Theocratic Secularism : Religion and Government in Shi'i Thought

In Theocratic Secularism, author Naser Ghobadzadeh questions the religious logic used to legitimize the rule of the clergy in Iran. Ghobadzadeh argues that orthodox shi''ism considers the institution of government to be outside the realm of religion and religious leaders. Coining the term ''theocratic secularism'', Ghobadzadeh ultimately argues for the re-instatement of a form of political secularism in Iran.

For more than forty years, there has been a religious government in Iran that claims to be rooted in shi''i political theology. In this book, Naser Ghobadzadeh intends to show that this reading of shi''i political theology is a fundamental deviation from orthodox shi''ism. The principle of theocracy is one of the most fundamental principles of the shi''i orthodox belief system, but its realization in practice depends on the return of the Twelfth Imam. Until that day, the institution of government and political leadership falls outside the scope of the authority of religious leaders. Naser Ghobadzadeh shows that governmental-shi''ism is less than half a century old and that its formation was not the product of a transformation in orthodox shi''i political theology. Rather, governmental-shi''ism was born in the political arena and has been able to survive because it profits from government resources.Coining the term ''theocratic secularism'', this book argues for the re-instatement of a form of political secularism in Iran.