What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to analyze how the Islamic Republic of Iran and its diverse religious communities manage changes in religious identity and practice.

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March 31, 2026Open Access

Managing Religion and Religious Changes in Iran: A Socio-Legal Analysis

Key Points

The study aims to analyze how the Islamic Republic of Iran and its diverse religious communities manage changes in religious identity and practice.
Socio-legal analysis of religious transformations in Iran
Evaluation of the impact of sectarian authoritarianism
Examination of various religious communities including Shi‘i Muslims, Sunnis, and minorities
Identifies the challenges faced by Shi‘i Muslims due to authoritarian governance
Highlights the experiences of religious minorities such as Baha'is, Christians, and Jews
Explores the social and political implications of changes in religious identity

Abstract

Managing Religion and Religious Changes in Iran is a concise, highlyerudite, study that focuses on how the Islamic Republic of Iran andthe confessional communities within its society grapple with transformationsin religious identity, beliefs, practices, and social and politicalimplications of change within the setting of a Ithnā-‘Asharī or TwelverShi‘ite theocratic state. Through fifty-seven pages of facts and evaluations,Tous and Richardson insightfully investigate the impact ofsectarian authoritarianism upon the majority Shi‘i Muslim community,and the Sunni and Sufi Muslim, and Baha‘i, Christian, Zoroastrian, andJewish minorities.

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