The History of Islamic Theology from Muhammad to the Present (Princeton Series on the Middle East) [Paperback]

Tilman Nagel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1558762035 | ISBN-13: 978-1558762039 | Publication Date: October 1999 | Edition: 1ST

The book presents Muslim beliefs about God's relationship to humans by drawing on relevant Islamic sources from Muhammad to modern times. In connection with the social and political history of Islam, the reader is introduced to the central ideas and concepts of Islamic theologians. Nagel observes how, in the course of time, the universal messages in the Koran have become clearer through a dual process of analysis and application to a range of human experience. The outcome of this conflict-ridden process is the conviction that God endowed Abraham, the first prophet, with all knowledge man can achieve, and that complete comprehension of this store of knowledge is the deepest, but ultimately unattainable purpose of Islam and the culmination of the history of mankind. Included are chapters on the Koran, the foundations of Islamic theology, faith and Islam, the two types of Islam, theological literature, early Rationalism, Rationalism and tradition, theology and philosophy, Islam and Gnosis, Islamic orthodoxy, and Islam as ideology.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this accessible study, Nagel (Timor the Conqueror) offers a comprehensive study of Islam. Using the Koran and other primary sources, the author delves deeply into Islamic history as he traces the development of Islamic doctrine. In an opening chapter, Nagel explores the centrality of the Koran in Islamic theology. He examines the Koran's canonization process and probes central themes of the Koran's message: "divine power," "the human creature" and "attaining salvation." In subsequent chapters, he explores the relationships between such Islamic sects as the Sunni and the Shiite, and the two types of Islamic theological literature: the hadith, an oral report or a story, and the kalam, a genre that "develops theological and metaphysical statements." He also examines Islamic monotheism; the development of Islamic philosophy in the Middle Ages and its relation to theology; and the relationship between Islam and Gnosticism. Although the focus of the book is on the early development of Islam in the ninth through 12th centuries, Nagel demonstrates the ways in which Muslims have carried these beliefs into the modern world. A helpful chronology and a list of suggested readings complete the book. Though the price will be prohibitive for many readers, the book's wealth of information can be mined repeatedly for gems of knowledge about Islam.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Nagel (Univ. of Gottingen), a recognized expert on Islamic theology and history, presents a scholarly, well-researched work on the most important elements in Islamic theology and history, containing a descriptive chronology from Islam's beginnings in the seventh century to the modern era. Nagel makes the controversial assertion that "Jews and Christians deviated from true monotheism; the Jews claimed Ezra, and the Christians Jesus to be the son of God, thus lapsing into polytheism." Recommendations for further reading and sources cited are published in several languages, and Arabic terms are well defined. However, some indexes are purely alphabetical lists?one wonders why they are included. A companion to the classic reprint of Ignaz Goldziher's Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law (1981); recommended for libraries specializing in Islamic studies.?Michael W. Ellis, Ellenville P.L., NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Markus Wiener Pub; 1ST edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558762035
• ISBN-13: 978-1558762039
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #854,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What do Muslims believe?, June 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The History of Islamic Theology from Muhammad to the Present (Princeton Series on the Middle East) (Paperback)

Nagel, professor of Islamic theology at Göttingen, writes from outside Islam and in the rationalist-historical tradition to explicate what Muslims have believed, using a style often found in western theological studies of Christianity that are based in history rather than faith. He has intentionally refrained "from rashly pointing out parallels or similarities between Islam and Christianity, because this tends to be misleading.... It is more important and helpful to recognize-and accept-the different nature of the other faith." He methodically examines the nature and meaning of the Qur'an; the nature of faith; concepts of salvation; the literary traditions of hadith and kalam; the role of rationalism in the major schools of Islamic thought; revelation, philosophy, gnosis, orthodoxy and, as he moves from the classical to the modern era, ideology. The book concludes with a relatively brief annotated list of further readings. Useful for the serious non-specialist reader.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly translated from the original German into English, April 8, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The History of Islamic Theology from Muhammad to the Present (Princeton Series on the Middle East) (Paperback)

The History Of Islamic Theology: From Muhammad To The Present is a thoughtful, informative, careflly presented and scholarly tracing of the evolution of Islamic doctrine from its origins down to the present day. Written by Islamic theology and history expert Tilman Nagel (University of Gottingen, Germany), The History Of Islamic Theology has been superbly translated from the original German into English by Thomas Thornton. While the primary focus is on the early development of Islam in the ninth through twelfth centuries, Nagel also reveals the many ways in which Muslims from around the world have carried the precepts and doctrines of Islam into contemporary times. A strongly recommended addition to Islamic Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections, The History Of Islamic Theology is also available in a hard cover edition (1558762027,).