Shi'i Doctrine, Mu'tazili Theology

Hussein Ali Abdulsater is Associate Professor of Arabic Culture and Islamic Studies in the Department of Classics at the University of Notre Dame. His research is concerned with uncovering the historical roots and social contexts of major theological themes in Islam. It also traces the ethical and philosophical aspects of Islamic religious thought as expressed in humanistic disciplines such as historiography and literature.His publications include:· “A Jāḥiẓian Contribution to Reason in Islam? Revisiting al-Muḥāsibī’s Māʾiyyat al-ʿaql,” Journal of the American Oriental Society, 142:1 (2022), 1-32.· Shiʿi Doctrine, Muʿtazili Theology: al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā and Imami Discourse (Edinburgh University Press, 2017).· “Reason, Grace and the Freedom of Conscience: The Period of Investigation in Classical Islamic Theology,” Studia Islamica, 110:2 (2015), 233-262.

• DedicationAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. Life and Works2. God and the World3. Moral Theory and Divine Justice4. Humans and the Origins of Religious Experience5. The Imama and the Need for Moral Leadership6. Prophethood and the Value of Divine GuidanceConclusionBibliographyIndex

The author successfully provides a well-organized map of al-Murtaḍā’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.