ABSTRACT
The primary aim of this chapter is to describe the relationship between the last decade’s discussions and debates about theology and religious studies and the start of courses in academic Islamic theology at European universities. After a brief outline of the most important positions in this debate, I turn to how Muslim theologians sometimes behave when they describe how the study of Islamic theology ‘should’ be performed. A second aim is to discuss, with the help of a survey sample from Sweden, whether and to what extent Muslims who seek a theological education at a European university are interested in courses on academic Islamic theology. A third and final aim is to discuss why European universities are interested in starting courses in a subject that is often promoted under the title of academic Islamic theology.
