The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology

A series of critical reflection on the evolution and major themes of pre-modern Muslim Theology.

Tim Winter (Edited by)

9780521785495, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 May 2008

352 pages
23 x 0.2 x 0.2 cm, 0.56 kg

'Tim Winter (University of Cambridge) has brought together fifteen essays on classical Islamic theology at an opportune time, given sentiment today, alerting us to developments in critical understanding of the early period of Islam (in this book, between the seventh century and the sixteenth), and showing us how key theological issues were teased out by various scholars and schools. In doing this, the companion succeeds in mediating what is often a marginalized area of Islamic studies for the ordinary reader …' Reference Reviews

This series of critical reflections on the evolution and major themes of pre-modern Muslim theology begins with the revelation of the Koran, and extends to the beginnings of modernity in the eighteenth century. The significance of Islamic theology reflects the immense importance of Islam in the history of monotheism, to which it has brought a unique approach and style, and a range of solutions which are of abiding interest. Devoting especial attention to questions of rationality, scriptural fidelity, and the construction of 'orthodoxy', this volume introduces key Muslim theories of revelation, creation, ethics, scriptural interpretation, law, mysticism, and eschatology. Throughout the treatment is firmly set in the historical, social and political context in which Islam's distinctive understanding of God evolved. Despite its importance, Islamic theology has been neglected in recent scholarship, and this book provides a unique, scholarly but accessible introduction.

Introduction Tim Winter
Part I. Historical Perspectives: 1. The Koran and Hadith M. Abdel Haleem
2. Early kal?m Khalid Blankinship
3. Falsafa Hossein Ziai
4. The developed kal?m tradition Oliver Leaman and Sajjad Rizvi
5. The social construction of orthodoxy Ahmed El Shamsy
Part II. Themes: 6. God: essence and attributes Nader El-Bizri
7. Creation David Burrell
8. Ethics Stefan Stelzer
9. Revelation Yahya Michot
10. Cosmology and the existence of God Ayman Shihadeh
11. Worship William C. Chittick
12. Theology and jurisprudence Umar F. Abd Allah
13. Theology and mysticism Toby Mayer
14. Epistemology and divine discourse Paul Hardy
15. Eschatology Marcia Hermansen.

Subject Areas: Islamic theology [HRHT], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]