A Semiotics of Infinite Translucence: The Exoteric and Esoteric in Ismaili Muslim Hermeneutics
Canadian Journal of Communication February 18, 2015 DOI: 10.22230/cjc.2015v40n1a2861 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 10 |
| Key points | Argues that contemporary Ismaili Muslims exhibit a distinctive interplay of esotericism and public engagement, in which communal institutions limit the circulation of texts concerning Aga Khan IV's religious addresses and biography while the leader increasingly communicates the community's worldview through architecture and symbolic design. |
Abstract
The complex juxtaposition of private practice and public visibility/invisibility of contemporary Ismaili Muslims has certain parallels with other religious communities, but it exhibits unique features. This community adheres to an esotericism that has shaped its hermeneutic and communication practices. In a seeming paradox, the group is also extensively engaged in the public sphere. However, its communal institutions are limiting the dissemination of texts pertaining to the religious addresses and biography of the group’s leader, Aga Khan IV. He is instead increasingly turning to architecture to communicate the community’s worldview by using design in a symbolic manner.