EXAMINING THE WAY REVOLUTIONARY FORCES COOPERATED WITH THE ATTITUDES OF ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY DURING THE PROCESS OF CONSTITUTIONALIZATION IN IRAN

Abstract

During the constitutionalization of Iran, revolutionary forces with different religious and intellectual tendencies played an effective role in the formation and advancement of the movement. The interaction between Islamic and Christian thought, especially through Iranian intellectuals influenced by Western civilization and reformist clerics, led to the formation of a kind of synergy in the path of legalism. Clerics such as Tabatabaei and Behbahani, along with elites educated abroad, were able to establish a bridge between the concepts of Sharia and civil freedom. On the other hand, the Christian worldview was reflected in the works of some exiled Iranian freedom fighters. Although this relative harmony later faced deep challenges, it provided a platform for the first experience of civilizational dialogue between Islam and the West during the historical period of the constitutionalization. Studying this interaction provides a more precise understanding of the intellectual foundations of modern Iran. This research aims to answer the following questions: 1- How did the cooperation and interaction of Islamic and Christian forces take shape in the process of constitutionalization of Iran? 2- What factors led to the continuation or weakening of this cooperation at different stages of the Constitutional Movement? The research findings indicate that the cooperation between forces with an Islamic and Christian perspective in the Iranian Constitutional Movement was formed based on the common goal of seeking justice and legality. The difference in the philosophical foundations of religion and the perception of freedom was the main factor limiting this cooperation in the continuation of the movement.