The Ash’ari school is the dominant and most influential school of theology and philosophical theology in pre-modern Islam, and still exerts considerable influence, mostly implicit, on contemporary Islamic thought. In many respects, however, it remains sorely understudied. Emerging in the 10th century as a school of rational theology (kalam), Ash’arism developed during the 12th century into a school of philosophical theology, which continued to thrive across the Muslim world until the advent of modernity. Focusing on the later phase of the school’s history, this conference will offer an array of perspectives, ranging from investigations of philosophical and theological theories to explorations of regional, institutional and socio-political contexts within which the school developed. The conference will open on 1 September, 5.00 pm, with a keynote lecture by Prof. Ulrich Rudolph.
Philosophical Theology in Islam: The Later Ash’ari Tradition
Venue: SOAS, University of London
Sponsored by Kalam Research and Media and the John Templeton Foundation.
Dates: 1-3 September 2014
Programme: http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/events/
Convenors: Ayman Shihadeh and Jan Thiele
