Abdulkarim Soroush: Epistemological-Hermeneutics on Evolution of Religious Understanding

The classical view stated that fiqh buildings have been well-established, and even become dogma. Indirectly, this pre-assumption leads clergy to become an institution with exclusive rights to truth claims on religious understanding. Politically—even the narrowing of the meaning of the ulama during the Ottoman era—was also thought to have pushed the ulama institution to become an exclusive institution. In several countries, clergy’s institutions then experience closeness with the state in an effort to preserve the perpetuity of the authorities by utilizing the authority claims of the truth of religious understanding carried by the clergy’s institutions. The affair often necessitates absolutism and authoritarianism between religion and state, so that religion becomes rigid and often out of date. Soroush as academics and practitioners involved in Iran’s contemplation offers a new paradigm by distinguishing religious entities and understanding of religion. This theory leads to plurality in the formation of religious interpretations according to their respective contexts. Practically, this theory threatens the permanence of clergy’s authority in the realm of government power. Despite criticism and resistance, this theory was able to bridge the gap between Shiites and Sunnis. Likewise, the response to contemporary issues such as human rights and democracy.