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Alireza Doostdar is an associate professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has a broad interest in the entanglements of religious reason with science and the state, focusing primarily on Shi‘i Islam and the dynamics of traditions shaped by the dialogue between religious and secular formations. A specialist in West Asia, he has conducted ethnographic and archival investigations in Iran, aiming to situate phenomena in studies of global circulations that extend beyond Iran’s national borders. His book, 'Iranian Metaphysicals: Explorations of Science, Islam, and the Uncanny' (Princeton University Press, 2018), received the 2018 Albert Hourani Book Award from the Middle East Studies Association and the 2020 Vinson Sutlive Book Prize from the Anthropology Department at William & Mary. Doostdar's work includes studies on the theology of Satan in relation to the Iranian Islamic Revolution, collaborative research projects, and the co-production of the video series 'Gaming Islam', exploring the relationship between games and Islam. He leads a research team documenting oral histories on the Scholasticide in Gaza, examining Israel's systematic attacks on Palestinian education. His representative publications include works on the comparative impact of the Iranian revolution and discussions of Islam's relationship with contemporary challenges.
University of Chicago Divinity School • Chicago, IL
Teaching and conducting research in Islamic Studies and Anthropology.
Department of Philosophy