International Intensive Academic Course on Shiʿi Theology

Hikmat International Institute in association with the University of Exeter and Tehran University will be organizing an intensive academic course on Shiʿi Theology from August 1 to 23, 2023. The course will be offered online on the Zoom platform and English will be the language of the instruction.

The International Intensive Academic Course on Shiʿi Theology by Hikmat International Institute will cover the history, key doctrines, branches, rituals and practices, spiritual teachings as well as political thought of Shiʿi Islam. It will mainly focus on the Twelver Shiʿi tradition, to which the majority of the Shia belong today. This is a university-level course and is designed mainly for students and academics who wish to enhance their understanding of Shiʿi Theology. This is the most comprehensive course you can find online about Shiʿi Theology as there will be 20 sessions to cover a wide variety of different aspects of this important faith tradition. Instructors are among the best academics in these fields. Each session will be 2 to 3 hours based on the plan of the instructor to be made up of activities and delivery as they see fit.

Target group

Professors, researchers and university students in the field of religious studies, Islamic studies, political studies, history, regional studies and anyone else who is interested in the topic with a good command of English!

About Shiʿi Islam

Like all other major religions, Islam has been divided into several schools and denominations. The two main branches in Islam are Sunnism and Shiʿism. Sunni Muslims endorsed the historical caliphate, while Shiʿi Muslims, supporters of ‘Ali, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet and the fourth caliph, articulated their own distinctive doctrines. The Sunni-Shiʿi schism is often framed as a dispute over the identity of the successor to Muhammad, whereas in reality, Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims also differ on a number of seminal theological doctrines concerning the nature of God and legitimate political and religious authority.

Shiʿi Islam as the second largest group in the Muslim world and as the largest religious community in several countries including Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon has gained the attention of scholars of religion and researches more than anytime in the history. The Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 and its huge national and international geopolitical outcomes was an important factor that caused many to realize the importance of having a deeper understanding of the religious undercurrents in the Middle East in particular and in the world in general. Also, Shiʿi Islam is known today as a distinctive and vibrant community of Muslims with a remarkable capacity for reinvention and adaptation, grounded in a unique theological interpretation of Islam.