2015-16 Academic Catalog

From Rumi to the Whirling Dervishes, Islam’s Sufi mystical tradition has sparked the fascination of Western observers for many decades. Its music, its poetry, and its esoteric sciences have been embraced as part of global heritage. However where these colorful practices fit into the Islamic tradition is less well understood. This course will situate the Sufi tradition within Islam’s broader framework, tracing its development from an elite philosophical system to a mode of popular practice.