Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
Description
This course explores the philosophical investigation of religion through the lens of Islamic thought, engaging both medieval and modern Muslim philosophers. It introduces students to the key philosophical issues raised within Islamic traditions, such as the nature of God, revelation, prophecy, reason and faith, free will, ethics, metaphysics, and the afterlife. The course aims to critically examine how major Muslim thinkers - from classical figures such as al-Fārābī, Avicenna, and al-Ghazālī, to modern voices like Muhammad Iqbal and Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd -have philosophised religion and addressed enduring questions in the philosophy of religion.
Through close readings of primary and secondary texts, students will explore how Islamic philosophy interacts with wider traditions, including Hellenic, Christian, and modern secular thought, and how it contributes to global conversations about religion, rationality, and human meaning.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Understand the major themes, problems, and questions in the philosophy of religion as approached by Islamic thinkers across time.
Examine the dynamic relationship between philosophy, theology (kalām), and mysticism (taṣawwuf) in Islamic intellectual history.
Engage analytically with a wide range of philosophical texts and traditions, comparing classical Islamic views with modern philosophical approaches to religion.
Evaluate how medieval and modern Muslim thinkers have responded to, incorporated, or challenged external philosophical systems (e.g., Greek, Christian, Enlightenment, postmodern).
Explore how Islamic thought has conceptualised the divine, knowledge, language, ethics, and human purpose.
Critically reflect on the intersections between rational argument, scriptural interpretation, and spiritual experience in Islamic thought.
Develop sophisticated reading, interpretative, and discussion skills to engage meaningfully with complex philosophical and religious texts.
Articulate the relevance of Islamic philosophical perspectives to contemporary debates in the global philosophy of religion.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Essay, paper
Weighing
Paper I: 3000 words (20%)
Paper II: 4000 words (60%)
Weekly Essays: 1000 words (20%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
The resit consists of one exam for all parts at once (midterm and final, and weekly submissions). The mark for the resit replaces all previously earned marks.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
- Philosphy of Religion in Islam: A Reader of Classical Sources (London: Bloomsbury, 2025).
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga