‘Abd al-Jabbar’s Apologetical Arguments Opposing Christian Christology: A Critical Analysis from the Viewpoint of Epistemological Argumentation Theory

Abstract

This paper advocates the use of modern argumentation theories in Islamic theological discourse. While the Islamic tradition has its own argumentation theories, modern terminology and theory can aid in interpretive understanding and critical analysis. The article focuses on ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s (d. 415/1025) Tathbīt, which utilizes the rational methods of kalām and radd to counter Christianity. The author exemplarily analyzes ʿAbd al-Jabbār’s argument against the Christian claim of the divine nature of Jesus and argues for historical theological texts to be examined for their argumentativeness, as well as for the value of analytical and argumentation theories in understanding the history and development of argumentative theology.

Keywords

• ʿabd al-jabbār
• kalām
• radd
• argumentation theory
• christian-muslim relations