Reason, Esotericism, and Authority in Shi'i Islam

This volume advances the critical study of exegetical, doctrinal, and political authority in Shi'i Islam. Naive dichotomies of “reason” and “esotericism” in Islamic Studies have often marginalized Shi'i thought or impeded its understanding. The studies presented here aim to foster more exacting frameworks for interpreting the diverse modes of rationality and esotericism in Twelver and Ismaili Shi'ism and the socio-epistemic values they represent within Muslim discourse.

The volume’s contributions highlight the cross-sectarian genealogy of early Shi'i esotericism; the rationale behind Fatimid Ismaili Quranic ta'wil hermeneutics; the socio-political context of religious authority in nascent Twelver Shi'ism; authorial agency wielded by Imami hadith compilers; the position of esoteric Shi'i traditions in Timurid-era Hilla; and Shi'i-Sufi relations with Usuli jurists in modern Iran.

Contributors: Rodrigo Adem, Alessandro Cancian, Edmund Hayes, Sajjad Rizvi, Tahera Qutbuddin, Paul Walker, George Warner