Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2017

ask. In the case of the eleventh-century Muslim philosopher and theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, his approach to the relationship between faith and reason profoundly shaped Islam and the Arab world, particularly with regard to education. His ‘refutation’ of philosophy is widely regarded as having contributed to the subjugation of philosophy to revelation and faith in traditional Islamic thought. As will be explored in the argument, many consider al-Ghazali to have left a larger imprint on Islamic thought than any other Muslim except the prophet Muhammad. Recent scholarship, however, has challenged simplistic readings of his answer to the question of how to relate philosophy and theology, as well as nuancing the extent of al-Ghazali's originality and influence. Even so, his writings are widely recognised as having been a foundational reference for Islamic thinking about education for nearly seven hundred years. The influence of his legacy, though reduced in the encounter with modernity over the last century, continues to underpin dominant frameworks for education in the Arab world. In order to understand the significance of al-Ghazali for Arab Christian theological education, a better understanding of al-Ghazali's philosophy of education is needed. In this paper I argue that al-Ghazali's concept of the relationship between faith and reason has implications for Christian theological education in Arab contexts. After locating al-Ghazali in his historical-philosophical 1 Conversely, it is also true that concepts and practices of teaching and learning shape philosophy. For my purposes in the present article, however, I will focus on the former orientation. 58 Journal of European Baptist Studies 17:1 (2017) context, I will identify and critically analyse al-Ghazali's concept of the relationship between faith and reason as understood by current scholarship. I will then trace the expression of his concept in elements of his philosophy of education, which, as will be demonstrated in the argument, many consider to be the most influential framework for traditional Islamic education. Finally, I will offer some preliminary ideas about implications of al- Ghazali’s influence for Arab Christian theological education. These implications need further research, as al-Ghazali is not the sole source influencing concepts of education. My aim is simply to draw attention to the need for better understanding of one of the dominant frameworks shaping education in Arab contexts. Al-Ghazali in his Historical-Philosophical Context Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (c. 1058-1111) was bom in Tus, close to the modern city of Meshed in northeast Iran. After completing his early education in the madrasa system, 2 he went on to study fiqh (Islamic jurispmdence), tafsir (Qur'anic interpretation), kalam (scholastic theology), and Aristotelian logic under the Ash‘ari theologian Imam al-Juwaini of the ShafTi madhhab 3