Islamic Mysticism

Catalog description

Followers of Islam, called Muslims, number at well over a billion and span the globe from California to Cairo to Kuala Lumpur. Their languages, practices and geographical centers are diverse, complex, and require more than a lifetime to understand fully. This course will nonetheless guide students through a modest survey of that diversity and complexity, with particular attention to "Islamic mysticism" per se, but also how to metacognitively study the topic, including attention to popular media and power dynamics in the dissemination of knowledge. Your ability to benefit from this class will neither be hindered nor aided by your religious affiliations or lack thereof. What will benefit you is your ability to seriously entertain a multiplicity of worldviews-some of which may strike you as illogical, grotesque, and strange, and others beautiful, compelling, and natural.