This dissertation describes the nature of what has been called kalām-e jadīd (new theology) in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It argues that there are currently two kinds of “new theologies” in practice. One new theology that is more widely adhered to is an extension of classical theology and stays true to traditional precepts, while the second is postmodern in nature and breaks with tradition completely. The first strand of kalām-e jadīd, referred to as “theology of selectivity,” is represented here by the works of Mohsen Kadivar, the person who epitomizes the intellectual but tradition-bound wave of post-revolutionary theological thought in Iran. The second strand of kalām-e jadīd, referred to as “postmodern theology,” is presented via the works of Abdolkarim Soroush, the most representative thinker of this type of kalām. In making this distinction, this dissertation therefore delineates the different forms of post-revolutionary reformist theology in Iran and presents Soroush’s work in terms of the greater postmodern discourse that feeds his work. The interest and importance placed on Soroush’s work also speaks volumes about the receptiveness of Iranian reformist intellectual communities towards postmodern thought and the possibility of placing these communities within what has come to be known as the postmodern condition. Thus, in essence this project can be seen as a comparative work that also points towards the ideological distance between these two modernizing trends in current Iranian Islamic thought. / text

Some of the attributes of a perfect being (e.g. first cause, necessary being, intelligent creator) are established on the basis of theological arguments such as the cosmological and the teleological. At the deepest level, these theological arguments are based on principles of rational psychology such as simplicity and sufficient reason. Moreover, belief that the perfect being is the moral omnipotent God is an act of trust and thus based on the rational psychology of trust. Theists in the Abrahamic tradition subscribe to first cause/necessary being/intelligent creator theology and must therefore remain faithful to any psychological principles (simplicity, sufficient reason, trust) that are the rational grounds for believing in the existence of their God. But such faithfulness results in a deep tension within Judeo-Christian theism. For example, a Christian theist who believes in the Trinity must at the same time remain faithful to the principle of simplicity that rejects the Trinity. Because simplicity is the rational basis for the deeply cherished attributes of the Christian God (first cause/necessary being/intelligent creator), it is argued that faithfulness to psychological principles such as simplicity discipline Christian theistic belief, in particular the belief in the Trinity. Examples of this nature offer a framework for a similar disciplining of Islamic hermeneutics on the basis of rational psychology. Muslim interpreters tend not to systematically engage in the philosophy of religion, and for this reason do not explicitly articulate the psychological principles that gave them their theistic Muslim identity. As a result, they deviate from such principles when it comes time to interpret the original sources of Islam (Quran and Sunna). Consistency is one of the demands of rationality, and it is inconsistent to assume principles in arriving at a theistic Muslim identity and then subsequently fail to apply those principles consistently to the task of textual interpretation.

This essay sheds light on a specific religious reformist within the Islamic tradition. This contemporary reformist is none other than Abd al-Karim Soroush, whose theory on fundamental building blocks within the Islamic tradition, such as revelation and prophethood, has sparked the interests of philosophers, theologians, and scholars of religion in general, and Islamic religious tradition in particular. By conducting a content-based analysis of his own work The Expansion of Prophetic Experience: Essays on Historicity, Contingency and Plurality in Religion the essay aims to a) examine his views on revelation and prophethood, b) explore his theory in relation to Islamic jurisprudence and ethics, and c) investigate any legal and ethical problematizations that his theory poses within the Islamic tradition. In an effort to revive the essence of Islam and reform the approach to the Quran and Islamic tradition, Soroush breaks down prophethood into two components: prophetic mission and prophetic experience. According to Soroush, both the prophetic mission and experience are tied to the era in which Muhammad (peace be upon him) operated. Such a contextual approach entails viewing and interpreting the Quran as a canonized book that reflects Muhammad's intuitive experiences and their continuous interaction with the cultural, social, and economic conditions prevalent during his time. By categorizing different aspects of the Quran into essentialism and accidentialism, Soroush argues that traditional legal and ethical derivations belong to the accidental category, which implies that they should not be viewed as static but rather dynamic and subject to reinterpretation in light of the contemporary context. To consider the traditional interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence and ethics as a secondary aspect in relation to the primary aspect of Islam, namely its essence, and to strip jurisprudence of its centrality and authority has both advantages and disadvantages within the Islamic tradition. The advantage may lie in a more rational and accepting approach towards religious pluralism and women's rights. The disadvantage can manifest in challenges related to Muslim identity formation and the arbitrary definition of essential Islam that his theory may entail.