Thinking About Constructive Muslim Theology

Abstract This essay reflects on the challenges and opportunities of constructing a Muslim theology within academic frameworks. It uses Andrew Louth's essay Theology and Spirituality as a lens to think about the different dimensions of theological inquiry and what that means for the study of Islamic theology in the academy. Louth emphasizes that theology must integrate intellectual inquiry with an embodied relationship to truth. This essay applies this framework to Islamic theology, exploring its treatment in academia through three primary approaches: historical‐philological studies, propositional truth grounded in rational discourse, and authentic responses to revelation. While these methods contribute to understanding theology, they often neglect experiential and spiritual dimensions. Drawing on Louth and insights from Islamic tradition, this essay highlights the construction of Islamic theology by the secular academy in its focus on intellectual history and propositional modes of inquiry, contrasted with the embodied practices essential for a theology rooted in divine intimacy.