Persian culture has had a long-standing engagement with the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô since early classical times, and this has been visible in various forms from their poetry, calligraphy to ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic exegesis. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, technological advancements made it easier to disseminate information to a larger pool of intellectuals who occupied the middle ground between the traditional learned clerics and a nascent civil society.
These intellectuals were able to create accessible discourses which helped to facilitate deeper conversations and enhanced engagement in even more arenas.
Approaches to the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô in Contemporary IranÌý²ú²âÌýDr Alessandro Cancian, explores the importance of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô in the religious, intellectual, political and artistic discourses in modern and contemporary Iran, from the nineteenth century to the present. The publication was developed as a result of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic Studies Colloquium held at the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ in September 2013 and discussions at the Ninth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference in Istanbul in August 2012.
Touching upon different aspects of the impact, understanding and use of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²ÔMuslims believe that the Holy ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More, the seventeen chapters included in this volume have been written by some of the most authoritative specialists in the modern history of Iran.
Their contributions span a wide range of subjects and themes, covering varied ground from, the examination of the trends in ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic exegesis that are currently prominent in Iran; Sufi mystical interpretations of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô; the concept of revelation as the basis of diverse political trends; approaches to ritual prayer by women in Iran; the use of ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic themes in contemporary Iranian cinema; the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô as a living scripture in specific intellectual and social circles, and case studies of individual intellectuals.
Reader in Islamic Studies at the University of Glasgow, Dr Lloyd Ridgeon, reviewed the book and commented:
This essential work, composed of chapters authored by some of the world’s leading academics in Islamic and Iranian studies, provides a comprehensive analysis of how the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô is received in modern Iran. The collection’s range of topics has been carefully considered, shedding light on modern hermeneutical problems, mystical ways of perceiving the sacred text, and its significance in modern cultural forms including cinema and music, among others. The chapters have been researched with meticulous care to detail. Approaches to the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô in Contemporary Iran looks set to become a classic work.
Approaches to the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô in Contemporary Iran provides readers with two centuries of reflection on revelation and scripture in the Persian speaking world. The collection will provide academics working in the fields of intellectual and religious history of modern Iran and ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic Studies with a comprehensive overview of the richness and plurality of Iran’s engagement with the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô.
It achieves this by bringing together different approaches from theology, mysticism, exegesis, reformism, cinema, music, and visual and popular culture.
Learn more and read Dr Alessandro Cancian’s introduction to the book
