Sufism in Europe : Islam, Esotericism and the New Age
Sufism in Europe : Islam, Esotericism and the New Age
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Author(s): Piraino, Francesco
ISBN No.: 9781399536097
Pages: 392
Year: 202407
Format: Trade Cloth (Hard Cover)
Price: $ 175.00
Dispatch delay: Dispatched between 7 to 15 days
Status: Available

Examines the development in Sufism in Western Europe in the 21st Century Proposes a unique, bottom-up method focusing on rituals and everyday life practices Explores how Western esotericism and the New Age influenced Sufism Challenges the "universal" label applied to Sufism in Western countries by showing the plurality of universalistic discourses Spotlights the complex relationship between Islamic normativity-particularism and ethical and universal dimensions Offers insights in three different fields: socio-anthropology of religion, Islamic studies, and religious studies Presents rich 3-year-long ethnographic fieldwork: three Sufi orders in Paris, three Sufi orders in Milan, 70 in-depth interviews and several pilgrimages in Morocco, Algeria, and Cyprus Sufism, the spiritual, mystical, and esoteric dimension of Islam, is experiencing a renewal in the 21st century. Charismatic Sufi masters have been able to revitalise their language, attracting new disciples and going beyond their cultural-geographic framework. This book describes the development of Sufism in Western Europe, particularly in France and Italy, through extended empirical research based on participant observation in four Sufi orders. The author illustrates the different forms of hybridisation between the Islamic-Sufi tradition and Western esoteric discourses, in particular the Guénonian-Traditionalist and the New Age discourse. These hybridisations often involve the creation of new doctrines, rituals, and organizational structures, and produce different universalist discourses, which imply different Sufi politics in Europe, such as a lack of interest due to an imminent eschatology, civic engagement, and metapolitical elitism.


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