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The Mantle of the Prophet: religion and politics in Iran

by Roy Mottahedeh

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2644100,067 (4.38)13
Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's account of Islam and politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one the best records ofd that turbulent time ever written.
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Showing 4 of 4
An accessible and engaging read. ( )
  hatpin | Jun 17, 2018 |
A long winded way to begin to understand modern day Iran. Tells the history mostly from the point of view of those in the religious establishment. Your heart will go out to Iran as you read it. It is not outdated. I read this to learn more after reading All the Shah's Men. If you want to get inside the Iranian head this is a great start. ( )
  ryanone | Jan 3, 2018 |
"A masterpiece of imaginitive interpretation... exposes, with dazzling erudition, the subterranean Sufi and poetic heritage lying just below the surface of Khomeini's seemingly granitelike orthodoxy." Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand Iranian Shi'a. ( )
2 vote languagehat | Dec 23, 2005 |
Jonathan Spence, Yale University – This is a subtle and absorbing book. Professor Mottahedeh illuminates the Iranian revolution by means of three overlapping lines of narrative and analysis: one line introduces us to the complexity of the Shi'ite inheritance, luminously presenting the philosophy, jurisprudence and aesthetics that lie at its hearts; one line presents the economic and constitutional changes out of which came the attempt to create a modernized Iranian state; and one line – personal and deeply felt – introduces us to the life, thoughts and training of a modern mullah. Cumulatively this technique leads us to a deepened comprehension of the mullah's observation that his life consisted of 'things at once very familiar and very new and newly understood to be very ancient.'
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1 vote | yoursources | Feb 11, 2009 |
Showing 4 of 4
One book, however, has always stood out: Harvard University Professor Roy Mottahedeh’s Mantle of the Prophet. It might be 30 years old, but it is the only book that takes the reader inside the mind of an ayatollah.....The true strength of Mantle is how smoothly Mottahedeh transitions from the biographical sketch to sidebars about shopping in a Persian bazaar, Islamic philosophy, and Iranian history. It’s not a political book, and it’s not going to detail the contemporary Iranian leadership’s embrace of terrorism or the details of a covert nuclear program. Nevertheless, more than any other work out there, it goes deepest into the mindset of the ayatollahs and the factors and philosophy which has shaped their thinking.
 
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Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's account of Islam and politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one the best records ofd that turbulent time ever written.

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Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's gripping account of Islam and Politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one of the best records of that turbulent time ever written.

The true story of a young mullah, his life in the sacred shrine city of Qom, and the dramatic events of the 1979 Revolution, this enthralling account paints a vivid picture of contemporary Iran, while providing a panoramic survey of Muslim, Shi'ite and Persian culture from the Middle Ages to the current day. From the ancient time of Zoroaster to the world of Khomeini, this sweeping saga interweaves biography with history, politics and religion to offer new levels of understanding into Iran’s past, present and future.

Written with feeling, sympathy and clarity, this revised edition includes a new chronology detailing events in Iran from the revolution right up to the present day and Ahmadinejad’s controversial regime. (2014 kindle edition)
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