God, Nature and the Cause
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Book Overview
In God, Nature & the Cause, Professor Basil Altaie-physicist, philosopher, and scholar of Islamic Kalām-bridges the often-divided worlds of science and religion with clarity and intellectual depth. Drawing on the rich tradition of Islamic Kalām, particularly the rational sub-discipline known as Daqīq al-Kalām, Altaie addresses some of the deepest questions confronting modern science: What are the laws of nature? Can causality be non-deterministic? Is divine action compatible with quantum mechanics?
Altaie argues that Islamic Kalām anticipated core concepts of modern physics-including the indeterminacy of nature, the expanding universe, and the particulate structure of spacetime. His principle of "re-creation," rooted in classical Ashʿarī thought, offers a coherent framework for understanding quantum measurement and the limits of physical causality.
The book also critiques the enduring influence of Greek, particularly Aristotelian, determinism in Western science, offering an alternative rooted in contingency, metaphysical freedom, and theological rationality. In doing so, it reclaims a place for Islamic thought in today's scientific and philosophical discourse. This second edition features revised chapters, improved thematic flow, and two new appendices, including an academic critique and Altaie's extended response on his Quantum Divine Action model. It also expands the discussion on how Islamic theology can contribute to broader conversations about science, metaphysics, and society.
At once challenging and illuminating, God, Nature & the Cause is essential reading for scholars, students, and seekers interested in the harmony of faith and reason. It is a timely invitation to rethink long-held assumptions-and to rediscover the intellectual legacy of Islamic Kalām in a modern scientific context.
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