Readings in Islamic Theology

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course offers students the opportunity to engage first-hand with foundational texts-primarily in English translation, but also in the Arabic original-that shaped debates, polemics, and doctrine in Islamic theology up until the early modern period. At the center of the course is a wide range of key themes, including faith, free will, God's attributes, the nature of revelation, prophethood, eschatology, salvation, etc., as they are explored in writings produced by diverse theological orientations. To support close engagement with the primary sources, selected secondary literature will be incorporated into our discussions. The course enables students to understand Islamic theological themes within their intellectual contexts, while also making connections to modern theological debates in the Islamic world, which adapt and reinterpret earlier formulations. Knowledge of Arabic is recommended.