original web document: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/mystic.html
Barbara R. von Schlegell
Office: 212 Logan Hall
Telephone: (215) 898-5838Facsimile: (215) 898-6568 E-mail: brvs@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Postal Address: Department of Religious Studies,
Logan Hall, 249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304
Office hours: Thursday 12:30-2:30 Web: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs
Islamic Mysticism
Religious Studies 246/AMES 236
We will meet in 337 Logan Hall each Thursday from 3:00-6:00
Course Description
Sufism (Islamic mysticism) is notoriously difficult to define. Husayn al-Hallaj, executed in a state of ecstasy in Baghdad (922 CE), the Spanish mystic Ibn ‘Arabi (1240 CE), the sober legist Ibn Taymiyah (1328 CE), and the recent President of the Turkish Republic, all had Sufi affiliations. Scholars of both Islam and Judaism have assumed that mystics and religious legal authorities are in constant battle. Is there an "orthodox" esotericism? What distinguishes a Sufi Muslim from a non-Sufi Muslim? Why is Sufism perceived as a dangerous threat in certain countries today?
In this seminar we will read Islamic mystical texts dealing with the Sufi Path, the nature of God and the hidden meanings of the Qur’an, dreams and miraculous powers, and the spiritual reality of sexual union. We will also consider the differing social roles Sufism has played for over a millennium. We trace the development and spread of the Sufi initiatic orders and their distinctive rituals. We will examine what has happened when opposition to Sufism, especially in the early modern and contemporary periods, reaches peak moments and how Sufis have responded to their critics. For the contemporary period we will use film (documentaries and scripted movies), Western converts’ narratives, and novels to see how a long tradition of mysticism continues to evolve in Islam today. Previous knowledge of Islam is not required. All source readings are in English translation. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. No exams.
Participation: You will be asked to choose one of the sessions, on a topic you might pursue in your paper, in which you will take a lead in the class discussion. I will lecture occasionally but the format of this class is that of a seminar. Your presence and active participation in the class will be the basis for one-half of your grade for the course. If you must miss a class, please contact me before the session by phone or e-mail.
Paper: The other half of your grade for the course will be for your research paper, a minimum of 15 pages, due on the first day of final exams (December 15). By November 10, you are required to turn in a paragraph stating the question or problem you are addressing, with a short bibliography of at least five resources (books and/or articles) If you wish to submit a first draft of the paper, it must be turned in by November 17. You may re-write it for a higher grade, taking into consideration my comments and your own revisions. The final draft is due the first day of final exams. I will meet with each of you to discuss your topic and to offer research suggestions in the third week of class during my office hours or by appointment.
Textbooks
Penn Book Center, 3726 Walnut, 222-7600
Michael Sells Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur’an, Mi’raj, Poetic and Theological Writings
Annemarie Schimmel Mystical Dimensions of Islam
JS Trimingham The Sufi Orders in Islam
Jalal al-Din Rumi Signs of the Unseen trans. Wm Thackston
Martin Lings A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century
Optional: WC Chittick The Sufi Path of Knowledge (Ibn ‘Arabi)
Reserve Books
Rosengarten Reading Room
The textbooks listed above, as well as translations of the Qur’an and several more detailed studies on Sufism, are on reserve under my name.
Bulkpack
University Copy Service, 38th and Chestnut
The bulkpack will be available for purchase and a copy will be put on reserve in Rosengarten.
