Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1997 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

26 PIM VALKENBERG
Aquinas remains bound to its function as exposition of Scripture,
Islamic kaläm is more directly oriented toward its apologetic
function". Consequently, most authors in the kaläm genre use rational
arguments first, followed by traditional arguments from authority.
These quotations from the Qur'ûn or the hadlths have two functions:
they are adduced in direct support of an argument, and they are
quoted to show that the opponents have given a faulty interpretation of
them. "The defensive and apologetic character of kaläm is thus
manifested in its very recourse to the tenets of faith to supply
arguments" 57 •
The same difference that distinguishes kaläm from Christian
systematic theology, brings it near Christian fundamental theology or
apologetics: if Aquinas' Summa contra gentiles is such an apologetic
work (this will be discussed below), it uses Scripture in the same
manner as the kaläm", Some of the characteristics of kaläm point to
its apologetic nature:
- in the first place, kalàm entails the notion of discussion: "kaläm here
means discussion on theological matters. As M. 'Abd al-Razïq has
rightly observed, such discussions were called kaläm before the
science of kaläm became independent and recorded in writing, and
people who engaged in such discussions were also called
mutakallimün "59.
- in the second place, this situation of discussion has its consequence
for the method of kaiäm: it "requires a specific way of treating
56 Ibid., p. 258, 261 and 312.
57 Ibid., p. 1146.
58 See Valkenberg, Did Not Our Heart Burn?, p. 230 on the difference
between the manner in which Aquinas uses Scripture in the Summa contra
gentiles and in his other systematic-theological works. This issue will be
elaborated in a monograph of which this article forms a first part.
59 M. Abdel Haleem, a.c., p.71; cp. Gardet in Er, pp. 1141-1142. In
an article about the opinions of medieval Islamic scholars on Judaism, Camilla
Adang writes that in some big cities scholars of both religions participated in
so-called majälis, 'sessions', in which theological and philosophical issues
were brought up for discussion: C. Adang, "Ismaël over Israël: middeleeuwse
islamitische geleerden over het jodendom", J-M. Cohen & I.E. Zwiep (red.),
Joden in de wereld van de islam, Amsterdam z.j., pp. 17-33, here p. 19.