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Islamic Mysticism Lecture Series

Catholic Theological Union invites you to participate in a series of lectures on Islamic Mysticism and Spirituality with Scott Alexander, Associate Professor of Islam. These lectures will take place Monday evenings, February 13 through May 14, 2012, from 7 to 8:15 p.m., and are open to guests for $15 per lecture, or $150 for the entire series of twelve lectures. Complimentary parking is available in the CTU garage.

The word most commonly associated with the rich traditions of Islamic spirituality and mysticism is “Sufism” (Ar. tasawwuf). Mention the word, “Sufism,” however, in a contemporary Muslim context, and one is liable to receive responses ranging from passionate esteem, to reserved suspicion, to indignant objection. Why is this term, which is most often associated with some of the richest traditions of Muslim piety and spirituality, so controversial?

This course will attempt to answer this and other questions regarding Sufism by tracing the historical development of Sufi ideas, praxis, and institutions from the early second/eighth century to the present. The course will also encourage students to explore important connections between the various modes of spirituality found within Sufism and any Christian (or other) spiritual traditions with which they may be familiar.

To register for this lecture series, click here.

Onsite registration will be available for walk-ins at each lecture.

For more information about other Continuing Education Opportunities at CTU, contact Keiren O’Kelly at 773.371.5442 or kokelly@ctu.edu.

Date

Lecture Title

Fee

February 13 – May 14

CS5040-1: Islamic Mysticism & Spirituality (Entire series of 12 Lectures)

$150

February 13

CS5040-2: Islam 2.0
Explore the Muslim view of the relationship between Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, as well as what the Qur’an teach about the religious nature of all human beings.

$15

February 20

CS5040-3: The Sources of Mystical Piety in Islam
Examine the roots of Muslim mystical piety in the Qur’an and the Life of the Prophet Muhammad.

$15

 

February 27

CS5040-4: ‘Behold the Handmaiden of the Lord’
Discover the origins of Islamic love mysticism among early Muslim ascetics and especially the legacy of Rabi`a al-`Adawiyya (d. 801), known to many as the “Second [Virgin] Mary.”

$15

March 5

CS5040-5: The Stages and States of the Sufi Path
Trace the development and content of Sufi teachings about the psycho-spiritual transformations of the inner path to God.

$15

March 12

CS5040-6: Al-Hallaj (d. 922) and the Crime of Ecstasy
Treat yourself to a performance of The Death of al-Hallaj—a passion play of the imprisonment, trial, and crucifixion of a controversial Muslim saint.

$15

March 19

CS5040-7: Satan as Mystic and Tragic Lover of God
Delve into one of the most fascinating interpretations of the figure of Satan in the history of the ‘Abrahamic’ traditions.

$15

March 26

Reading Week – No Class

 

April 2

CS5040-8: Recollecting God
Explore the practices of Sufi piety, especially the dynamics of the master-disciple relationship and the para-liturgical activity known as dhikr.

$15

April 9

Easter Break – No Class

 

April 16

CS5040-9: Al-Ghazali (d. 1111): and the Quest for Certainty
Accompany the ‘Aquinas of Sunni Islam’ as he wrestles with a crisis of faith which led him to ask himself: Is it possible to find intellectual certitude and spiritual peace?

$15

April 23

CS5040-10: Purging the Ego in the Flame of Passion
Journey in search of the mythical King of the Birds with the avian pilgrims of Farid al-Din Attar’s (d. 1220) epic masterpiece of medieval Persian mystical poetry, The Conference of the Birds.

$15

April 30

CS5040-11: “The Greatest Master” or Greatest Infidel?
Examine the life and work of one of the most controversial figures in the history of Islam—known to some as the greatest exponent of the central quranic teaching of divine unity, and to others as a pantheist and heretic.

$15

May 7

CS5040-12: Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273): Muslim, Migrant, & Mystic
Plunge into the ocean of the poetry, music, and dance of the best selling poet in the 1990s U.S.

$15

May 14

CS5040-13: Sufism in the Contemporary Global Context
Consider the role of Sufism in contemporary Islam, both as a sectarian ‘alternative’ to so-called ‘Wahhabism’ and as a very influential force for spiritual, social, and political reform.

$15

Scott Alexander’s interest in Islam dates back to the early 1980s, when he was both witnessing the events of the Islamist revolution in Iran, and concentrating in comparative religion as an undergraduate at Harvard. From 1986 to 1990, Scott taught courses on Islam and the history of religions at Columbia, Fordham, and Princeton University, and in 1991 he took a position on the religious studies faculty of Indiana University in Bloomington where he taught as an assistant professor of Islamic studies from 1993 to 2000. His most recent book project is entitled The Race to Goodness: an End to Triumphalism in Christian-Muslim Relations and deals with the inherent contradiction between religious claims to universal truth and the religiously motivated desire to impose this truth on others as a means of political and cultural domination.