TEHRAN – A book series studying thought and cultural currents in contemporary Iran was unveiled in a special meeting at the Iran Book and Literature House in Tehran on Tuesday.

“Thought and Cultural Currents in Contemporary Iran” consists of 30 books, eight of which were introduced at the meeting.

The eight books are “Post-Modernist”, “Islamic Feminism”, “Popular Ritualist”, “Practical and Professional Ethics”, “Traditional-Shia Mystic”, “Islamic Seminary Philosophist”, “New Religious and Spiritual Current” and “Religious Reformism”.

The plan to build up the collection was started in 2013 at the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran.

A great number of scholars from top academic centers have contributed to the collection, which will be gradually published in the future. 

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi and a group of literati and cultural figures attended the meeting.  

In a short speech, Salehi expressed his thanks to the experts concerning the series and said, “This collection should help provide opportunities for dialogue that has been neglected in Iranian society. These books should be used to help lessen the dearth of dialogue.”

He stressed the need for the study of cultural currents in Iran and said, “A clash between tradition and modernity in Iran has been ongoing over the past 150 years. Therefore, we have continuously witnessed constant social movements.”

He noted that these movements need to be scrutinized by scholars. 

Photo: Eight books of the series “Thought and Cultural Currents in Contemporary Iran” were unveiled in a meeting at the Iran Book and Literature House in Tehran on June 1, 2021. 

MMS/YAW