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Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism

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Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism

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Overview

In the tenth century Shiˀa scholars assembled accounts of twelve imams’ lives, portraying them as miracle workers who were betrayed. These biographies invoked shared cultural memories, shaped communal responses and ritual practices of mourning, and inspired Shiˀa identity and religious imagination for centuries to come, Matthew Pierce shows.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674737075
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	06/13/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Matthew Pierce is Assistant Professor of Religion at Centre College.

Note on Dates and Transliteration ix

Prologue 1

1 Setting the Stage 11

2 Consolation for a Community 42

3 Betrayal and the Boundaries of Faithfulness 68

4 Vulnerable Bodies and Masculine Ideals 94

5 Entering the Cosmos 127

Epilogue 147

Appendix 1 The Fourteen Infallibles: A Quick Guide 155

Appendix 2 Collective Biographies of the Imams: A Genre Survey 159

Abbreviations 163

Notes 165

Select Bibliography 229

Acknowledgments 245

Index 247

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Editorial Reviews

[A] compelling study of the imams of Ali’s line.
-- Malise Ruthven Times Literary Supplement

Pierce’s scholarship is impressive…[He] expertly takes us through these stories [of the imams], examining themes like suffering, memory, gender, political power, and theology…A lovely book that does much to teach us about Islam, its many traditions, and the ways in which memory functions in the lives of its followers.
-- Sophia Rose Arjana Reading Religion

Forgoing some well-worn topics, Pierce adds a fresh perspective by peering at the Imams’ biographies through the lens of gender. In fact, Pierce is at his best when he engages in questions of gender…Twelve Infallible Men is a well-written analysis of the stories that have been told and retold about the Imams…This book is sure to spark valuable discussion.
-- Zackery M. Heern Journal of Islamic Studies

Pierce provides a clearly articulated and stimulating reading of an understudied but fascinating and historically significant body of writings.
-- Sarah Bowen Savant American Historical Review

An exemplary work on a hitherto understudied yet highly significant topic. Pierce succeeds admirably in making these biographies speak to central concerns in the contemporary study of Shiˀism in particular and of Islam in general. He writes with ease and precision, and is especially effective at using collective memory to document the formation of communal boundaries and expressions of piety. This compact and accessible work will go a long way towards offering a robust understanding of a major religious phenomenon.
-- Ahmet Karamustafa, University of Maryland

A successful book that singles out a number of the most influential themes related to the portrayal of the imams and treats them with considerable insight.
-- Devin Stewart, Emory University

From the Publisher

[A] compelling study of the imams of Ali’s line.

Times Literary Supplement - Malise Ruthven

An exemplary work on a hitherto understudied yet highly significant topic. Pierce succeeds admirably in making these biographies speak to central concerns in the contemporary study of Shiˀism in particular and of Islam in general. He writes with ease and precision, and is especially effective at using collective memory to document the formation of communal boundaries and expressions of piety. This compact and accessible work will go a long way towards offering a robust understanding of a major religious phenomenon.

Ahmet Karamustafa

Pierce provides a clearly articulated and stimulating reading of an understudied but fascinating and historically significant body of writings.

Sarah Bowen Savantn Historical Review

Forgoing some well-worn topics, Pierce adds a fresh perspective by peering at the Imams’ biographies through the lens of gender. In fact, Pierce is at his best when he engages in questions of gender…Twelve Infallible Men is a well-written analysis of the stories that have been told and retold about the Imams…This book is sure to spark valuable discussion.

Journal of Islamic Studies - Zackery M. Heern

A successful book that singles out a number of the most influential themes related to the portrayal of the imams and treats them with considerable insight.

Devin Stewart

Pierce’s scholarship is impressive…[He] expertly takes us through these stories [of the imams], examining themes like suffering, memory, gender, political power, and theology…A lovely book that does much to teach us about Islam, its many traditions, and the ways in which memory functions in the lives of its followers.

Reading Religion - Sophia Rose Arjana

Pierce provides a clearly articulated and stimulating reading of an understudied but fascinating and historically significant body of writings.

American Historical Review - Sarah Bowen Savant

Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism

Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism

Hardcover(New Edition)

Hardcover(New Edition)

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

Related Subjects

Customer Reviews