Islamic Approach to Philosophy of Religion Compared with the Western One

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Professor, Philosphy Department, Allameh Tabatabaii University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

If we want to talk about the philosophy of religion with an Islamic approach, we must clarify what are its differences and similarities with the conventional philosophy of religion in the West. For this purpose, in this paper, the meaning of comparative philosophy and its obstacles, possibilities, necessities, and benefits will first be investigated. After that, it will be shown what considerations should be taken into account in order to have a comparative philosophy. Then, we will show how to have a philosophy of religion with an Islamic approach and what differences and similarities this type of philosophy of religion has with the Western philosophy of religion. Following that, some hermeneutic considerations for this philosophical comparison will be mentioned, and afterward, it will be shown how the Christian background of Western philosophy of religion has affected it. Finally, we will review some of the main subjects of the philosophy of religion if it is to be rationally evaluated with the foundations of Islamic thought to show what differences it has with the conventional Western philosophy of religion.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Theological Research
Volume 25, Issue 3
Special Issue on "Comparative Philosophy of Religion"
September 2023
Pages 63-82

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