Habib University cordially invites you to the second lecture of the
Imam Ali (A.S.)
faculty chair
in wisdom & humanities
Endowed by zain and FArzana Jeewanjee
WITH
teena purohit
Esteemed Author, Scholar & Associate Professor of Religion, Boston University
Monday, January 13, 2025
5 PM
H.M. Habib Auditorium, habib university
Imam Ali (A.S.) and the Charismatic Paradigm in Modernist Muslim Thought
This talk explores how 19th- and 20th-century Muslim reformers navigated colonial modernity while grappling with two models of religious authority: charismatic and exemplary. In this talk, Professor Purohit will examine Weberian concepts of charisma and rationalization to show how the charismatic model sparked power struggles and sectarian divisions, shaping the modernist reform movement. The session will also offer reflections on how the charismatic paradigm opens up a porous space for Imam Ali’s (A.S.) devotion that captivates a broad spectrum of devotees among Muslims, but also Sikhs and Hindus.