Shi'i Clerical Authority in Iraq

Shâi Clerical Authority in Iraq: The Neo-Traditional Marjiâyya and the Transformation of Political Order provides the first comprehensive analysis of the evolving relationship between Shi'i religious authority and the state in Iraq through a distinctive historical sociology framework that illuminates structural and contextual transformations.

Spanning decades of complex interaction, it examines the often tense coexistence and rivalry between the state apparatus and the transnational Shi'i Marji'iyya, revealing how their relationship has been fundamentally reshaped by broader historical processes. Through meticulously researched case studies, the volume traces how state-building initiatives, secularization efforts, and shifting conceptions of national community have continuously challenged and reconfigured traditional religious authority. The analysis centers on the watershed moment of 2003, when Saddam Hussein's authoritarian regime collapsed, creating space for Shi'i religious and Islamist actors to emerge as significant political forces amid weakening central authority and a shift from homogenization to communitarianism as the organizing principle of political community. The author introduces the innovative concept of "neo-traditional Marji'iyya" to theorize the transformation in the public presence, political agency, and institutional configuration of Shi'i religious authority in contemporary Iraq.

A significant contribution to the fields of Middle Eastern studies, political theology, and state-religion relations, this book offers essential insights for scholars and policymakers seeking to understand the complex interplay between religious institutions and political power in post-authoritarian contexts and fragile states.