Engaging contemporary atheism through the conceptual tools of Ashʿarī theology

Khalayleh, Moamer 2023. Engaging contemporary atheism through the conceptual tools of Ashʿarī theology. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

	PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 31 October 2024 due to copyright restrictions. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (3MB)
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (156kB)

Abstract

This thesis explores the capacity of the Ashʿarī school of theology to respond to the critiques of contemporary atheism. The findings of the research suggest that within the Ashʿarī school there is a broadly accepted epistemology and ontology. The same may be said for the methods used to rationally justify God’s existence. This system demonstrates the capability to grapple with modern and post-modern philosophies, which form the intellectual foundations of contemporary atheism. This thesis argues that atheism, from an Ashʿarī perspective, refers to a lack of certainty in the veracity of the proposition: God, the necessarily existent creator, exists. ‘Contemporary atheism’ is a term used to refer to schools in modern and post-modern philosophy whose epistemological and ontological ideas result in a lack of certainty in God’s necessary existence. Modern Ashʿarī scholars have engaged with the ideas of contemporary atheism, demonstrating the efficacy of Ashʿarī thought in responding to critiques levelled against theism. The thesis is comprised of four parts. The first is an elucidation of the development of the Ashʿarī school, its epistemology and ontology, and its arguments for God’s necessary existence and divine attributes. The second part is an exploration of the ideas that are foundational to contemporary atheism. The third part juxtaposes Ashʿarī thought with contemporary atheist ideas and surveys how Ashʿarī scholars have engaged with these. The fourth part breaks new ground by developing a framework for an Ashʿarī philosophy of science. This is then applied to a current scientific idea, the proposed existence of the multiverse, to demonstrate how Ashʿarī thought may be used to respond to the claim that a multiverse negates the necessity for God’s existence. The thesis showcases the vibrancy of the Ashʿarī school as a living tradition of Islamic theology and demonstrates its capacity to continually engage with novel ideas.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 October 2023
Date of Acceptance:	30 October 2023
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2023 14:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/163585

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item