From the second half of the 12th to the last decades of the 14th century, the city of Hilla in southern Iraq was the center of Twelver Shii scholarship. During this time, Twelver Shii scholars produced outstanding and landmark works in practically every field of classical Islamic scholarship. In the first part of this presentation, Ali examines how the legacy of philosophy and theology shaped the representation of Twelver Shii tradition in Hilla. In the second part, he examines the actual study of and writings on philosophy and theology in Hillah. Ali argues that modern scholars’ interest in the high theology and philosophy has led to a distorted picture of what is recognizable as the formative period of Twelver Shii tradition.