Akademik Kelâm Yazıları -II- (Ahlak, Bilgi, İman, Nedensellik, Kötülük, İnsan Fiilleri, Meâd, Yöntem)
Authors: Kazanç Fethi Kerim , Çamlıca Aydın , Er Enes , Kol Hanife , Baykan Deniz , Hocaoğlu Yusuf , Eroğlu Sönmez 
Published: February 2025

Academic Writings on Kalam -II- (Etics, Knowledge, Faith, Causality, Evil, Acts of Human, Eschatology, Method)rnThis editorial work, titled “Academic Writings on Kalām -II-”, compiles scholarly articles addressing significant issues within the scope of Islamic theology (Kalām). The study explores fundamental topics of theological thought, such as ethics, knowledge, faith, causality, evil, human actions, the unseen (ghayb), and methodology, referencing the classical understanding of Kalām through various theological schools or individual perspectives.rnThe book begins with a chapter titled “An Examination of the Possibility of a Virtuous Life in Mu‘tazilī Moral Theology”, where the rational approach of the Mu‘tazilah towards ethics and human responsibility is analyzed. This chapter not only elucidates the theological foundations of morality in the Mu‘tazilī system of thought but also emphasizes the role of this theological, moral framework in constructing a virtuous society. The chapter “The Relationship Between Faith and Knowledge in Kalām” discusses the importance of a knowledge-based understanding of faith in alleviating intellectual doubts arising from secularization and anti-religious movements. Unlike Western thought, it is highlighted that the definitions of faith by Islamic theologians are shaped by the knowledge-based approach proposed by the Qur’an. In this context, the relationship between faith and rational evidence, as well as the validity of imitative faith (taqlīd), are discussed through the differing perspectives of theologians. The chapter titled “The Anatomy of Causality in al-Ghazālī: An Analysis from the Perspectives of Kalām, Philosophy, Logic, and Sufism” explores al-Ghazālī’s critique of the classical understanding of causality and examines a conception of causality based on the absolute will of God. Al-Ghazālī rejected the necessary cause-effect relationship posited by philosophers, linking it instead to divine will and the concept of continuous creation. This approach was systematically theorized within the Ash‘arī school of Kalām through the idea of “habit” (ʿādah). In the chapter “A Theological Examination of Moral Evils in the Context of the Story of Prophet Joseph”, the relationship between moral evils, the conception of God, and human free will is analyzed, emphasizing the necessity of developing a virtuous stance against evil under the guidance of Qur’anic narratives. The chapter “The Issue of Guidance and Misguidance in the Context of Historical Background and Human Actions” discusses the topics of guidance (hidāyah) and misguidance (ḍalālah) about human actions and free will, analyzing the differing approaches of the Mu‘tazilī, Ash‘arī, and Māturīdī schools within a historical perspective. The chapter “Angels as Unseen Beings in Contemporary Theology” examines the belief in angels from the standpoint of modern theology, explaining the concept of the unseen. It addresses the position of belief in angels within Islamic thought while highlighting its connection to the principles of faith. The chapter “Methodological Skepticism in al-Ghazālī’s Thought in the Context of al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl” discusses al-Ghazālī’s methodology of skepticism in the pursuit of specific knowledge, examining his search for truth within the framework of critical thinking and skepticism. The final chapter, “The Approach of the Māturīdī School to Ḥadīth”, emphasizes the Māturīdī school’s unique approach, which is based on a balance between reason (ʿaql) and tradition (naql) and discusses how this approach shapes their perspective on ḥadīth.rnKeywords: Kalām; Knowledge; Faith; Ethics; Causality; Evil; Unseen; Methodology