Psicologia islamica: definizione, dibattiti ed emergenza di un nuovo campo

Abstract

“Islamic Psychology” is a term which appeared in the academic space in the 1970s. Since then, it has become a trending topic in Islamic Studies, producing several academic journals, handbooks, associations and educational institutions. The English-speaking movement was headed by dr. Malik Badri until his death in 2021; in the present article, however, we refer to other contributors to the field outside the English-speaking areas as well. We will focus on two areas of debate in the field, attempting to systematise them: the top-down vs. bottom-up approach debate (and its relationship with decolonisation) and the attempt to define the field as "islamic psychology" or "islam and psychology" (mentioning the minority position of "Muslim Mental Health). The present article will present the first Italian language contribution to the field of Islamic Psychology. Finally, we refer to the latest initiatives in the field (clinical, educational and grassroots), focusing on the Italian context.