How Martyr Motahari Brought Islamic Theology from Elite Circles into Society

Master Motahari can be regarded as the founder of social theology in the contemporary era, as he sought to put theology into practice within society.

According to the report of the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, the role of Martyr Morteza Motahari in reviving social theology in the contemporary era, and by removing the religious topics from the purely specialized space and linking them with the current issues of the society, created a new approach in the knowledge of theology; An approach that aims to explain religious teachings and use them to respond to political, economic and social challenges.

According to Mehr's narrative, Hojjat-ul-Islam Muhammad Baqer Pouramini, by explaining the concept of social theology and distinguishing it from similar terms, considered this approach as a trend within theology that tries to examine religious doctrines with a social perspective and provide answers based on the foundations of Islamic theology for emerging issues of society.

Stating that social rhetoric is still not necessarily defined as an independent knowledge, he explained: Social rhetoric is more than a separate scientific field, it is a kind of attitude towards theological issues; An attitude in which religious concepts are explained according to social needs and developments.

Pouramini continued to emphasize the necessity of separating the social term from concepts close to it and said: this term should not be equated with "social theology" in Western literature; Because Western social theology is based on foundations and presuppositions that are different from the foundations of Islamic theology. Also, the social word is not the same as the practical word; Because the applied word has a broader concept and includes the social word as well.

He added: the social term cannot be defined within the framework of additional philosophy. Such a definition means replacing the philosophy of theology instead of the knowledge of theology itself; While the social theology is still in the realm of theology and by adopting a social approach, it explains and proves the doctrines. The purpose of this approach is to clarify the function of religious beliefs in collective life and explain their relationship with the issues and needs of society.

Martyr Motahari; Pioneer of the social approach in the contemporary word

Referring to the background of this approach in Islamic thought, the director of the Department of Islamic Theology and New Theology of the Islamic Culture and Thought Research Center considered Martyr Morteza Motahari as one of the founders of social theology in the contemporary period and stated: Motahari's speech was a theology directed to the society. He was looking for religious issues to be removed from the scope of specialized discussions and placed in the context of people's lives; So that they can play a role in solving social issues and knots.

According to Pouramini, this feature in Motahari's approach can be better understood in comparison with the philosophical words of Khwaja Nasiruddin Tusi; An approach that was more related to the atmosphere of elites and specialized philosophical topics. Motahari tried to bring theological issues to the people, youth and students and present them in a clearer and more practical language; The path that can be seen in his confrontation with philosophical and fundamental issues.

Referring to Shahid Motahari's emphasis on connecting the knowledge of theology with various issues of society, he clarified: From Motahari's point of view, topics such as political philosophy, economic philosophy, art philosophy, and anthropology should also be considered in connection with theology. Based on this, the word should not be limited to the theoretical explanation of religious beliefs, but should be able to provide intellectual foundations in the field of politics, analyze economic issues and play a role in the recognition and design of social systems.

Pouramini continued: In this view, the word can play a more effective role when it goes beyond the level of abstract discussions and answers the real questions of society. Therefore, Shahid Motahari's approach can be considered as an example of social speech; An approach that establishes a link between religious teachings and social relations.

The difference between two conceptions of social theology

In another part of his speech, this researcher in the field of Islamic theology, referring to the use of the term "social theology", explained two different interpretations of this combination.

In explaining the first impression, he said: In common usage, social theology means community theology or social theology of religion; That is, a part of religious knowledge that deals with religious views and teachings about social issues. In this sense, the combination of social theology is an additional combination and implies a specific field of religious knowledge.

Puramini considered the second view to be a type of theology with a social orientation and added: In this view, social theology means an approach that examines all dimensions and areas of religion with regard to society and its affairs. This orientation can include jurisprudence, theology, ethics and other areas of religious knowledge and is not limited to a specific part of religious teachings.

social word; From explaining beliefs to solving society's problems

Based on these explanations, social theology should be considered as an approach within the knowledge of theology that tries to explain religious doctrines in relation to social life and show their capacity to respond to society's issues.

On the one hand, this approach requires a detailed explanation of its theoretical concepts, foundations, and boundaries, and on the other hand, it must be able to provide specific solutions for the effective presence of speech in the social arena. In this framework, the intellectual heritage of Martyr Motahari can be a model for connecting religious topics with the questions and needs of society today; A link whose purpose is to transform the knowledge of the word into an effective knowledge in understanding and solving social problems.