A metaphysical inquiry into Islamic theism

Abstract

The effervescent and dynamic history of Islamic theology in its formative years bears witness to organic, philosophical, intra-religious, and politically charged developments over the question of God’s nature. Following the sudden and explosive expansion of Islamic civilization in the first 200 years since its advent, Muslims quickly developed a religious and political unity which saw them govern over large sways of disparate religious communities, with Muslims being a technical religious minority political ruling class. This rather distinct socio-political context in which Muslims found themselves gave rise to a whole host of developments in both religious and secular disciplines. To be sure, the religious diversity within the Umayyad and Abbasid empires did not impose or necessarily act as the primary influence upon these developments, but it and the combination of organic dialogue from within, followed by a touch here and there of politico-religious dogmatism (i.e., the mi?na of the Mu’tazila), led to a theological conversation which oversaw the flowering of distinct Islamic theological schools, and the advent of Muslim peripatetic philosophies...