Winter, Tim, (ed.

) The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology

(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008) paperback; 339 pages; RRP A$50;
ISBN 987 0 521 78549 5
This is a somewhat disappointing book especially coming from such an esteemed press. At
first impression it appears to be a collection of 15 chapters on various aspects of Islamic
theology from mostly well-known scholars, but then the reader is assailed by inadequacies at
several levels which detract from the coherence and usefulness of the work.
Firstly, some good articles are almost lost in a shambles of either bad editing or misguided
publishing, as several chapters are mis-titled. Chapter Two on The Early Creed does not
mention either the shahada or basic Islamic beliefs but instead is actually a good introduction
to the main theological movements in Islam. The creedal aspect of Islam is in reality covered
in chapter one, which itself is incorrectly titled just Quran and Hadith. Further, the chapter
titles on the back cover do not match the contents page, where Theology and mysticism
morphs into Theology and Sufism.
Secondly, the contributions vary greatly in quality, with some providing well-contextualised
explanations of various pre-modern Islamic theological developments, while others are barebones a-historic descriptions that fail to relate to the Classical of the books title. For
example, chapter one on Quran and Hadith is an adequate summary of the main points from
an esteemed scholar, but is dry and lacking in engagement. In contrast, the excellent
contribution by Ahmed El Shamsy on The social construction of orthodoxy is an appealing
concise narrative of the development of correct Islam which guides the reader through the
main historical events and persons and provides a real feel for the topic. The only flaw in this
chapter is the inappropriate title which imports a Christian framework not fully applicable to
Islam.
Sadly, this is not the only inappropriate colonization of Islam with Western constructs. There
are annoying and supercilious Latinisms throughout the book which at best confuse and at
worst seriously mislead the unsuspecting reader. Using visio beata in relation to a Sufi mystic
imposes a European framework on a quite different experience, and adding termini technici
fails to further the argument in any meaningful way. Attributing sancta simplicitas to the early
Muslims is inaccurate, highly anachronistic, and even smacks of paternalism. Especially
obtuse is the comment that Mohammeds entry to Mecca was a civilisational event charged
with numinosity, a statement that incorrectly mixes Jungian understandings of psychic
energy with an undefined civilisational event of Huntingtonian overtones. Further, one
wonders whether Cambridge mandates needless Latin when vulgum pecus is used of the
common Muslim; this is after all a book on Islamic Theology not medieval Europe. More
thorough editing would have made this work a far better handbook.
The book is divided into five historical perspectives, some of which minimally engage with
history, and ten Themes, most of which adequately cover their topics, and some are even
quite good. However, some of the chapters appear to be conference papers that needed editing
to bring them into line with the other pieces both in style and content.
For example, the chapter on Sufism begins well by clearly explaining major Sufi theological
positions and developments in a concise accessible style, but then shifts into a less accessible
discussion of Asharism and moves to a conclusion which two-thirds consists of an analysis
of Ibn Arabis thought. This makes the chapter appear more like a badly blended mix of two

separate papers, one on Sufi theology (and these parts are quite helpful), and a second on Ibn
Arabi and Asharisms integral theology. The main characters of Sufism are properly
discussed, but the assertion that Mysticism, theology, jurisprudence and exegesis clearly
formed (sic) a seamless unity in the apostolic period of Islam is a wild overstatement that
ignores the evidence of Rabia among others.
El-Bizris chapter on the Muslim debates over the essence and attributes of God is a good
analysis of the main arguments and their development through time. The chapter would have
benefited by some minimal explanation of the Greek and Christian background to this debate,
and the authors use of uncanny and uneasy appears non-academic.
Revelation is a key topic in Islam, and Michot deals with the philosophical conundrums of
how God reveals truth admirably in this chapter. This contribution however reads more like a
sermon than an academic discussion of various Islamic viewpoints, and it is quite
disappointing when some pages have more Latin than Arabic. Indeed, the use of a fortiori, via
media or per se nine times on eight pages seems excessive. Worse, via media is an inaccurate
description for the position and intention of Muslim theologians thus described.
Chitticks portion on Worship is possibly the best chapter, with its well-grounded discussion
of the complex and varied language of Islamic worship. The author presents a nuanced
explanation of tawhd, haqq and Ibada within the historic context of early Islam, and
describes their meanings in the Quran and Muslim scholarship. He shows clearly the textures
within Islamic thinking through appropriate quotes from Ghazali, Muhasibi, al-Basri and
others.
Overall it is hard to be very enthusiastic about this handbook. It appears to be a rushed and
unfinished product with far too much Latin and too many Western worldview intrusions.
There are probably better chapters on all the selected topics in other books, however this is
still a useful compilation if one can avoid the many linguistic and editorial pitfalls.
John DAlton,
School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University.