Ori Goldberg

Mr. Goldberg will research the Neo-Shiite intellectual discourse over the past fifty years in Iran. Traditionally, Neo-Shiite thought has been interpreted from a purely social science perspective, most often as a reactionary movement counteracting the monarchist views of Iran s shah and Marxist tendencies sweeping Iran following World War Two. Mr. Goldberg argues that this perspective ignores the theological and cultural aspects of Neo-Shiite discourse, and thereby fails to explain its mobilizing power and durability. Mr. Goldberg hopes to explore the complexity of neo-Shiite thought from diverse viewpoints, primarily grounded in theology. He plans on writing an intellectual history in the development of the discourse.