Article
Why kalam was controversial
Rational theology was defended as necessary and attacked as a foreign import. Both sides had a case, and the argument shaped Sunni creed for centuries.
The case for
If opponents argue philosophically, someone must be able to answer philosophically. That was al-Ash'ari's position, and it is not a weak one.
The case against
The objection was never that reasoning is bad. It was that importing a foreign method imports its assumptions with it.
Editorial Team
Written and reviewed by the Mimangsha editorial team.