Iranian Shi’ism under Debate

Abstract

More than two decades after its victory, Iran’s Islamic revolution has resulted in profound theoretical and theological consequences for Shiite political thought. This unfolding discourse especially as represented by the writings of highly celebrated figures such as Abdolkarim Soroush, Hojjatoleslam Hasan Yosufi Eshkevari, Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari, and Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Kadivar revolves around two principal themes: the question of religion and reform, and religion and social and political freedom. These questions, which go the heart of Shiism’s role in the larger polity, are, significantly, being asked by notable members of the clerical establishment and by other renowned thinkers. Equally important is the fluid political context within which these Shiite thinkers are gaining increasing intellectual popularity among the urban middle classes, therefore magnifying the relevance of their writings to evolving political circumstances. Already the consequences of the debate have proven to be more than merely philosophical. The discourse has had a significant impact on the formulation of public policy in Iran, on the larger Iranian polity, and even on Iran’s relations with the outside world. Not surprisingly, the evolving nature of the discourse, and the direction in which the debate ultimately heads, will determine much in the future of Iranian politics.