Article One Bed and Two Dreams? Contentious Public Religion in the Discourses of Ayatollah

Abstract: Ayatollah Khomeini and Ali Shariati are seen as twin pillars of revolutionary Islam in contemporary Iran. This article contextualizes and compares these radical dis-courses in three sections. It first problematizes the transformation of Khomeini as a quietist cleric into a revolutionary ayatollah. While Khomeini’s theory of velayat-e faqih was a radical departure from the dominant Shiite tradition, its practice has contributed to a new era of post-Khomeinism. Second, it examines Shariati’s discourse and a new reading of his thought in the post-revolutionary context. Third, it demonstrates that these discourses differ radically on the three concepts of radicalism, public religion, and state. The conclusion sheds some light on the conditions of Khomeinism after Khomeini, and Shariati’s discourse three decades after the revolution. It suggests that Iran has gra-dually entered into a new era of post-Islamism. Résume ́ : L’ayatollah Khomeiny et Ali Shariati sont considérés comme deux piliers de l’islam révolutionnaire dans l’Iran contemporain. Cet article contextualise et compare ces discours radicaux en trois sections. Il problématise la première transformation de Khomeiny en tant que clerc quiétiste dans un ayatollah révolutionnaire. Alors que la théorie de Khomeiny du velayat-e faqih est une rupture radicale avec la tradition dominante chiite, sa pratique a contribue ́ a ̀ une nouvelle ère de l’après-khomeynisme. Deuxièmement, il examine le discours Shariati et une nouvelle lecture de sa pensée dans le contexte post-révolutionnaire. Troisièmement, il démontre comment ces discour