ABSTRACT

Events are making clear to ever-widening circles of readers the need for something more than a superficial knowledge of non-European cultures. In particular, the blossoming into independence of numerous African states, many of which are largely Muslim or have a Muslim head of state, has made clear the growing political importance of the Islamic world, and, as a result, the desirability of extending and deepening the understanding and appreciation of this great segment of mankind.

Islamic philosophy and theology are looked at together in a chronological framework in this volume. From a modern standpoint, this juxtaposition of the two disciplines is important for the understanding of both; but it should be realized at the outset that it is a reversal of the traditional Islamic procedure. Not merely were the disciplines different, but in the earlier centuries the exponents were two different sets of persons, trained in two different educational traditions, each with its own separate institutions. There was little personal contact between philosophers and theologians, and the influence of the two disciplines on one another was largely by way of polemics. Eventually while philosophy died out as a separate discipline in the Islamic world, many parts of it were incorporated in theology.

This work is designed to give the educated reader something more than can be found in the usual popular books. The work undertakes to survey a special part of the field, and to show the present stage of scholarship. Where there is a clear picture this will be given; but where there are gaps, obscurities and differences of opinion, these will also be indicated. This work is brilliant in its design, style, and intimate understanding. It is a must read for specialists and policy makers alike.

part One|36 pages

The Umayyad Period

chapter 1|9 pages

The Beginnings of Sectarianism

chapter 2|10 pages

The Khīrijites

chapter 3|7 pages

The Shi‘ites

chapter 4|14 pages

The Murji’ites And Other Moderates

part Two|54 pages

The First Wave of Hellenism 750-950

chapter 6|8 pages

The Expansion of Shī‘ism

chapter 7|14 pages

The Mu‘tazilites

chapter 8|10 pages

The Consolidation of Sunnism

chapter 9|9 pages

Al-Ash‘ari

part Three|56 pages

The Second Wave of Hellenism 950-1258

chapter 10|6 pages

The Flowering of Philosophy

chapter 11|7 pages

The Vicissitudes of Shī‘ism

chapter 12|8 pages

The Progress of Sunnite Theology

chapter 13|11 pages

Al-GhazāLi

chapter 14|7 pages

Sunnite Theology From 1100 to 1250

chapter 15|15 pages

Theology and Philosophy in the Islamic West

part Four|26 pages

The Period of Darkness 1250-1900

chapter 16|10 pages

The Sclerosis of Philosophical Theology

chapter 17|8 pages

The Vitality of the Ḥanbalites

chapter 18|6 pages

The Transformation Of Shī‘ism

part Five|8 pages

The New Dawn

chapter 19|8 pages

The Prospect for Theology