The Shiite Theology: Historical Eras and Intellectual approaches

Theology, like other sciences and perhaps more, has its particular process of changes and developments. Therefore, it is a historically developed science and we need to study the history of its problems and topics according to what the theologists, in the different eras and stages of history, assert, in order to present a correct picture of its process of changes, although unfortunately theologists have neglected and lacked paying attention to this important point. However, in recent decades, the serious necessity of the problem has caused some to pay more attention to it, and even it has gone on the curriculum of some specialized centres of the course.For this reason, the Shiite theologists have had different approaches, which one of the factors of their choice has been the historical and geographical conditions, although they have benefited the same aim and have had the privilege of a common characteristic of presentation of theological topics. Sometimes there has been an approach in a geographical district and a historical era, that there has not been in other conditions and eras.The present article is going to present a general picture of the historical eras of the Shiite theology, and introduce briefly the general approaches of the Shiite theologists.