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Bringing together Christianity, Islam and Greek thought

Started by MusingMuso, July 04, 2012, 01:04:46 AM

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MusingMuso


A continuation from http://www.organmatters.com/index.php/topic,1427.msg6833.html#msg6833 worthy of a new thread of its own:

MM wrote:
Quoteas early as the 9th century, the Islamic scholar Al Kindi was proposing the theology of Aristotle, in which God was not a "being" but a "creative force." In fact,his religious philosophy was at odds with creationism, and brought him into conflict with Christians as well as Muslims...not that it ever got terribly nasty or violent, even though his library was temporarily confiscated at one point.The real danger is fundamentalist belief of whatever faith: the attempt to order all things within the confines of narrow, unchanging faith. Christians have been just as guilty over the centuries, and quite recently, in Northern Ireland. Fundamentalism is usually connected with the politics of nationalism.

Dear David,

Just as a slight teaser, it's interesting to note that even before the first millenium, Islamic scholars realised that the universe existed, but mainstream Islam insisted that it was created by "a being" in what we would call the creationist process. Where Al Kindl and others diversified, was in their understanding of a universe which had always existed, to all intents and purposes, and placed them at odds with those who saw God as big daddy; both in the Christian and the Islamic faiths.

It's absolutely fascinating to think that astronomy was quite advanced in the Islamic world long before it got going in Europe and the west, and the organ, as a musical instrument, didn't go into Christian places of worship when the Roman Empire collapsed. Instead, it went east, and I believe turned up in the home of the Emperor Suleman (Sp?)  The books and libraries of the Moors in Spain were also far in advance of anything in the Christian part of Spain, and there is no doubt but that the greatest religious philosophy, science and academic pursuits (including medicine and chemistry) were in the east; especially in and around Baghdad and Damascus, long before the Christian world developed fully. I do know that in Granada during the rule of the Moors, there were pavements, street lamps, hospitals and free education for all....utterly remarkable, and the evidence of a great civilisation is still there for us to see to this day.

Prior to Galileo and Copernicus, and I think Ptolomy, the western scholars thought the earth flat and the centre of the universe, while theologians explained the stars as holes through which God observed earth from heaven; situated just above the dome which covered the earth.

How things and fortunes change!

Best,

MM