226 “Sæt denne bog fri!” Om Luther, Tyrken og kampen for Koranen 1 Thomas Hoffmann A bstract: Te article outlines Luther’s theological engagement with Islam and the Koran, the historical context of his en- gagement and its thematic continuities with a general Christian- Western engagement with Islam and Muslims from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance. It is argued that Luther’s engagement was less than peripheral to his theological thinking and actions but con- stituted an important part of it. It is furthermore argued that this engagement cannot be written of as sheer ‘Islamophobic’ polemics and apologetics but also betrays a growing European determina- tion to secure real information about Islam, frst and foremost by acquiring Islamic sources and by cultivating linguistic competen- ces in Arabic (which also is attested in Danish theology since the Reformation). Luther’s efort to get a translation of the Koran prin- ted and distributed is one such indication of this trend. Te article concludes that the serious engagement with Islam and Muslims has always been accompanied by ambivalences and inconsistencies and probably will continue to do so in the future to come. 1. Introduktion I forhold til Luthers kolossale teologiske æuvre og hans ditto virknings- historie i Europa og Danmark kan hans skrifter og tænkning om is- lam, muslimer og Koranen umiddelbart forekomme at være perifere. Luthers teologiske mission var intet mindre end rettet mod hele kri- 1 Jeg vil gerne takke dr.fl, lektor Bent Holm for præcis kritik og forslag til forbedring. Enhver fejl eller svaghed er naturligvis mit ansvar alene. Bibelen og Reformationen, Forum for Bibelsk Eksegese 20, 2017 s. 226-245