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Substance, Spirit, and Sociality Among Shi‘i Muslims in Iran

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New Directions in Spiritual Kinship

Part of the book series: Contemporary Anthropology of Religion ((CAR))

Abstract

This chapter draws from ethnographic research in the Fars Province of Iran to explore the dynamic interplay of kinship and piety for an extended family of Shi‘i Muslims. Wellman examines how kinship is constituted, not only through idioms of blood, milk, and contract as found in Islamic inheritance law, but also through everyday and ritual acts such as prayer, sharing food, and visiting. In focusing on the sacred and strategic aspects of kinship making in Iran, Wellman argues that a full spectrum of material substances, immaterial qualities, acts, and processes can define kin relations within and against outside others.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Rose Wellman

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  1. Rose Wellman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religion, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Todne Thomas

  2. Independent Researcher, Toronto, Canada

    Asiya Malik

  3. The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Rose Wellman

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Wellman, R. (2017). Substance, Spirit, and Sociality Among Shi‘i Muslims in Iran. In: Thomas, T., Malik, A., Wellman, R. (eds) New Directions in Spiritual Kinship. Contemporary Anthropology of Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48423-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48423-5_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48423-5

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