Convergence and Divergence of Ontology of Islamic Philosophy and Christian Phenomenological Theology on the Problem of Knowing God (Case Study: Mulla Sadra and Jean-Luc Marion)

This article deals with a comparative comparison of the knowledge of God and divine revelation in the philosophy of Sadr al-Din Shirazi (Molla Sadra), an Iranian Muslim philosopher, and Jean-Luc Marion, a French philosopher and theologian. The purpose of this article is to understand the degree of convergence (emphasis on direct experience and negation of rational reductionism), divergences (ontological metaphysical approach versus non-metaphysical phenomenological approach), and the possibility of a constructive dialogue between Islamic philosophy and contemporary Christian phenomenological theology in ontological discussions. The research method in this research is comparative-analytical, and based on the original texts of Transcendental Wisdom, Marion's original works, and secondary research, concepts such as "originality of existence", "skeptical unity of existence", "manifestation", "present knowledge" in Mulla Sadra and "givenness" and "saturated phenomenon" and "critique of ontology" in Marion are examined. The findings of the research indicate that Mulla Sadra introduces God as pure being and the origin of the manifestations of the universe, while Marion, with a phenomenological approach, sees God beyond metaphysical categories, manifest in saturated experiences such as revelation. In addition, this study offers important theoretical and practical implications for contemporary philosophy of religion, comparative theology, and interreligious dialogue. The result of the research confirms the assumption that this and similar comparisons not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the knowledge of God and religious experience, but also have the potential to enrich intercultural dialogues between Islamic and Christian traditions and to present a similar system of metaphysics and phenomenology