Discourse on Reforming Religious Knowledge in the Constitutional Era (Case Study: Habl al-matin Newspaper)

The confrontation of Iranian elites of constitutional era with Western civilization led to the process of adaptation of concepts and devices of Western thought and, consequently, the formulation of conservative, modern, and reform-oriented religious knowledge discourses by the thinkers of this historical period. The reflection of accepting these discourses in the current Iranian context is critical for redefining the characteristics of aforementioned discourses. Recognizing the characteristics of discourse on reforming religious knowledge in Tehran Habl al-matin newspaper is a needed answer to this necessity. Critical discourse analysis is theoretical framework which helps us to unveil the characteristics of discourse on reforming religious knowledge. The application of this theoretical framework can be interpreted in this way that the components of historical context of the constitutional era such as the entry of new ideas, tyranny, colonialism and the failure of political reform determinant of the "relations of religion and modernity," were considered as the node around which the religious knowledge reformation discourse was articulated. The revival of the teachings of the Quran, return to the original Islam, redefining the role of the clergy, the need for unity of Muslims and respecting the rights of religious minorities were the most important characteristics of religious knowledge reformation discourse in Tehran Habl al-Matin newspaper; and due to the inter-discourse interactions, the components of traditional and modern discourses were articulated around the node of "relations of religion and modernity”