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The Iranian Metaphysicals: Explorations in Science, Islam, and the Uncanny — Occult Philosophy

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The Iranian Metaphysicals: Explorations in Science, Islam, and the Uncanny

Name: The Iranian Metaphysicals: Explorations in Science, Islam, and the Uncanny
Price: 39.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780691163789

✍️ Doostdar, Alireza

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Alireza Doostdar meticulously explores the surprising persistence and transformation of occult practices, séances, and appeals to saintly powers in modern Iran. Far from being eradicated by rationalist movements since the late 19th century, these engagements with the immaterial realm have instead diversified and deepened. Through extensive ethnographic and archival work, Doostdar reveals how such metaphysical experimentation has been central to shaping significant intellectual and religious currents, redefining what constitutes orthodox Shi'i Islam and its distinct forms of rationality. This study offers a compelling new perspective on the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity.

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Occult Philosophy

🏛 Princeton University Press 📅 2018 📖 312 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780691163789

Fun Fact

Doostdar's work is a tour de force, offering unparalleled insight into Iran's spiritual landscape. It brilliantly deconstructs simplistic narratives of secularization, revealing how modernity can invigorate, rather than diminish, esoteric inquiry. While not a practical guide for the magically inclined, it is essential reading for scholars of modern Islam, anthropology of religion, and anyone exploring the sociology of belief. An indispensable contribution to our understanding of faith's adaptable nature.

📝 Description: The Iranian Metaphysicals: Explorations in Science, Islam, and the Uncanny

What do the occult sciences, séances with the souls of the dead, and appeals to saintly powers have to do with rationality? Since the late nineteenth century, modernizing intellectuals, religious leaders, and statesmen in Iran have attempted to curtail many such practices as "superstitious," instead encouraging the development of rational religious sensibilities and dispositions. However, far from diminishing the diverse methods through which Iranians engage with the immaterial realm, these rationalizing processes have multiplied the possibilities for metaphysical experimentation. The Iranian Metaphysicals examines these experiments and their transformations over the past century. Drawing on years of ethnographic and archival research, Alireza Doostdar shows that metaphysical experimentation lies at the center of some of the most influential intellectual and religious movements in modern Iran. These forms of exploration have not only produced a plurality of rational orientations toward metaphysical phenomena but have also fundamentally shaped what is understood as orthodox Shi'i Islam, including the forms of Islamic rationality at the heart of projects for building and sustaining an Islamic Republic. Delving into frequently neglected aspects of Iranian spirituality, politics, and intellectual inquiry, The Iranian Metaphysicals challenges widely held assumptions about Islam, rationality, and the relationship between science and religion.

💎 Expert review

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Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Doostdar’s meticulous archival and ethnographic work presents a sophisticated argument about the persistence of the occult in modern Iran. However, this text is not suited for casual readers seeking accessible pop-occultism or simple historical timelines. It demands patience from those uncomfortable with dense academic theory or nuanced theological debates. Scholars of anthropology and religious studies will appreciate its rigor, while generalists may find the focus on specific intellectual currents too specialized. It is a serious scholarly contribution that prioritizes complex analysis over broad narrative appeal.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the complex relationship between tradition and modernity will find this book indispensable. Doostdar offers a compelling perspective on how occult practices were not eradicated by rationalism but rather diversified, deeply influencing intellectual currents. It is essential for those seeking to understand how appeals to saintly powers and séances helped redefine orthodox Shi'i Islam and its distinct forms of rationality. The ethnographic depth provides a nuanced view of Iranian metaphysical exploration, revealing unexpected links between science, religion, and the uncanny in contemporary thought.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the complex interplay of faith, reason, and the unseen, particularly within Islamic cultures, this book is for you. It offers a rigorous, nuanced look at how spiritual practices adapt and thrive amidst modernity, challenging simplistic narratives of secularization.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Doostdar’s meticulous archival and ethnographic work presents a sophisticated argument about the persistence of the occult in modern Iran. However, this text is not suited for casual readers seeking accessible pop-occultism or simple historical timelines. It demands patience from those uncomfortable with dense academic theory or nuanced theological debates. Scholars of anthropology and religious studies will appreciate its rigor, while generalists may find the focus on specific intellectual currents too specialized. It is a serious scholarly contribution that prioritizes complex analysis over broad narrative appeal.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this is an academic study. It analyzes the cultural and historical context of metaphysical engagements in Iran, rather than providing instructions for practicing them.

The book maintains an academic, analytical stance. It aims to understand how these practices function and transform within Iranian society, rather than making theological or moral judgments about their validity.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Rationality and the Occult

This book challenges the notion that modern rationality inherently diminishes spiritual or "superstitious" practices. Instead, it demonstrates how Iranian intellectuals and religious leaders, in their quest for rationalized faith, inadvertently created new avenues for exploring the unseen, leading to a complex intertwining of scientific thought and esoteric engagement.

Metaphysical Experimentation

Doostdar highlights the diverse "experiments" Iranians undertake to connect with the transcendent. From communicating with spirits to invoking saintly aid, these practices are not static remnants of the past but evolving methods, continually reinterpreted and refined within a modern context, showcasing a dynamic spiritual landscape.

Shaping Shi'i Orthodoxy

The work argues that these seemingly fringe metaphysical explorations are not peripheral but foundational to modern Shi'i Islam. They have played a crucial role in defining what is considered orthodox and rational within the faith, demonstrating how popular spiritual engagement can profoundly influence established religious doctrines and institutions.

📜 Historical context

For centuries, Islamic cultures have maintained rich traditions of esoteric knowledge and engagement with the unseen. This book specifically examines how, in modern Iran, this deep-seated metaphysical inclination confronted and was reshaped by the forces of 19th and 20th-century modernization. It explores how a desire for "rational" religion paradoxically opened new doors for spiritual inquiry, rather than closing them.

📚 Glossary

Occult Sciences
Metaphysical Experimentation
Shi'i Islam

📔 Questions to reflect on

How do contemporary societies define "superstition," and what power dynamics are at play in these definitions?
Consider how your own cultural context navigates the tension or synergy between scientific rationality and spiritual or metaphysical beliefs.
In what ways might "experimentation" be a valid approach to understanding or experiencing the spiritual, even in a modern context?