ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 examined the role of the caliph and the learned classes in defining what Islam was to stand for, both theologically and politically. That discussion focused on the role of authority; both within and behind the debates which went on in the early centuries, however, lie the actual doctrines which were to emerge as the central elements of Islamic self-definition in theological terms. Certainly, no other element in the understanding of the formation of Islam has consumed such a great deal of intellectual effort among modern scholars as has the development of theology. Ironically, the resulting picture is one of considerable confusion, perhaps a consequence, once again, of the abundance of late source material, the variety of ways of interpreting the data provided, and the absence of a substantial quantity of texts traceable to the early period itself. Some relatively early works do exist, but the picture they combine to create remains disjointed.
