Abstract
Seyyed Hossein Tabataba'i Boroujerdi (1254–1340 AH / 1875–1961 CE), an Imami Shiite authority, played an important role in introducing and promoting Shiism in Europe and America in the middle decades of the 20th century. The main question of the research is: What strategies did Ayatollah Boroujerdi use to present a documented, scientific, and systematic picture of Imami Shiism in the West? The study approach is a combination of historical-thematic analysis and examination of documents related to this figure's correspondence, scientific support, and religious networking. The findings show that Ayatollah Boroujerdi, relying on a global vision, an approximationist approach, and an emphasis on the Imamiyyah doctrinal identity, pursued a set of effective developing- institutional, human communicative and intellectual strategies.
These include supporting the establishment of Shiite scientific and missionary centers in Europe and America, strengthening human resources active in the field of interfaith dialogue, encouraging the translation and publication of Imamiyya doctrinal texts, and thoughtful interaction with Christian institutions and European universities. These measures paved the way for the formation of the first networks for introducing and explaining Imami Shiism in the West and were influential in the development of scientific and international representations of Imami thought in the following decades. As a result, Ayatollah Boroujerdi's strategies cannot be understood solely within the framework of propaganda activities, but rather are based on understanding Western cultural structures, strengthening scientific and dialogue capacities, and creating sustainable epistemological bases for Imami Shiism.