Islamic Revolution and Structural Changes of Shiite Clergy

Unlike Sunni clergy, most of the analyzers of the history of Iran before the Islamic revolution, considered Shiite clergy as “associated with civil society” not government.  In fact, except in a few cases in some periods from the late Safavid and early Qajar that there is a close link between “religion institution” and “Government and monarchy institution”, in other cases both theoretically and practically, Shiite clergy emerged as defender of Shiite civil society and critic of the power institution. The present study, on the basis of Shahid Motahari`s consideration from distinction of Shiite clergy and Sunni clergy tries to provide historical narrative from the change of structural situation of Shiite clergy from civil society toward government, from the Constitutional Revolution to the years after the revolution and by planning the effect of this basic structural metamorphosis on political theology of Shiite, Warn of its evolution in recent decades.