Anthropological and Theological Foundations of Religious Democracy in the Thought of Imam Khomeini (ra) and‘Allāmeh Ṭabāṭabā’ī (ra)

Religious democracy is a theory of governance within a religious political system that, while recognizing divine legitimacy and the unity of God in legislation and law making, emphasizes the rule of law, the role of the people in policymaking and political system formation, as well as their supervision and cooperation with the system. Based on this theory, religious citizens actively participate in political life within the framework of Sharia teachings, and all forms of individual despotism in public decision-making are rejected. Nevertheless, it stands in fundamental contrast to Western democracy as a value (rather than merely a method), which is grounded in distinct epistemological, anthropological, and theological foundations—such as epistemological relativism, rationalism, denial of the epistemic authority of revelation, pluralism, a specific notion of liberty, and human-centrism instead of theocentrism. Through the present study—conducted using a descriptive-analytical method with the aim of revisiting the anthropological and theological foundations of religious democracy in the thought of Imam Khomeini and ’Allameh Ṭabāṭabā’ī—it becomes evident that these two prominent contemporary philosophers and theorists, drawing upon revelatory and rational principles, formulated the concept of religious democracy. Among the most significant anthropological and theological foundations of religious democracy are the multidimensional nature of human existence, divine nature, free will and liberty, inherent and acquired dignity, humanity's vicegerent of God, monotheism in governance, monotheism in legislation and lawmaking, the presence of divine laws in social affairs, and the rejection of secularism.