Islamic Theological Themes: A Primary Source Reader by John Renard – First Edition
Islamic Theological Themes is a wide-ranging anthology that brings together foundational Islamic sacred texts in translation, spanning diverse historical periods and geographic regions. This carefully curated collection features both well-known writings and rare selections, including several translated here for the first time. Each text is thoughtfully introduced and situated, offering readers meaningful entry points into the broader world of Islamic faith, practice, and culture.

Covering the spectrum from early scriptural materials to practical writings on governance, ethics, and daily life, John Renard expands conventional notions of “Islamic theology” and highlights its place within the developing field of relational and comparative theology. Organized into five sections, this volume provides students and scholars alike with an indispensable resource for exploring the richness, diversity, and depth of Islamic theological thought.

"Using representative primary sources from the seventh century to the present, many of them freshly translated into English. John Renard's book offers an accessible introduction to all the major trends of Islamic theology. Without privileging any one approach, Sunni or Shi'i, Hanbalī or Mu'tazilī, Philosophical or Sufi, it attempts to do justice to them all. Comprehensive in scope, the book is indispensable for serious students of Islam as well as anyone interested in comparisons between monotheistic religions."
ALEXANDER TREIGER, Dalhousie University
"Another superb anthology of Islamic texts meticulously edited by John Renard. This comprehensive and highly accessible reader-the first in English-is destined to have a long shelf life as the main sourcebook for all scholars, students, and general readers interested in Islamic theology."
AHMET T. KARAMUSTAFA, University of Maryland
"John Renard has put together a highly absorbing and very useful volume. Never before have this many voices of theology and philosophy in Islam been collected in an English book, showcasing the variety and the strength of Muslim intellectual traditions."
FRANK GRIFFEL, Yale University

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2014
• Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520281896
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520281899
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.46 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
• Condition: Used Very Good

Islamic Theology,

About the Author

JOHN RENARD is Professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. His many books include Seven Doors to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims, Windows on the House of Islam: Muslim Sources on Spirituality and Religious Life, Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood, and Tales of God's Friends: Islamic Hagiography in Translation, all from UC Press.

from the back flap blurb.