Abbreviations Preface Chapter I Introduction: Return to the Earliest Sources Hiero-Intelligence and Reason Esotericism and Rationalization The Sources The Natur

The Imam, the Divine Guide, is the central point around which the Shi'ite religion turns. The power of Shi'ism comes from the actions of the Imam. This title is

This book examines the development of Shi'i Islam through the lenses of belief, narrative, and memory.

Interest in Shi'i Islam is running at unprecedented levels. International tensions over Iran, where the largest number of Shi'i Muslims live, as well as the pol

The major theme of this book is authority in Shi`ism with special emphasis on its institutionalization in different historic periods from the beginning of Shi`i