Authority and Political Culture in Shi'Ism (Suny Series in Near Eastern Studies)

The major theme of this book is authority in Shi`ism with special emphasis on its institutionalization in different historic periods from the beginning of Shi`ism in the Middle Ages to the present. Part I presents new material on important or neglected issues that are at the center of current scholarly debate, including the fundamental relationship between knowledge and authority in pristine Shi`ism, aspects of popular culture in medieval Shi`ism, the institutionalization of religious authority in Shi`ite Iran from the 16th to 18th centuries, and the centralization of religious authority in the 19th century. The editor provides an analysis of the ideological revolution in Shi`ism during the 1970s and 1980s. Important documents and primary sources have been selected for Part II representing the major trends in the history of Shi`ism. With two exceptions, these sources have neither been available in English translation nor easily accessible in the original Arabic or Persian. An extensive introduction by the editor effectively connects Parts I and II of the book. Shiʻism, Authority, And Political Culture / Said Amir Arjomand -- Imam And Community In The Pre-ghayba Period / Etan Kohlberg -- The Evolution Of Popular Eulogy Of The Imams Among The Shiʻa / Mohammad-djaʻfar Mahdjoub ; Translated And Adapted By John R. Perry -- The Mujtahid Of The Age And The Mullā-bāshī: An Intermediate Stage In The Institutionalization Of Religious Authority In Shiʻite Iran / Said Amir Arjomand -- In Between The Madrasa And The Marketplace: The Designation Of Clerical Leadership In Modern Shiʻism / Abbas Amanat -- Constitutionalism And Clerical Authority / Abdol Karim Lahidji -- Sharīʻat Sangalajī: A Reformist Theologian Of The Riḍā Shāh Period / Yann Richard ; Translated By Kathryn Arjomand -- Ideological Revolution In Shiʻism / Said Amir Arjomand. An Annotated Bibliography On Government And Statecraft / Mohammad-taqi Danishpazhouh ; Translated And Adapted By Andrew Newman -- ʻallāma Al-Ḥillī On The Imamate And Ijtihād / Translated And Edited By John Cooper -- Two Decrees Of Shāh Ṭahmāsp Concerning Statecraft And The Authority Of Shaykh ʻalī Al-karakī / Translated And Edited By Said Amir Arjomand -- The Muqaddas Al-ardabīlī On Taqlīd / Translated And Edited By John Cooper -- Two Seventeenth-century Persian Tracts On Kingship And Rulers / Translated And Edited By William C. Chittick -- Lives Of Prominent Nineteenth-century 'ulamā' From Tunikā-bunī's Qiṣaṣ Al-'ulamā' / Translated And Edited By Hamid Dabashi -- An Exchange Between A Mujtahid And A Qājār Official / Translated By Hamid Dabashi -- Two Clerical Tracts On Constitutionalism / Translated And Edited By Hamid Dabashi -- Clerical Authority In The Constitution Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran. Edited By Said Amir Arjomand. Includes Bibliographies And Index. Preface Contributors 1 Introduction: Shi’ism, Authority, and Political Culture / Said Amir Arjomand Part I: Essays 2 Imam and Community in the Pre-Ghayba Period / Etan Kohlberg 3 The Evolution of Popular Eulogy of the Imams among the Shi’a / Mohammad-Dja’far Mahdjoub 4 The Mujtahid of the Age and the Mulla-bashi: An Intermediate Stage in the Institutionalization of Religious Authority in Shi’ite Iran / Said Amir Arjomand 5 In Between the Madrasa and the Marketplace: The Designation of Clerical Leadership in Modern Shi’ism / Abbas Amanat 6 Constitutionalism and Clerical Authority / Abdol Karim Lahidji 7 Shari’at Sangalaji: A Reformist Theologian of the Rida Shah Period / Yann Richard 8 Ideological Revolution in Shi’ism / Said Amir Arjomand Part II: Selected Sources 9 An Annotated Bibliography on Government and Statecraft / Mohammad-Taqi Danishpazhouh 10 ’Allama al-Hilli on the Imamate and Ijtihad 11 Two Decrees of Shah Tahmasp Concerning Statecraft and the Authority of Shaykh ’All al-Karaki 12 The Muqaddas al-Ardabili on Taqlid 13 Two Seventeenth-Century Persian Tracts on Kingship and Rulers 14 Lives of Prominent Nineteenth-Century ’Ulama’ from Tunika-buni’s Qisas al-’Ulama’ 15 An Exchange between a Mujtahid and a Qajar Official 16 Two Clerical Tracts on Constitutionalism 17 Clerical Authority in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran Index The major theme of this book is authority in Shi`ism with special emphasis on its institutionalization in different historic periods from the beginning of Shi`ism in the Middle Ages to the present.Part I presents new material on important or neglected issues that are at the center of current scholarly debate, including the fundamental relationship between knowledge and authority in pristine Shi`ism, aspects of popular culture in medieval Shi`ism, the institutionalization of religious authority in Shi`ite Iran from the 16th to 18th centuries, and the centralization of religious authority in the 19th century. The editor provides an analysis of the ideological revolution in Shi`ism during the 1970s and 1980s. Important documents and primary sources have been selected for Part II representing the major trends in the history of Shi`ism. With two exceptions, these sources have neither been available in English translation nor easily accessible in the original Arabic or Persian. An extensive introduction by the editor effectively connects Parts I and II of the book.Said Amir Arjomand is Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.