Structure of Shi ite theology

Shi’ite theology had not been organized in the era of the presence of infallible Imams (peace be upon them). Shi’ite theologians were dealing with particular issues and problems according to the demands of time and due to their special talents in that time. Shi’ite theology became structured in the age of occultation by theologians such as al-shaykh al-Sadugh, al-Shaykh al-Mofid, al-Sayyed al-Murtadha, al-Shaykh al-Tusi and continued later by other theologians and with different methods. Two general structures can be found altogether: The first are texts and theological works that have been specified to the doctrinal problems and the second are texts and theological works that posed philosophical discussions before beginning to deal with the doctrinal problems. Chronologically, the first method precedes the second method, and the second method performed by Ibrahim bin Nowbakht in his book “al-Yaghoot” in brief and by Khajah Nasir ad-Din al-Tusi in his book “Tajrid al-I’tighad” in a more perfect and detailed manner. The second method was the norm method from that age to a while, but again the first method spread in the contemporary age and those theologians who have the philosophical approach, pose the philosophical discussions in separate works and take advantage of them in the study and explanation of theological discussions. Inside each of the two mentioned methods, different methods in organizing the theological discussions has been used which you will find the details of that in the present article.