Abstract

The Shiite Islamic debate regarding Politics, State and Religion has been characterising the last two centuries of Middle Eastern intellectual history. The main purpose of this article is to examine the origins of the intellectual discussion regarding the relation of politics and religion inside the Shiite world, focusing particularly on Iranian modern political history. This article will also examine the main Shiite Imami modern currents of thought which influenced the modern history and politics of Middle East, highlighting their differences and similarities.