010116 VU Religion in Contemporary Iran (2023S)

The course introduces students to the academic study of religion in contemporary Iran by focusing on the developments and changes within the Islamic Shi’a tradition in the periods before and after the Islamic revolution. Additionally, it introduces various religious minorities that found their legal recognition by the state authorities (e.g. Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians) or contrary have been banned by them (e.g. Baha’is). The course provides students with opportunities to explore the position of religion in the Iranian political system and religious practices by introducing the interpretative tolls typical of intellectual history, politics of religion, and material studies of religion. The topics presented and discussed during the classes are divided into sections: 1) the Iranian religious landscape, 2) Shi’a Islam and the problem of Iranian identity, 3) the revolution and the political dimension of Shiism, 4) materiality, visuality, and the religious practices of/ within Shi’a Islam, 5) Shi’a Islam in relation to other religious traditions.