Faith and World: Islam, Pluralism, and Modernity under Aga Khan IV
Faith and World is the first comprehensive study of contemporary Ismaili social and political thought. It examines how, during the Imamate of Aga Khan IV (1957-2025), Ismaili institutions articulated the ethics of the Qur'an through the language of modern liberal discourse.
Under the leadership of Aga Khan IV, the Ismaili community-a global Muslim community tracing its lineage to the Shiʿa Imams-framed liberal pluralism as fully compatible with the tenets of ethical Islamic living in the modern world. Rooted in Qur'anic principles and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants, contemporary Ismaili thought in this period advanced values such as democracy, pluralism, and education as enduring expressions of timeless Islamic ethics.
By tracing these intellectual and institutional developments, Faith and World illuminates how one of the world's most dynamic Muslim communities engaged with modernity under the vision of Aga Khan IV. In doing so, it contributes to broader Western understandings of Islam and helps challenge misconceptions about the relationships between faith, ethics, and global civilization.
This book includes:
A critical review of both popular and academic literature on the Aga Khan and the Ismailis;
An exploration of the distinctive Ismaili approach to Qur'anic interpretation;
A study of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Afghanistan as a case of faith-based ethical action;
An analysis of the core liberal commitments that shaped Ismaili thought in this period, including democracy, pluralism, and civic education;
An examination of the emergence of the transnational Ismaili community and the Imamate's role in fostering unity across diverse ethnocultural contexts.
Accessible yet rigorous, Faith and World is essential reading for scholars, students, and general readers seeking to understand how Islamic ethics intersected with modern global values during the era of Aga Khan IV.
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