Conventional secularism and the humanization of Islam: Theory and practice of religious politics in Iran
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Department/School
Political Science
Publication Title
Journal of the Middle East and Africa
Abstract
This article is a critical examination of a post-revolutionary Iranian discourse on secularism. This discourse seeks to offer a new understanding of Islam and reformulate its relationship with politics. Intellectuals who were important figures within the post-revolutionary establishment articulated this discourse. ‘Abdolkarim Soroush has been the leading voice of this discourse. Soroush’s project is an attempt to penetrate the individual Muslim’s self-perception through reinterpretation of the nature and role of religion. This article argues that Soroush’s modernist project is a defense of conventional secularism and does not address the challenge of continuity.
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Soltani, E. K. (2018). Conventional secularism and the humanization of Islam: Theory and practice of religious politics in Iran. The Journal of the Middle East and Africa, 9(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520844.2018.1499910