Islam, democracy and religious modernism in Iran, 1953-2000 : from Bāzargān to Soroush

This Volume Focuses Primarily On The Question Of The Compatibility Of Islam And Democracy. It Highlights The Contribution Of Seven Prominent Pre- And Post-revolutionary Iranian Religious Thinkers On The Subject. Situating The Discussion In Its Specific Religious Context, The Book Critically Examines Those Elements That Are Usually Referred To As Democratic Norms In Islamic Tradition. It Also Provides, For The First Time, An Exposition Of The Emergence Of Religious Intellectualism In Post-revolutionary Iran, Focusing On The Ideas Of Its Leading Figure, Abdolkarim Soroush. His Discussion Of Religious Democratic Government Presents A Paradigm Shift In The Muslim Modernists' Discourse On The Issue. The Book Also Delineates The Intellectual Component Of The Current Reformist Movement In Iran And Sheds Light On The Challenges That The Pro-democracy Movement Has To Overcome.--jacket. What Is Democracy? Fundamental Principles Of Democracy ; Equality ; Liberty ; Majority Rule. -- Democratic Norms In Islam. Freedom ; Apostasy ; Equality ; Religious Minorities ; Slavery ; Male-female Dichotomy ; Public Participation In Politics ; Shūrā And Bayʻah. -- The Emergence Of Muslim Intellectualism In Modern Iran. -- Religious Modernism And Democracy In Iran. Ayatullah S. Maḥmūd Ṭāliqānī ; Mahdī Bāzargān ; A Biographical Sketch ; The Freedom Movement Of Iran ; Refutation Of Despotism ; Islamic Ideology ; ʻallāmah Muḥammad H. Ṭabāṭabāʼī ; Ali Shariʻati ; Ayatullah M. Muṭaharī ; Ayatullah R. Khomeini ; Concluding Remarks. -- Post-revolutionary Religious Intellectuals And Democracy ; Abdulkarim Soroush ; A Biographical Sketch ; The Theory Of Contraction And Expansion Of Religious Knowledge ; The Clergy ; De-ideologization Of Religion ; Religious Democratic State ; An Appraisal. By Forough Jahanbakhsh. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [186]-195) And Index. "This volume focuses primarily on the question of the compatibility of Islam and democracy. It highlights the contribution of seven prominent pre- and post-revolutionary Iranian religious thinkers on the subject.". "Situating the discussion in its specific religious context, the book critically examines those elements that are usually referred to as democratic norms in Islamic tradition. It also provides, for the first time, an exposition of the emergence of religious intellectualism in post-revolutionary Iran, focusing on the ideas of its leading figure, Abdolkarim Soroush. His discussion of religious democratic government presents a paradigm shift in the Muslim modernists' discourse on the issue.". "The book also delineates the intellectual component of the current reformist movement in Iran and sheds light on the challenges that the pro-democracy movement has to overcome."--BOOK JACKET. This book discusses the general problematic of Islam and democracy and the ideas of certain Iranian religious modernists on the issue. Examining the development of religious intellectualism in post-revolutionary Iran, it presents Abdolkarim Soroush's novel approach to this pertinent topic.