Devoting especial attention to questions of rationality, scriptural fidelity, and the construction of 'orthodoxy', this volume introduces key Muslim theories of revelation, creation, ethics, scriptural interpretation, law, mysticism, and eschatology. The treatment is firmly set in the historical, social and political context in which Islam's distinctive understanding of God evolved.

Introduction Tim Winter; Part I. Historical Perspectives: 1. The Koran and Hadith M. Abdel Haleem; 2. Early kal¿m Khalid Blankinship; 3. Falsafa Hossein Ziai; 4. The developed kal¿m tradition Oliver Leaman and Sajjad Rizvi; 5. The social construction of orthodoxy Ahmed El Shamsy; Part II. Themes: 6. God: essence and attributes Nader El-Bizri; 7. Creation David Burrell; 8. Ethics Stefan Stelzer; 9. Revelation Yahya Michot; 10. Cosmology and the existence of God Ayman Shihadeh; 11. Worship William C. Chittick; 12. Theology and jurisprudence Umar F. Abd Allah; 13. Theology and mysticism Toby Mayer; 14. Epistemology and divine discourse Paul Hardy; 15. Eschatology Marcia Hermansen.