ISU Professor and Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Zackery Heern, talks about the Middle East, religious persecution, and the hope that comes from understanding our common humanity. Heern’s research explores political and religious influences on the region and how these influences explain how people co-exist, or don’t, in this volatile region of the world. His 2015 book, “The Emergence of Modern Shi’ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran” reviews the foundations of modern Islam, and provides insight into the region's religious and political developments both past and present.
Guests:
Zack Heern is a Professor at ISU in the Department of History, and he serves as Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Arts and Letters. Dr. Heern earned his BA from UCLA, and he received his MA and PhD in Middle East Studies and World History at the University of Utah. His research sits at the intersection of religion, politics, and society. He has published widely on Shi‘i Islam, Iran, Iraq, and the Baha’i Faith. His book, The Emergence of Modern Shi‘ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran, was widely reviewed in academic journals as well as The Economist magazine. He has published academic journal articles on state formation in Iraq, religious authority, and Islamic educational and legal systems. He has presented his research in a variety of venues in the United States and abroad, including Harvard, Oxford, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum. His current research focuses on the writings of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith.
