The School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi‘i Islamic Tradition

The School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi'i Islamic Tradition challenges the authoritarian narrative of Twelver Shi'ism by presenting it as a discursive tradition that encompasses the diversity of the faith across time and space. It emphasizes the formative period of Twelver Shi'i tradition, which gave birth to a conversation capable of embracing the dynamism of the faith, and presents it as a bulwark against authoritarianism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Against the backdrop of longstanding narratives that portray Twelver Shi'ism as inherently authoritarian, The School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi'i Islamic Tradition emerges as a groundbreaking contribution to the fields of Religious Studies, Anthropology, and History. By challenging the prevailing notion, this scholarship offers a fresh perspective that posits Twelver Shi'ism as a discursive tradition. At a conceptual level, this approach addresses the fundamental challenge of integrating the remarkable diversity of Twelver Shi'ism across time and space into a cohesive historical category without imposing a normative assessment of its core essence. Moreover, in light of this understanding of tradition, the School of Hillah emerges as a pivotal period in the archive of Twelver Shi'ism, although it has often been overlooked in European-language scholarship. As it fostered a conversation capable of capturing the dynamism of Twelver Shi'ism, the School of Hillah should be regarded as the formative phase of Twelver Shi'i tradition. Furthermore, when conceptualized in this manner, Twelver Shi'ism becomes a formidable safeguard against the very authoritarianism that has long been associated with it.

Against the backdrop of longstanding narratives that portray Twelver Shi'ism as inherently authoritarian, The School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi'i Islamic Tradition emerges as a groundbreaking contribution to the fields of Religious Studies, Anthropology, and History. By challenging the prevailing notion, this scholarship offers a fresh perspective that posits Twelver Shi'ism as a discursive tradition. At a conceptual level, this approach addresses the fundamental challenge of integrating the remarkable diversity of Twelver Shi'ism across time and space into a cohesive historical category without imposing a normative assessment of its core essence. Moreover, in light of this understanding of tradition, the School of Hillah emerges as a pivotal period in the archive of Twelver Shi'ism, although it has often been overlooked in European-language scholarship. As it fostered a conversation capable of capturing the dynamism of Twelver Shi'ism, the School of Hillah should be regarded as the formative phase of Twelver Shi'i tradition. Furthermore, when conceptualized in this manner, Twelver Shi'ism becomes a formidable safeguard against the very authoritarianism that has long been associated with it.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755639083