ABSTRACT

Islam as a religion and a way of life guides millions of people around the world and has a significant impact on worldly affairs. To many Muslims, however, a philosophical understanding or assessment of Islamic belief is seen as a feeble and religiously inappropriate attempt to understand matters that are beyond rational comprehension. Islam: A Contemporary Philosophical Investigation explores this issue in detail, by guiding readers through a careful study of the relationship between faith and reason in Islam. In particular, it pays close attention to religious objections to philosophizing about Islam, arguments for and against Islamic belief, and the rationality of Islamic belief in light of contemporary philosophical issues, such as problems of religious diversity, evil and religious doubt.

This text is ideal for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students seeking an objective, philosophical introduction to Islam, a subject of increasing interest in classrooms around the world.

chapter 1|13 pages

Can Islam be investigated philosophically?

chapter 2|21 pages

Classical traditionalist fideism in Islam

chapter 3|41 pages

Classical scholastic fideism in Islam

chapter 4|24 pages

Contemporary fideism in Islam

chapter 5|12 pages

Rationalist arguments for Islamic belief