Overview

God is not free to act; He is bound by human ethics. To be just, He must create an individual of perfect intellect and infallible morality. People are obligated to submit to this person; otherwise eternal damnation awaits them. While these claims may be interpreted as an affront to God's power, an insult to human judgment and a justification for despotism, Shii Muslims in the eleventh century eagerly adopted them in their attempts to forge a 'rational' religious discourse. They utilized everything from literary studies and political theory to natural philosophy and metaphysical speculation in support of this project. This book presents the contribution of al-Sharf al-Murta (d. 1044) of Baghdad, the thinker most responsible for this irreversible change, which remains central to Imami identity. It analyzes his intellectual project and establishes the dynamic context which prompted him to pour the old wine of Shii doctrine into the new wineskin of systematic Mutazili theology.

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9781474404402

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Reviews

The author successfully provides a well-organized map of al-Murtada's theological thought, deploying his vast magna opera, fulfilling a demanding task. In every chapter, Abdulsater follows an elaborate plan to present the content of his analysis. He starts with the theoretical model, and then moves to the concepts at work, then arguments, and at last conclusions. His approach renders the book a smooth read. -- Majid Montazer Mahdi, Reading Religion

"""The author successfully provides a well-organized map of al-Murtada's theological thought, deploying his vast magna opera, fulfilling a demanding task. In every chapter, Abdulsater follows an elaborate plan to present the content of his analysis. He starts with the theoretical model, and then moves to the concepts at work, then arguments, and at last conclusions. His approach renders the book a smooth read."" -- Majid Montazer Mahdi, Reading Religion"

The author successfully provides a well-organized map of al-Murtada's theological thought, deploying his vast magna opera, fulfilling a demanding task. In every chapter, Abdulsater follows an elaborate plan to present the content of his analysis. He starts with the theoretical model, and then moves to the concepts at work, then arguments, and at last conclusions. His approach renders the book a smooth read. -- Majid Montazer Mahdi, Reading Religion

Author Information

Hussein Ali Abdulsater is Assistant Professor of Arabic Culture in the Department of Classics at the University of Notre Dame.

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