Two papers on Traditionalism at the AAR

Two papers coming up this weekend at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, in Washington, DC:

• "Hanifi Traditionalism: An Alternative to Salafism in Chechnya." Session A18-30 (Contemporary Islam Consultation), Saturday - 9:00 am-11:30 am.
• "Alexander Dugin’s Apocalyptic Traditionalism." Session A19-26 (New Religious Movements Group), Sunday - 9:00 am-11:30 am

Both papers to be given by Mark Sedgwick.

Nasr and the Shah

Many Iranians have never quite understood why Nasr remained so faithful to the Shah even in the last years of his reign, when the costs of Nasr’s faithfulness were becoming so great. I suggested various reasons in my Against the Modern World, but a correspondent has just drawn my attention to a reason I never considered. Nasr, it is suggested, agreed with Schuon that “kingship flows from an archetype but presidency does not.” “The worst king is better than the best president.”