Traditional Theology and Modern Atheism -- 140 Live Classes (8 Monthly Installments)
Taught by Hamza Karamali
Islam is an evidence-based religion that embraces rational inquiry. Nothing is greater testament to this intellectual strength and openness that the science of traditional Islamic theology (`ilm al-kalam), which flourished through its intellectual exchanges, first with the Mu`tazilites, then with ancient Hellenistic philosophy.
This course is an English-language exposition of a traditional commentary and marginal gloss on arguably the most widely memorized poem in traditional Islamic theology, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Laqani’s (d. 1631) famous Jawharat al-Tawhid, authored in Egypt, and studied in traditional seminaries from Morocco in the West to Indonesia in the East. But unlike other traditional expositions, this course will integrate your study of traditional theology with a critical study of modern atheism.
You will study the commentary of the author’s son, `Abd al-Salam al-Laqani (d. 1078/1667), called Ithaf al-Murid, along with important digressions in the important marginal gloss of the Azhari theologian Ibn al-Amir. You will use the methods of traditional theology to engage in a critical reading of Richard Dawkins’ latest introduction to atheism Outgrowing God, and also begin exploring a variety of modern scientific and philosophical questions that intersect with traditional Islamic theology.
Online students are encouraged to attend live, but they may also take the class by listening to class recordings and asking their questions by email and voice communication.
140 live classes
Start Date: 20 September 2020
End Date: 30 April 2021
Daily Live Classes on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
9:00 am Istanbul time (Convert to your timezone) to 9:40 am
What Will I Learn?
The topics that you will cover will include: the traditional Islamic theory of knowledge, how that differs from modern theories of knowledge, religious epistemology (with a special focus on Christianity), arguments for the existence of God, atheist arguments against the existence of God, an introduction to Hellenistic philosophy and how it integrated with traditional Islamic theology, a brief history of the development of modern science, how to integrate modern science with traditional theology, arguments for God’s other attributes, modern anthropomorphism among Muslims and how to respond to it, the argument by design, human freewill and divine predestination, the nature of morality, miracles, laws of nature, prophets and messengers, how to interpret verses that seem to conflict with prophetic infallibility, the Companions, the differences between Sunnism and Shiism, and a detailed study of the afterlife.
All topics will be presented in an accurate, yet easy-to-understand way. You are not required to have a background in theology or philosophy. (Watch Yamen’s tesimonial)
What Kind of Student is This For?
This course is designed for an adult audience, but enthusiastic teenagers are welcome to join and will also benefit from the course. Several teenagers have already registered for this course and will participating live from Istanbul. If you have time (about 4-5 hours a week), and are enthusiastic about learning the traditional Islamic sciences, you will benefit from this course, whether you are a teenager, a working professional, a community activist, or a parent.
This course is designed for students who are able to decipher simple Arabic texts with the aid of a dictionary, but students with little or no Arabic will benefit from the English explanations and are welcome to join. (Watch Amina’s testimonial)
What Are the Class Dates and Times?
Classes run daily from Saturday to Wednesday at 9:00 am Istanbul time (Convert to your time zone). Each class is 40 mins long. Thursdays and Fridays are off. The full schedule is described below.
Fall Semester: September 15 to December 23 (70 days of instruction)
Winter Break: December 24 to January 9
Winter Semester: January 9 to April 11 (64 days of instruction)
Ramadan (Reduced Schedule): April 12 to April 30 (6 days of instruction)
Where Can I Get the Class Texts?
The commentary and gloss on Jawharat al-Tawhid will be provided to students in pdf format
Richard Dawkins’ Outgrowing God can be ordered online through sellers such as Amazon.