Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought
The encounter of the medieval Muslims with Greek philosophy undeniably shaped the course of their philosophical and theological thought. This encounter led to the complex and contentious issue of ‘philosophy versus theology’. Medieval Muslim thinkers needed to develop a response to the issue of phil...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2023-11-01
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| Series: | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9305 |
| _version_ | 1827164335889186816 |
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| author | Ishraq Ali Khawla Almulla |
| author_facet | Ishraq Ali Khawla Almulla |
| author_sort | Ishraq Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The encounter of the medieval Muslims with Greek philosophy undeniably shaped the course of their philosophical and theological thought. This encounter led to the complex and contentious issue of ‘philosophy versus theology’. Medieval Muslim thinkers needed to develop a response to the issue of philosophy versus theology. The present article will first highlight the response of the Islamic theologians to their encounter with Greek philosophy in the form of three major trends in medieval Islamic theology: (1) strong opposition to the application of reason and rationalist approach to Islamic doctrines, and strict adherence to the actual text of the Qur’an and the Hadith, (2) the adoption of Greek philosophy, and the application of reason and rationalist approach to explain and defend Islamic religion and (3) acknowledging the significance of reason in exploring the matters related to the natural world but, at the same time, stressing the subordination of reason to revelation. This article will discuss Atharism, Muʿtazilism and Ashʿarism as the representatives of the first, second and third trends, respectively. The response of the medieval Islamic theologians to the issue of philosophy versus theology serves as a context in which medieval Muslim philosophers carried out their philosophy–theology debate. The article will proceed to show that some medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Abu Bakr Al-Razi, subordinated religion or revelation to philosophy or reason. Other medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Al-Ghazali, subordinated philosophy to theology. The third group of medieval Islamic philosophers represented by Alfarabi argued for the reconciliation and harmonious co-existence of philosophy and religion.
Contribution: This article highlights the response of medieval Islamic theologians and philosophers to the issue of philosophy versus theology that was caused by their encounter with Greek philosophy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:04:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14257d95c1c84bbf828ed1212e43d8a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0259-9422 2072-8050 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-21T01:14:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-14257d95c1c84bbf828ed1212e43d8a22024-08-03T02:58:29ZafrAOSISHTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies0259-94222072-80502023-11-01795e1e810.4102/hts.v79i5.93055812Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thoughtIshraq Ali0Khawla Almulla1Institute for Marxist Religious Studies in New Era, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China; and, School of Philosophy, Zhejiang University, HangzhouDepartment of Islamic Studies, College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, King Faisal University, Al-AhsaThe encounter of the medieval Muslims with Greek philosophy undeniably shaped the course of their philosophical and theological thought. This encounter led to the complex and contentious issue of ‘philosophy versus theology’. Medieval Muslim thinkers needed to develop a response to the issue of philosophy versus theology. The present article will first highlight the response of the Islamic theologians to their encounter with Greek philosophy in the form of three major trends in medieval Islamic theology: (1) strong opposition to the application of reason and rationalist approach to Islamic doctrines, and strict adherence to the actual text of the Qur’an and the Hadith, (2) the adoption of Greek philosophy, and the application of reason and rationalist approach to explain and defend Islamic religion and (3) acknowledging the significance of reason in exploring the matters related to the natural world but, at the same time, stressing the subordination of reason to revelation. This article will discuss Atharism, Muʿtazilism and Ashʿarism as the representatives of the first, second and third trends, respectively. The response of the medieval Islamic theologians to the issue of philosophy versus theology serves as a context in which medieval Muslim philosophers carried out their philosophy–theology debate. The article will proceed to show that some medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Abu Bakr Al-Razi, subordinated religion or revelation to philosophy or reason. Other medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Al-Ghazali, subordinated philosophy to theology. The third group of medieval Islamic philosophers represented by Alfarabi argued for the reconciliation and harmonious co-existence of philosophy and religion. Contribution: This article highlights the response of medieval Islamic theologians and philosophers to the issue of philosophy versus theology that was caused by their encounter with Greek philosophy.https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9305medieval muslim philosophymedieval muslim theologyphilosophy versus theologyatharismmuʿtazilismashʿarismabu bakr al-razial-ghazalialfarabi |
| spellingShingle | Ishraq Ali Khawla Almulla Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies medieval muslim philosophy medieval muslim theology philosophy versus theology atharism muʿtazilism ashʿarism abu bakr al-razi al-ghazali alfarabi |
| title | Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought |
| title_full | Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought |
| title_fullStr | Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought |
| title_full_unstemmed | Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought |
| title_short | Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought |
| title_sort | philosophy versus theology in medieval islamic thought |
| topic | medieval muslim philosophy medieval muslim theology philosophy versus theology atharism muʿtazilism ashʿarism abu bakr al-razi al-ghazali alfarabi |
| url | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9305 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ishraqali philosophyversustheologyinmedievalislamicthought AT khawlaalmulla philosophyversustheologyinmedievalislamicthought |