The ISIM hosted a one-day workshop on 'Authority in Contemporary Shicism' in Leiden on 1 March 2002, convened by Matthijs van den Bos. Several observations on the current state of (Iranian) Shicite... Show moreThe ISIM hosted a one-day workshop on 'Authority in Contemporary Shicism' in Leiden on 1 March 2002, convened by Matthijs van den Bos. Several observations on the current state of (Iranian) Shicite studies underlay its design. Most importantly, studies of religious discourse in contemporary Iran - particularly that comprising reformist thought - often neglect the disciplinary background of religious discourse. Therefore, scientific scrutiny was due to the decisive shifts that have taken place in the relative importance of feqh, kalam, falsafa, hekmat, erfan, and tasavv of as argumentative styles in debates over religious authority in contemporary Shicism. Show less
The anthropological research about to undertaken in this project centres around modern Shicite Sufi identity in Iran, which will be dealt with by exploring the construction of modern self in the... Show moreThe anthropological research about to undertaken in this project centres around modern Shicite Sufi identity in Iran, which will be dealt with by exploring the construction of modern self in the Soltanca lishahi order. This and possibly other Iranian orders will be compared. Also compared will be two instances of modernity: the coming into being of the nation-state in early 20th-century Iran (particularly 1905-1911 and 1921-1941), and the re-emergence of a civil society since the last decade of the 20th century (especially since 1997). It is presumed that the former periods evidenced state-oriented identity formations, while the latter period witnessed more anti-statist ones. These are two variations of a modern Sufi orientation towards the Iranian nation. Show less
Theories of cultural stagnation and decline or of modernization's devastation in the realm of Sufism have not only figured in orientalist or social science repertoires. Conversing with contemporary... Show moreTheories of cultural stagnation and decline or of modernization's devastation in the realm of Sufism have not only figured in orientalist or social science repertoires. Conversing with contemporary Iranian Sufis, one comes across a remarkable consensus: the Safawid rise to state power coincided with the eclipse of Sufism's radiant sun in Iran, and it has never since regained its former brilliance. Whether such views hold true in the history of ideas or at the strictly literary level remains for specialists to decide. However, various social and political transformations that have conditioned Iranian Sufism as it is presently known, contradict the idea of Sufism's stagnant and therefore negligible religiosity. Show less
