Book Chat: The Compendium of Seminary Texts

This book chat explores the vision, development, and pedagogical value of The Compendium of Seminary Texts, a project emerging from the American Society of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, funded by the Templeton Foundation. The chat covers the motivation behind creating a collaborative, open-access resource for advanced students, scholars, and the wider community interested in the Islamic rational sciences (theology, logic, rhetoric, etc.). The discussion details their efforts in building comparative glossaries to aid translation, the challenge of faithfully rendering Arabic technical terms into idiomatic English, and the development of a high school and seminary curriculum that bridges Islamic tradition with contemporary subjects.

The panellists emphasise that the compendium aims to make classical Islamic texts—especially those essential for the instrumental sciences—accessible to English speakers, filling a longstanding gap in Islamic education in the West. The process of translating and typesetting took approximately two years, requiring substantial community involvement and scholarly review. The conversation further explores the goal of building critical thinkers equipped with both faith-based and modern analytic skills, advocating for integration rather than separation of religious and academic disciplines. They highlight the broader mission to provide open-source educational resources, hoping this will nurture well-rounded, deeply grounded Muslim scholars, educators, and professionals.

Main Lessons

The compendium is a significant step towards making classical Islamic knowledge accessible and relevant for English-speaking learners at all levels.
The project navigates the complexity of translation, community engagement, and the need for qualified teachers to unlock these resources in seminary contexts.
Its broader mission is to nurture holistic, critically-minded Muslims capable of integrating their faith tradition across diverse modern disciplines and societal roles.