The spirituality of Shi'i Islam : beliefs and practices / by Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi.

Published in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 487-549) and index.

Contents; Preface and Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; Part I: Early Emergence and Ancient Convergence; 1. Reflections on the Expression din 'Ali: The Origins of the Shi'i Faith; 2. Shahrbanu, Lady of the Land of Iran and Mother of the Imams: Between Pre-Islamic Iran and Imami Shi'ism; Part II: On the Nature of the Imam: Initiation and Dualism; 3. Some Remarks on the Divinity of the Imam; 4. The Pre-Existence of the Imam; 5. The Imam in Heaven: Ascension and Initiation; 6. Knowledge is Power: Interpretations and Implications of the Miracle in Early Imamism; 7. Notes on Imami Walaya

8. Only the Man of God is Human: Theology and Mystical Anthropology According to Early Imami ExegesisPart III: Hermeneutic and Spiritual Practice; 9. 'The Warrior of Ta'wil': A Poem about 'Ali by Molla Sadra; 10. Visions of the Imams in Modern and Contemporary Twelver Mysticism; 11. Notes in Prayer in Imami Shi'ism; Part IV: Aspects of Individual and Collective Eschatology; 12. The End of Time and the Return to the Origin; 13. A Contribution of the Typology of Encounters with the Hidden Imam; 14. An Absence Filled; Bibliography; Index;

The second largest branch of Islam, with between 130 and 190 million adherents across the globe, Shi'i Islam is becoming an increasingly significant force in contemporary politics, especially in the Middle East. This makes an informed understanding of its fundamental spiritual beliefs and practices both necessary and timely. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi is one of the most distinguished scholars of Shi'i history and theology, and in this volume he offers a wide-ranging and engaging survey of the core texts of Shi'i Islam. Examining in turn the origins and later developments of Shi'i spirituality.