Guardians of Shi'ism: Sacred Authority and Transnational Family Networks

ISBN-13: 9781474412131 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 288 str.

Elvire Corboz

Opis

For centuries, the Shi'i religious establishment has come to represent the most quintessential type of a transnational actor. How is clerical authority established and maintained across borders? This book explores the potential of transnational linkages in shaping leadership patterns in contemporary Shi'ism. Through the lens of two families of religious scholars, it compares the multifaceted roles played by clerics with narratives about the traditional system of religious authority, political organisations, and international charities. The book maps clerical networks and their encounters with communities and states across the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, South-East Asia, and the West. This multi-sited approach aims to clarify the local and transnational dynamics that underpin clerical authority.

Spis treści

Acknowledgments; A Note on Transliteration; Glossary; Contents; List of Tables and Diagrams; Introduction; Part I: Family, Students, and Friends: From Dyadic to Transnational Networks; 1. An Iraqi Family of Religious Scholars: Local and Transnational Networking Strategies; 2. An Iranian Marja'in Najaf and a Foundation in London: Reproducing Interpersonal Ties Across Place and Over Time; Part II: Charitable Politics: Benevolent Patrons, Beneficiaries, and the State; 3. Leadership in Patronage: The Benefits of Serving and Educating; 4. The Priority of Charity: A Global Brand of Philanthropy in Its Local Making; Part IV: The Affairs of the State: Clerical Participation in Politics; 5. From Najaf to Najaf: A Family at the Forefront of Iraqi Politics; 6. Quietist Activism: Calculated Responses to Political Turmoil; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index