical analysis builds on crucial concepts of the so-called Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition (which modern European rhetorical theory is a part of). However, the reason for recourse to this theoretic tradition is not only due to the fact that it provides a useful theoretical frame. Instead, as I point out, the Greco-Roman (or European) tradition has considerably influenced modern Arabic rhetorical manuals as well. Connecting the theoretical rhetorical reflections with some insights from the field of neuroscience, I argue that the analysed rhetorical techniques provide a particular form of religious aesthetic experience, which is geared towards bringing the past to the present, making it experienceable for modern listeners today.
