Mapping a good society model in Ayatollah Khomeini's religious political thought

Possibilities and challenges

Bibliographic Data

ID3868014
AuthorsAta Hasanpour (0000-0002-9002-6428, University of Isfahan, corresponding author), Ali Rabbani (0000-0002-3821-4106, University of Isfahan)
Year2024
Volume12
Issue1
Pages42-60
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Research on Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2050-3032 • E-ISSN: 2050-3040
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/20503032241226974
OpenAlexW4390935769
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited33

This article identifies the components of a good society in the thought of Ayatollah Khomeini. Over several decades, he experienced a voluntary and compulsory odyssey-like journey, the result of which was theorizing about a good society and Islamic government. From the young Ayatollah Khomeini to the late "Imam" Khomeini, several images are attributed to him. We find that the good society can be realized according to pure Mohammadian Islam and religious democracy. We claim that Khomeini's thought evolved in the face of the Other and this Other has changed the perception of his identity and thought over time. This study shows that in a historical continuum, there are two breaks along the religious-political thought of Khomeini. Contrary to the common orthodox image of him, we claim that despite the contradictions, his thought has the capacity to reconcile Islam and modernity in a new religious-political framework. Nevertheless, one can observe the transformation, the elitist view, and the multiplicity of positions in his political, cultural, and social opinions

Democracy · Environmental ethics · Islam · Modernity · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Theology · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence