Ibn Taymiyya & Natural Theology: A Fitra-Based Approach

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This project centres on the notion of natural theology (NT). At the surface level, NT may be understood as a programme of enquiry into the existence and nature of God without appeal to divine revelation (Brent 2008). Although this rather simple account of NT captures something of its basic character, it also fails to do justice to the fact that many different approaches to NT have been developed throughout the history of philosophy (cf., Sudduth 2009; Kojonen 2017; McGrath 2017). In the contemporary philosophy of religion (PoR), the nature of NT has for the most part been considered with reference to the Christian tradition. In light of the current "Global Philosophy of Religion" project headed by Yujin Nagasawa, and the general desire among many philosophers of religion to venture out into considering ideas embedded within other religious traditions, this project seeks to engage the ideas of the 14th century Islamic theologian, Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 C.E).Ibn Taymiyya stands as an intriguing medieval figure who often ran up against the grain of the major theological (kalam) and philosophical (falsafa) trends within the Islamic tradition, especially concerning epistemology and NT (cf., Hoover 2019). As such, the project seeks to understand the nature of the model of NT that he offered with respect to both his engagement with the thinkers of his day and the various models of NT that have developed up to the contemporary period. In essence, it aims to address the following research questions: (1) what sort of model or approach to doing NT did Ibn Taymiyya develop through his historic engagement with theologians and philosophers? And (2) how might a Taymiyyan approach to NT be developed considering contemporary PoR today?The goal of the project is also broader than the mere consideration of Ibn Taymiyya's historic approach to NT, and the development of a contemporary Taymiyyan model of NT. It also seeks to facilitate the development of Islamic analytic PoR more generally. Indeed, a central goal of the project is to "translate" novel ideas offered by medieval Muslim thinkers such as Ibn Taymiyya, into the conceptual framework of analytic philosophy. It aims to embed those historic ideas within the language of analytic philosophy, and whilst remaining for the most part true to central intuitions behind the relevant ideas, analyse, examine and even bolster the respective arguments in contemporary philosophical language. As such, it aims to act as both a case study in Islamic analytic PoR and a basis for grounding its method. In this sense, the project would have genuine impact in the development of a new and niche discipline within PoR.The methodological approach of the project more generally, aims to utilise both comparative methods: drawing parallels, making connections, and finding areas of overlap. Whilst at the same engaging with the relevant primary and secondary literature as sources for philosophical argument that can be developed, attuned, and drawn upon in the development of a Taymiyyan approach to doing NT.