Comparative Theology
Year:2011 | Volume:1 | Issue:4|Papers Count:7

Thinking and reflecting on God is one of the most important foundations of human knowledge according to theologians and philosophers. Therefore, proofs for the God’s existence a very important theological and philosophical issue. Each thinker, according to his/her system of thought, has tried to establish a valid proof for the God’s existence of God throughout history. Mulla Sadra, founder of Hekmat Motealiye and Thomas Aquinas, philosopher of the middle ages, are two such important contributors. Though they both consider the God’s existence as given, they still proceeded to establish a proof of the God’s existence. This article, first, explains Mulla Sadra’s and Thomas Aquinas’ viewpoints on the evidence of the existence of God, and then presents a comparative analysis of some of their proofs for such existence. This article contends that Mulla Sadra enriches Thomas’ proof of possibility and necessity by adding emkan faghri to it. Further, it states that Mulla Sadar also completes Thomas’ proof of movement by incorporating essential movement in to it. Finally, this paper shows that Mulla Sadar gives reasons for the necessity of being with the proof of Seddighin.

The expression Insan –e kamil (perfect man) is often said to have first been used by Muhyiddin ibn 'Arabi (1165 -1240AD), though the concept of the term is much older. In his theosophical teaching, the doctrine of insan e- kamil, is held a prominent place. After him two other great Sufis, Aziz Nasafi (1300AD) and 'Abd al- karim ibn Ibrahim al- Jili (1366 – 1424 AD), each wrote a work on this very issue. These works are regarded as explanations of Ibn Arabi’s teachings on human perfection. In Islamic mysticism, Perfect man is the one who within their soul possesses all God's names and attributes. Thus the perfect man’s existence, reality and inner might become a clear mirror and a complete reflection of the Perfection, Beauty and Glory of the Essence of the One, so that he becomes Godlike. However, the idea of human perfectibility goes back to other religions and human schools even before Islam. In Abrahimic religions there are some joint teachings that could be considered as main statements for the doctrine of Perfect Man in Jewish scriptures the notion of human creation in God's image suggests that the human being is able to be God's like and the perfection is available to him. However, Jews do not believe a perfect man. They hold that even Moses is not a perfect man. In Christianity, Although Jesus encourages his followers to be perfect like their heavenly fathers, the doctrine of original sin to be considered as an obstacle for human perfectibility. This essay examines some significant element in human perfectibility from the viewpoints of some scholars of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and presents some similarities and differences of their view points.

This article compares ideas of western philosopher Franz Brentano and eastern philosopher-theologian Imam Fakhr-Alrazi on perception. Both of them present deep concepts in nature of perception. Comparative study of these concepts will help us to better comprehend their ideas.The purpose of this research is to clarify the similarities and differences of their ideas on these questions that how much human’s perception is conformity to reality generally? Is it possible for human to know about external world? Is his knowledge merely subjective? Are objects recognized with their external essence?  How human could acquire in impossible beings? Both of these philosophers, in important issues like knowledge and perception, mental existence, perception of impossible beings, annexation of knowing and known have deep ideas which are discussed comparatively in this article.

After the famous book on political philosophy of Karl Popper and in support of the liberal doctrine titled" Open society and its enemies", the most famous theory of John Rawls, the University of Harvard professor in political philosophy in, which a book titled" A theory of justice "was published in 1971. This book includes several articles that eventually, have formed like a book has increased a wide audience in the university and professional journals, particularly in English –speaking countries. Rawls book, based on ethical approach –the political challenge with common issues, including comments utilitarianism payment. Rawl's theory of john Stuart Mill, David Hume and the ethical discussion sidgwick quit common and was considered beyond established based tradition of ethical contractivism and deontological ethics theory of Kant and Hegel's philosophy of right to and re-design concepts of his theory in the tradition of normative political philosophy west restored."Theory of justice" due to the broad variety of social sciences, audience many attracted. Readers of this theory found a wide variety of disciplines ranging from psychology and economic to ethical issues. Selected topic for which it repeatedly Rawls in his book and his theory  named the Kantian and did not name in Hegel, the Hegelian's philosophy of Right theory of the hidden angles of this article will focus on, as well as his abut influence on some views Interpreters.

The philosophers believe that the origin of the chain of Intellects "The primal Intellect "(Agl-al Awal) is the "First Creature ".In Islamic tradition the First Creature is called by different names such as: Intellect (Agl), The Pen (Qalam), Muhammadan Light, Muhammadan Soul Studies.This article Avicenna and Mulla Sadra's Points of view, and in this line concentrates on the problem that weather the reality of all these different expressions conform and especially, weather the fact inward of the Last prophet (Pbuh) can be the applicability of the First Creature or not.The author to tries the clarify bases of diversity of Avicenna and Mulla Sadra's opinions on this matter and believes that the difference of the views of these two philosophers is based on their different approach to: Accepting or rejecting the Originality of Existence and Gradating of Existence, Pre-existence of soul, and Equality or differentially of the essence of the Last messenger and the essence of other people.

Revelatory experiences which are regarded as a major type of religious experiences comprise what their subjects may call sudden convictions, inspiration, revelation, enlightenment, the mystical vision and flashes of insight. In Davis's point of view, these experiences have distinctive features: (i) They are usually sudden and of short duration; (ii) the alleged new knowledge seems to the subject to have been acquired not through reasoning or sense perception; (iii) the alleged new knowledge usually seems to the subject to have been ‘poured into’ or ‘showered upon’ him her by an external agency; (iv) the revelations carry with them utter conviction; (v) the gained insights are often claimed to be impossible to put into words.This paper is to present how Davis describes religious experiences of this category from a Christian philosophical approach to religion. It also studies her point of views from a critical Islamic mystical vision. Through this critical and comparative study, it would be revealed that what Davis claimed to be known as revelatory religious experiences has close relationship with what is called "Kashfe Ma'lanavi" (spiritual intuition) in Islamic mysticism. These are examined closely in Muslims' mystical sources. Distinction between Prophet's revelation and other instances of revelatory religious experiences and exploring their main differences were of close attention for Muslim mystics (Orafa).

There are always input and output of Thoughts and beliefs among scientists that they include similarities and differences. The argument under consideration on the Islamic theology and in the Christianity is the sight of God that the commentators of the two books Quran and gospel expressed their opinions on it. Mohammad Gazeli’s and Tomas’s viewpoint investigated in this study. It is criticized the similarities and dissimilarities between them.The results of this study strengthen the discussion of the religions in the Epistemology domain. The similarities of Ghazali and Tomas’s viewpoints are: 1. They both believe in narration and wisdom in their discussion.2. Both of them believe in the role of Gnosticism in Epistemology comprehension of religion. The mentioned examples and clarification on each subject in the text are to the readers familiar more fluently with the viewpoints.