Islamic Rational Theology: Ilm al-Kalam (Classical Period: 8th–13th c.)

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to classical Islamic theology. Students examine Muslim credal doctrines and the framework and tools used to ground those doctrines. The course looks at both an analytical study of Islamic theology, with topics on God, prophecy, free will, and epistemology within the schools of the Ash'aris and Maturidis, and surveys the history of various approaches to theology and philosophy in the classical period. Students also gain tools to understand and assess foundational theological positions through primary texts and historical analysis.