Author and Scholar of Islamic Thought and Medieval Philosophy to Give Talk on 

St. Joseph’s College (SJC) is pleased to announce The Dr. Reza Khatib and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion Sixth Annual Lecture featuring Mehdi Aminrazavi, Ph.D., author and professor of philosophy and religion. His talk, “Shiʻism and the Politics of the Hidden Imam” will be presented on Thursday, April 3 in the Tuohy Hall Auditorium on the Brooklyn Campus and on Thursday, April 10 in the McGann Conference Room on the Long Island Campus. Both lectures will take place at 12:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

“Dr. Aminrazavi is a leading scholar on Shiite Islam, Persian culture and Islamic philosophy,” said Dr. Thomas Petriano, SJC professor, Department of Religious Studies. “Based on the course he is presently teaching, ‘Saints, Sufis and Warriors of God: Shi‘ism and Persian Culture,’ his lecture promises to be a timely and informative discussion of Shiite Islam and the influence of its theology on the current culture and politics of Iran. We are fortunate to have him as this year’s Khatib Chair.”

A native of Iran, Dr. Aminrazavi is a professor of classics, philosophy and religion at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, V.A., who specializes in the areas of eastern religions, Islam and the Middle East, Islamic philosophy and theology, medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion. A member of the editorial board of the Journal of Religious Studies, Cambridge University Press, he has authored and edited numerous books and articles and co-edited the five-volume set, An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, which was recognized at the 23^rd annual Tehran International Book Fair in 2010 as a superior book in the field of humanities. Dr. Aminrazavi has been the recipient of many national and international awards and accolades for his achievements in the field. He received a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Temple University after receiving an M.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Urban Planning from the University of Washington.

Funded by Dr. Reza Khatib and Mrs. Georgianna Clifford Khatib ’52, the Chair’s purpose is to promote interfaith dialogue, with the study of Islam being an integral part of the initiative. Each spring, through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Khatib, the College hosts a noted scholar who lectures, leads faculty discussions and teaches a course to students from both campuses.

For more information about The Dr. Reza and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion, please call 718.940.5584 for Brooklyn, 631.687.2667 for Long Island or visit www.sjcny.edu.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in more than 29 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.

The post ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE ANNOUNCES SIXTH ANNUAL LECTURE IN COMPARATIVE RELIGION appeared first on Good News!.

A Conference—Co-sponsored with the Middle East Institute & the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University

Friday & Saturday, November 4 & 5, 2011

New York, New York — July 12, 2011 — A conference and an evening concert presented at Columbia University. It will include international scholars, from the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, who have devoted their careers to translating and interpreting the works of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240) and Jalaluddin Rumi (1207–1273). Evening performances will include renowned musicians such as Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Salman Ahmad, and Sufi poet, Coleman Barks. Participants who attend are from both the U.S. and the international community.

This is the second, in a biennial series of conferences on Ibn ‘Arabi started in 2009. The 2011 conference will focus on the teachings of both Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi, offering an in-depth view of Middle Eastern philosophy and spiritual thought rarely heard about in the West today.

Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi are the two great pillars of Islamic mysticism, known as Sufism. They appeared in the same century, one from the Muslim West, the other from the East, both bringing a new vision of human potential and realization meant to inspire us and teach us to understand ourselves more deeply and expand our view of the world.

The program will include lectures, workshops, a panel discussion, and poetry readings in the original languages of Arabic and Persian and their English translation. Here are a few of the presentations being given: Moses, Ibn ‘Arabi, and the Voice of Fire; Ibn ‘Arabi: Mysticism, Lyric, and the Persian-Arabic Love Affair; and On the Seriousness of Rigorous Hilarity in the Masnavi: The Sense of Humor in Rumi’s Teachings.

Sufis in Concert

A separate event, this evening concert celebrates Sufism through the poetry and commentary of Coleman Barks, accompanied by Grammy Award winner and cellist, David Darling, the music of lead singer, Salman Ahmad of the Sufi rock group, Junoon and the dances of whirling dervish, Sakina.

Organizers:

The New York Open Center (www.opencenter.org) is a nonprofit organization of holistic learning and world culture, founded in 1984. It is the largest urban holistic center in the U.S., presenting accomplished speakers such as Karen Armstrong, Thich Nhat Hanh, Cornel West, Julia Cameron and numerous others.

The Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi  Society (www.ibnarabisociety.org) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1977, headquartered in Oxford, England, with an American branch in Berkeley, CA. It is the leading organization promoting the remarkable spiritual legacy and teachings of Ibn ‘Arabi.

The post Ibn ‘Arabi and Rumi: Teachings for the Modern World appeared first on Good News!.