Freedom Revisited : : A Comparative Theological Approach to the Question of Free Will in Islam / / Nasrin Bani Assadi.

• Superior document: Beiträge Zur Komparativen Theologie Series ; Volume 40
• VerfasserIn: Bani Assadi, Nasrin,
• Place / Publishing House: Paderborn, Germany : : Brill Schöningh,, [2024]; ©2024
• Year of Publication: 2024
• Edition: First edition.
• Language: English
• Series: Beiträge zur komparativen Theologie ; Volume 40.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (238 pages)

Is the Qur'anic notion of faith reconcilable with a modern notion of freedom? The present work is an attempt to examine the possibility of a positive response to this question. Inspired by transcendental philosophy as developed by Kant and Fichte and later elaborated by Hermann Krings, the author provides a reformulation of the notion of faith in the Qur'an as “transcendental affirmation”. It is argued in the book that faith in the Qur'an has to do with belief in transformation through affirmation, and that the lack of faith is associated with submitting oneself to systems of necessity and their immutability. It is obvious that in such a worldview there is hardly any place for freedom and for hope. Through the reformulation of the Islamic notion of faith as transcendental affirmation, the author has provided the possibility of speaking of transcendental freedom within the arena of Islamic Theology.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Table of Contents -- Abbreviations -- Preface -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Part I -- Chapter 2. Foundations of a Transcendental-Philosophical Approach to Islamic Theology -- 2.1 A Brief Overview of Descartes' Rational Theology and a Critical Assessment of his Cogito Argument -- 2.2 The Anthropological Turn of Theology in Kant's Critical Philosophy -- 2.3 Kant and Descartes on the existence of the "I" -- 2.4 Fichte's Transcendental Philosophy -- 2.4.1 Introduction to Fichte's Concept of the Self-Positing "I" -- 2.4.2 The Primacy of Practical Reason in Fichte's Account of Subjectivity -- 2.4.3 The Formal Unconditionality of the "I" in Fichte's Account of Subjectivity -- 2.4.4 A Philosophical Challenge in Fichte's Account of Subjectivity? -- 2.4.5 Fichte's Developmental View of Self-Consciousness in Finite Beings -- 2.5 Hermann Krings' Transcendental Account of Subjectivity -- 2.5.1 Transcendental Reduction as an Alternative Method in Philosophy to Fichte's Transcendental Deduction -- 2.5.2 Retroscendence as the formal Structure of the "I" in Hermann Krings' Account of Subjectivity -- 2.5.3 Analysis of Freedom according to Hermann Krings -- 2.6 The Idea of God as Consummate Freedom -- 2.7 On the Relevance of Pröpper's Theological Anthropology to Islamic Theology -- Part II -- Chapter 3. Faith and Freedom in Islam -- 3.1 On the Notion of Faith in Classical Islamic Theology -- 3.2 On Different Understandings of 'aql and 'ilm in the Qur'an -- 3.3 On the Concept of īmān as Transcendental Affirmation -- 3.4 On the Meaning of Islam in the light of ḥilm-jahl Dichotomy -- 3.5 Final Thoughts on Faith and Freedom in Islam -- Chapter 4. The Sketch of a Qur'anic Anthropology Based on the Possibility of Friendship Between God and the Human Being -- 4.1 Khalīfah: Successor? Vicegerent? Imago Dei?.

4.2 God-Human Relationship in the Context of the Meccan Suras -- 4.3 God-Human Relationship in the Context of the Medinan Suras -- 4.4 Conclusive Remarks on Qur'anic Anthropology -- Chapter 5. Conclusion -- Bibliography.