THY102 – Beginners Theology

Course Description

This course has been designed to give a simple yet comprehensive introduction to contemporary issues in Islamic theology.

The main objective of this course is to help students internalize orthodox and core Islamic beliefs using concepts from contemporary philosophy and science.

NOTE: This is not the full, rigorous version of the Contemporary Islamic Theology course. This is a much simpler and shorter version of the same course and will not go in-depth on the metaphysical and epistemic intricacies involved in the contemporary study of Islamic theology. 

By the end of this course you will learn:

What is knowledge? What is truth? How do I know if my beliefs about reality are true or false?

Why is it critical to understand concepts of knowledge, belief and truth before we learn Islamic theology? What are the differences between classical and contemporary theories of knowledge and truth? What would an ‘Islamic epistemology’ today look like?

We will discuss, in some detail, several proofs from classical Sunni Islamic theology on the existence of God, and how are they are still well-justified using common sense, the natural sciences and different styles of logical reasoning.

We will discuss and compare the preservation, miraculous nature, and content of the Qur’an with the sacred or historical texts of other faiths.

We will look at the miracles, characteristics and life history of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and how it is unreasonable, irrational and historically problematic to believe he was anything other than what he ﷺ said he was.

What is the role of the soul and spiritual experience in knowing Allah? How do these experiences give us knowledge? How can a Muslim attain spiritual intuition using worship and righteousness?

What is the worldview that results from the sacred texts and Sunni theological tradition? How does this worldview compare with others in the contemporary world.

Ideas such as liberalism, secularism, feminism, naturalism, the theory of evolution, the social construction of gender, scientism and other popular ideologies will be briefly explored.

Summary & Fees

Course fees: $99.99/month (CAD)