ISLAMIC THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE

Reading Assignments

    I. Early Islamic Sects
      Williams, John Alden, Islam.
      1. Chapter VI, ``The Dissidents of the Community,'' pp. 197-225
    II. The First Muslim Creeds
      Wensinck. A.J., The Muslim Creed.
      2. Pp. 103-104, 125-131
      3. Pp. 188-197
    III. The Origins of Islamic Theology
      Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah.
      4. Vol. III, pp. 34-68
    IV. The Mu`tazilites
      Miller, William McElwee, Al-Babu 'l-Hadi `Ashar.
      5. Pp. 1-14
      6. Pp. 15-29
      7. Pp. 30-39
      8. Pp. 40-61
      9. Pp. 62-91
    V. The Traditionalists
      Makdisi, George, Ibn Qudama's Censure of Speculative Theology.
      10. Pp. 1-44
    VI. The Ash`arites
      McCarthy, R.J., The Theology of al-Ash`ari.
      11. Pp. 5-32 (First paper, on al-Hilli, due)
      12. Pp. 33-52
      13. Pp. 53-75
      14. Pp. 76-96
      15. Discussion of papers on al-Hilli (Second paper, on Ibn Qudamah, due)
      16. Pp. 97-116
    VII. The Philosphers

      17. Gibb, E.J.W., A History of Ottoman Poetry, Vol. I, pp. 39-53 and
      Walzer, Richard, "Islamic Philosophy" in Greek into Arabic, pp. 1-28
      18. Discussion of papers on Ibn Qudamah (Third paper, on al-Ash`ari, due)
    VIII. The "Modern" Theologians
      Elder, E.E., A Commentary of the Creed of Islam.
      19. Pp. 3-27
      20. Pp. 28-57
      21. Discussion of papers on al-Ash`ari
      22. Pp. 58-87
      23. Pp. 88-115
      24. Pp. 116-140
      25. Pp. 141-170
    IX. The Mystics
      Watt, M. Montgomery, The Faith and Practice of al-Ghazali.
      26. Pp. 19-54
      27. Pp. 54-85
      The fourth and final paper is due on the day of the final exam.