Blog post: The Sins of the Father: Theodicy, Salvation and the Enslavement of Children in Some Kalām Texts
Official URL
Abstract
This blog post explores the following questions:
In early kalām (Islamic theology), juristic debates on the lawfulness of killing children feature alongside discussions of children’s salvation in the Hereafter. It is easy to see how the two points are related: should one distinguish between unbelieving adult males and their offspring in the conduct of war, and if so, do the latter share the otherworldly fate of the former? In a word, are children punished—in this world and the next—for the sins of their fathers?
In early kalām (Islamic theology), juristic debates on the lawfulness of killing children feature alongside discussions of children’s salvation in the Hereafter. It is easy to see how the two points are related: should one distinguish between unbelieving adult males and their offspring in the conduct of war, and if so, do the latter share the otherworldly fate of the former? In a word, are children punished—in this world and the next—for the sins of their fathers?
Date Issued
2023-07-20
Publication Type
Other
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Access(Rights)
metadata.only