Theology of Abu l-Qasim al-Balkhi/al-Ka?bi (d. 319/931)

This is the first comprehensive monograph on the theology of Abu l-Qasim al-Ka?bi al-Balkhi (d. 319/931), a leading Mu?tazili who flourished at the end of the Baghdadi school and at the beginning of the scholastic phase of Mu?tazili history. The study of al-Ka?bi's theology has been hindered by historiographical barriers: the fragmentary nature of extant articles, and the difficulties of reconstructing their contexts. This work investigates the twofold challenge of recovering al-Ka?bi's theology on the basis of a source-critical reconstruction of major extant fragments. One result of this study positions al-Ka?bi's theology as influenced less by the precepts of a Baghdadi school, and guided more by his individual views and affinity for earlier independent Mu?tazili positions. Another result not only corroborates al-Ka?bi's previously noted contributions in epistemology and cosmology, but also argues for their centrality to his theology as a whole.