ABSTRACT
There is no society in which some form of religion does not exist. However, each society is different from others in the form and type of religiosity. Religion in Iran has a long history and is entwined with long traditions. The structures of religious norms have been relentlessly reproduced, and religiously oriented institutions have always been active. Often governments have formally preached religion. Iran has undoubtedly been an utterly religious society. A social revolution that was termed the Islamic Revolution reintroduced and re-energized religion in Iranian society in unprecedented ways. What made this revolution all the more perplexing is that it had taken place in the wake of years of modernization projects that had tried to secularize Iranian society. After nearly three decades of “Islamization” projects, one would expect secularization to be at its end. Although it is widely assumed that the establishment of an Islamic regime would elevate religiosity to its highest level, we argue that secularization nowadays challenges society’s religiosity.
