Islamic Political Theology

(Hardback)

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Can we affirm that a political theology exists in Islam This apparently simple question is the core of Massimo Capanini and Marco Di Donato's edited collection of essays. Considering the wide range of meanings of political theology this book contains essays written by different authors having their own, specific, and specialized, point of view on the topics, from Shia and Sunni political thought, to Islamic classic philosophy, and philosophers until arriving at contemporary Muslim thinkers.

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Islamic thought has long debated questions of justice, governance, virtue, power, and sovereignty, both human and divine. Despite this rich legacy, the burgeoning field of political theology has yet to engage in sufficient depth with Muslim thinkers or Islamic categories. This edited volume offers a much needed intervention, showing both how Muslim thinkers from the classical periods to the modern day offer vital insights for the study of political theology and also how the methods of political theology aid our understanding of Islamic political thought.

The relationship between Islam and politics and the complexity of approaches by Muslim thinkers throughout the centuries are the subject of this collections of essays. The editors and the authors of the chapters as a whole succeed in demonstrating the substantial character of a praxis-oriented thought in Muslim/Islamic tradition and, participating in a ongoing debate, demonstrate how political theology is not simply a matter of theory, but a prism through which to interpret Islamic society and history.

Author Bio

Massimo Campanini was professor of Islamic History at Trento University.

Marco Di Donato is postdoctoral researcher in political thinking and political communication at the University of Genova.