A Critical Examination of the Quran
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Summary
The work is also an appreciation reader for orchid culture and classical literature, a modest contribution to promoting Chinese orchid culture. Although classical poems and prose occupy a large portion, the interpretations are plain, apt, and vivid, making the book accessible to a broad readership and a fine introduction to Chinese orchid culture.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the textual history and formation of the Qur'an from a scholarly perspective
- Students and researchers of comparative religion and the historical development of religious texts
- Readers seeking perspectives on the Qur'an beyond devotional interpretation
- Enthusiasts of ancient Middle Eastern history and Semitic-language cultures
Not a good fit for
- Muslim readers seeking spiritual guidance or devotional exposition of the Qur'an
- Readers without background in or patience for academic religious discussion who expect light reading
Reading tips
- It is advisable to have basic familiarity with Islamic history and the Qur'an beforehand, and to read alongside mainstream academic histories for comparison
- Distinguish the author's textual observations from value judgments, and maintain independent critical thinking
- Focus on the book's analysis of specific passages and historical contexts rather than on potentially controversial conclusions
About the publisher
China Overseas Publishing House focuses on philosophy, history, world classics and mystery and detective fiction, with a secondary interest in foreign literature and folk literature. Its catalogue of roughly 960 titles includes Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Jiang Tingfu's Modern Chinese History, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, Arthur Conan Doyle's Complete Sherlock Holmes, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, as well as Classic Collected Edition of Greek Myths and a beautifully illustrated edition of Zhuangzi, giving it a publishing profile centred on classic translations and traditional Chinese culture. Its authors and translators range from Wittgenstein, Jiang Tingfu, Mitchell, Conan Doyle and Saint-Exupéry to Huang Min, Fu Donghua and Liu Shijie. Public information about its editorial philosophy and series system is limited.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 内容简介
- 作者简介
- 序
- 为古兰沉冤昭雪之前的话（代序）
- 上编 古兰植物属性考辨之本论
- 第一章 先秦至唐末文献记“兰”和汉魏隋唐释“兰”的情况概述
- 第一节 先秦至晋代文献的涉兰记述
- 第二节 汉代末期、三国到唐代经学家对先秦或汉魏文献之“兰”的解释
- 第三节 晋唐文献记兰、写兰情况概述
- 第二章 唐代以后到 21 世纪古兰植物属性的争辩概况
- 第一节 黄庭坚到李时珍，古兰植物属性的争辩
- 第二节 李时珍论兰之后，各《本草》学家对李时珍考辨的反映
- 第三节 李时珍之后，本草学之外各门学科对古兰的讨论
- 第三章 先秦到晚唐文献中描述性“兰”所显示的植物特征
- 第一节 先秦到唐末涉及植物“兰”的文献分布概况
- 第二节 古兰生长环境的考察
- 第三节 古兰茎叶生态特征的考察
- 第四节 古兰鲜花与泽兰鲜花特征的对比考察
- 第五节 古兰蒴果种子特征与泽兰瘦果种子特征的对比考察
- 第六节 古兰之香与泽兰之香的对比考察
- 第七节 文献所记古兰功用的考察
- 第八节 兰本三年而成
- 第九节 文献之兰的涉及多少种
- 第十节 看不出植物特征的言兰记述
- 第十一节 植物属性有疑问的涉兰记述
- 第十二节 证明“兰”不是“泽兰”的两个重要南朝人物
- 第十三节 本章考察结论及部分写兰诗文欣赏
- 下编 古兰植物属性考辨之辅论
- 第一章 从汉字和词汇产生、运用与演变的角度考察古“蘭（兰）”的植物属性
- 第一节 “葌”“蕑”“菅”“蘭”“萰”五字的产生和意义演变
- 第二节 从植物古兰常用名词的修饰或限定词看古兰特征
- 第三节 本章结论
- 第二章 蕙”是为何种植物创造的汉字
- 第一节 先秦到汉唐“蕙”和“薰”的使用情况
- 第二节 历代对于蕙的疏注和解释
- 第三节 《山海经》“蕙”与“薰”记述的对比研究
- 第四节 结论
- 第三章 音乐、绘画及其他重要涉兰文化典故考辨
- 第一节 古琴曲《幽兰》与《猗兰》
- 第二节 兰之绘画
- 第三节 采兰、摘兰（折兰）、剪兰
- 第四节 上巳节和秉兰招魂续魄，祓除不祥
- 第五节 佩兰
- 第六节 秉兰、握兰与“尚书奏事，怀香握兰”
- 第七节 兰汤
- 第八节 烧兰
- 第九节 芳兰生门，不得不锄
- 第十节 先秦和汉唐文献所记载的古兰用途
- 第十一节 汉唐文献其他涉兰用语
- 第四章 先秦文献所记北方之“兰”是什么植物的考察
- 第一节 春秋战国时期河南北部及其相应区域有没有兰花的生存条件
- 第二节 20 世纪末 21 世纪初河南北部及相应地域尚有野生兰蕙发表
- 第三节 先秦到汉唐河南北部及相应地域文献记兰情况
- 第四节 孔子所言之“兰”是兰花的可能性考察
- 第五章 《诗经》之兰
- 第一节 春秋时期的溱洧两岸具有兰花生长的条件
- 第二节 郑国青年男女手持兰花做礼物更合乎情理
- 第六章 屈原、宋玉之兰
- 第一节 对屈原、宋玉之兰的三类解读
- 第二节 楚辞之兰蕙是先秦文献最集中反映兰花特征的文献
- 第三节 不能够用读科技说明文的思维去解读《楚辞》
- 第四节 从楚辞中获取自然科学考证依据的另外两点思考
- 第七章 战国到晚唐的兰花鉴赏与栽培
- 第八章 古兰考证综述
- 本书主要参考文献
- 特别鸣谢下列网站
- 兰花和泽兰的形态与生长环境
FAQ
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About the author
Li Zhengxuan is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited, with only one signed work, A Textual Study of the Qur'an (Gulan Kaobian), recorded. The existing information does not establish his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, or professional identity, and no English name is documented. In library classification, the work is placed under literary appreciation, and the term kaobian ("textual investigation and discrimination") in the title suggests a book combining textual criticism with interpretation, involving the collation, reading, and discussion of a classical text. Writing of this kind generally requires solid familiarity with primary sources and a careful argumentative approach, with emphasis on comparing materials and weighing interpretations rather than on popular appreciation. Because only this one work is held and no corroborating evidence about the author's life or development is available, the overall character of his writing and its scholarly influence cannot yet be fully assessed. Readers interested in the textual study and appreciation of classical texts may use this book as an entry point to his approach, while watching for further additions to the public record.
Li Huadong is an author about whom limited public information is available. One work by this author is currently held in the collection, titled An Examination of the Ancient Orchid. Judging from this representative work, his writing falls within the field of literary appreciation, centering on the examination and interpretation of a classic text and combining scholarly organization with appreciative reading. Because verifiable information is scarce, his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, and writing career cannot be confirmed, and no English name has been recorded, making a more detailed account of his life difficult. On the evidence of the available work, Li Huadong tends toward close reading and careful textual analysis, seeking meaning within the text itself, and his writing may be of interest to readers concerned with literary appreciation and the study of classics. A fuller picture of his writing could be drawn only if more materials or works come to light.
