Crises and Conversions: The Unlikely Avenues of "Italian Shiism" (Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities)

This book explores the phenomenon of conversion to Shi'a Islam in Italy. It thoroughly examines the motivations behind this religious transition and scrutinizes the doctrinal characteristics that Shiism incorporates thanks to the contributions of Italian converts. The text emphasizes the significance of René Guénon’s Traditionalism as a pivotal factor in driving this religious mobility. Additionally, the book delves into the writings of figures such as Julius Evola, who introduced Guénon to Italy, shedding light on Evola’s impact on the youth in the post-World War II era. Furthermore, it evaluates the influence of Henry Corbin on this spiritual journey. To realize this study, between 2018 and 2023, Minoo Mirshahvalad employed multidisciplinary methods that integrated sociology and history. Foreword Acknowledgments Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Discovering Evola 2 Conversion to Islam and Traditionalism 3 Exploring the “Italian Shiʿism” 4 Islam’s Third Gateway to Southern Europe and the Process of Inculturation 5 A Guide to Reading Evola’s Works References Chapter 2: An Italian Eulogy to Secrecy 1 The Rise of Traditionalism 2 The Italian Traditionalism 3 Quest for a Spiritual Fascism 4 Postbellum Evola References Chapter 3: Evola and the Dilemma of Islam 1 Aesthetics of War 2 De-Semitizing Islam 3 Disappointments with Islam References Chapter 4: Evola’s Militant Professors and the East-West Dichotomy 1 Yearning for an Aryan Islam 2 Iran in the East and the West 3 Westerners of the East 4 Easterners of the West References Chapter 5: Crises and Conversions 1 The Spiritual Crisis 2 The Ideological Crisis of Neo-fascism 3 Iranian Revolution as a Silver Lining 4 The Spiritual Fascinations of Shiʿism 5 Conversion Despite or Because of Evola? References Chapter 6: De-culturation and In-culturation of Shiʿism 1 Defending the Self 2 The Agony of “Culture” 3 Discontinuities and Tensions 4 On Behalf of Shiʿas References Chapter 7: Coming to Grips with Rationality 1 Pursuit of an Esoteric Shiʿism 2 Living the Esoteric Shiʿism? References Chapter 8: The Place of No Place 1 Evola’s Program for Returning to “Normality” 2 The Accomplished Revolt 3 The Prophet-Emperor of Khomein 4 One Hand Washes the Other References Chapter 9: Conclusions: The Anti-modern Modernity 1 The Italian Approach to Traditionalism 2 Channels of Inculturation of Shiʿism 3 A Traditional Revolution? Index