Catalyst and Community

This volume traces the emergence of the Shi'a community as part of the turbulent international conflicts that swept Lebanon in the 1980s. The book explores the parochial origins of the Shi'a movement and charts its transformation into a revolutionary force bent on assuming a decisive role in a rapidly changing Lebanese polity. It also examines the role of the leader Musa al-Sadr in the context of interrelated factors such as the regional milieu, Lebanese history and political culture, Shi'ism as a revolutionary paradigm and the modernization process.