Islamic Theology [2659]

General Information

• Credits: 6 ECTS
• Prerequisites: Master 1 (or equivalent); proficiency in English
• Learning format: asynchronous distance learning – 100% e-learning
• Language of instruction: English
• Course access: available at any time of year
• Disability liaison officer: Cécile Boucherle

Course Overview

This course presents the foundations and principal schools of Islamic theology (kalām) between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. After defining the nature of theological discourse in Islam and the major questions it raises—revelation, the oneness of God, the divine attributes, human freedom, and divine omnipotence—it traces the emergence of kalām and then examines the main theological schools. The course considers in turn Muʿtazilism, Hanbali literalism, the Ashʿarite school, and the distinctive thought of Ibn ʿArabī and Ibn Taymiyya, highlighting their respective understandings of God, reason, revelation, and human action. Finally, it shows that Islamic theology constitutes a rich intellectual tradition shaped by debates that continue to shed light on contemporary Islamic thought.

Course Objectives

This course enables you to:

• Understand the emergence and development of Muslim theology (kalām) in its historical context.
• Identify the principal theological schools of Islam and their fundamental doctrines.
• Analyse the major debates concerning the oneness of God, the divine attributes, revelation, human freedom, and
• predestination.
• Compare the theological approaches of major thinkers such as al-Ašʿarī, al-Ġazālī, Ibn ʿArabī, and Ibn Taymiyya.

Course Competencies

This course is linked to the following competency:

• Situate Islam within its historical context and interpret its major classical doctrines.

Course Outline

Section 1 - The origins of Islamic Theology

Section 2 - Muʿtazilism

Section 3 - Literalism and the rejection of Theology

Section 4 - The Ash’arite school

Section 5 - Two original theologians: Ibn ʿArabī and Ibn Taymiyya

Assessment Methods 

Course assessment is based on:

• tracking and completion of the course and of all learning activities. These activities, designed as essential practice and learning exercises, may be completed multiple times and are not factored into the final grade,
• the final assessment quiz, which constitutes the graded evaluation.

Learning Format

The course is taught entirely online via the MyDomuni platform, accessible 24/7.
Learning resources include:

• written course materials;
• supplementary documents and, depending on the content, video resources;
• interactive learning activities (quizzes, exercises);
• a discussion forum with the course instructor and fellow participants.

Prerequisites

This course is open to anyone holding a Master 1 (or an equivalent qualification) in Islamic Studies, Theology, Social Sciences, the Humanities, or a related field, or with significant personal or academic experience related to the topics covered. 

A good command of written English is recommended to facilitate understanding of the content and participation in the activities offered. 

Accessibility

The course is accessible at any time, from any internet-connected device, via the MyDomuni platform.
For students with disabilities, specific support can be arranged upon request to ensure equitable access to course content and activities. 

Disability liaison officer: cecile.boucherle@domuni.eu.

Selective Bibliography

• Sabine Schmidtke (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Tim Winter (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Binyamin Abrahamov, Islamic Theology: Traditionalism and Rationalism, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 1998
• Josef van Ess, The Flowering of Muslim Theology, trans. Jane Marie Todd, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2006.
• Richard J. McCarthy, The Theology of al-Ashʿarī: The Arabic Texts of al-Ashʿarī’s Kitāb al-Lumaʿ and Risālat Istiḥsān al-Khawḍ fī ʿIlm al-Kalām, with Briefly Annotated Translations, Beirut, Imprimerie catholique, 1953.