Ibn 'Arabi and the contemporary West : Beshara and the Ibn 'Arabi Society / Isobel Jeffery-Street.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jeffery-Street, Isobel.

Contributor:

Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

Series:

Comparative Islamic studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ibn al-ʻArabī, 1165-1240.

Ibn al-ʻArabī.

Ibn al-ʻArabī, 1165-1240--Influence.

Beshara Trust.

Muhyiddin Ibn ʻArabi Society.

Islamic philosophy.

Mysticism--Islam.

Mysticism.

Physical Description:

x, 286 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Sheffield ; Oakville, CT : Equinox Pub. Ltd., 2012.

Summary:

Jeffrey-Street (Islamic studies, U. of Exeter) explores two manifestations of recent Western interest in the work of Andalusian mystic philosopher Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240 CE), who has been influential in the Islam world since his own time. Beshara is a group of people largely based in Britain who began translating Ibn 'Arabi and his commentators during the early 1970s, and now teach courses on applying his ideas in the modern world. The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society is a more scholarly effort, focused on translating, interpreting, and disseminating his writing and writing by his followers. Founded in 1976, it conducts annual conferences in Britain and the US, publishes a biannual academic journal, and maintains an expanding library collection in Oxford. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

1 Bulent Rauf 35

Early Life 35

Bulent Rauf and Ibn 'Arabi 36

The Beginnings of Beshara 42

Bulent Rauf's Writings and Translations 46

Bulent Rauf and the 'Hidden Saints' 46

Posterity 51

Conclusion 53

2 The Beshara Trust: Early Years 54

Bulent Rauf and the Origins of Beshara 54

Swyre Farm 58

The Twenty-Nine Pages: Teaching Ibn 'Arabi at Swyre Farm 60

Early Students of Beshara and Swyre Farm 63

Bulent Rauf in Residence at Swyre Farm 65

The Blue Fusûs and Titus Burckhardt 66

J.G. Bennett and the Beshara School 68

3 Chisholme and Sherborne: The Introduction of Structured, Residential Courses 74

The Acquisition of Chisholme and Sherborne 74

The Introduction and Purpose of a Structured Residential Course 77

Course Schedule 79

Basic Rules of Behaviour 86

Course Supervision 86

Organisation and Funding 87

Conclusion 88

4 An Introduction to the Texts and Teachings of Ibn 'Arabi Used for Study by the Beshara School 89

The Twenty-Nine Pages: An Introduction to Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics of Unity 90

Ontology and Cosmology 92

Doctrine of the Logos 99

Epistemology 102

Mystical and Metaphysical Psychology 104

Mysticism 106

Religion, Ethics and Aesthetics 108

The Figure of Jesus and the 'Seal of Sainthood' 111

Ibn 'Arabi and the Feminine Dimension in the Divine 114

Other Texts Used on Beshara Courses 116

Conclusion 126

5 Recent Beshara Education: The Courses and their Aims 128

The Meanings of 'Beshara' as Understood by Some Participants 128

Beshara as a Global Manifestation 130

Ibn 'Arabi and the 'Seal of Sainthood' as a 'Meaning' (Spiritual Reality) 132

The Aims of the Beshara Courses 135

What is an 'Esoteric Education'? 139

Conclusion 141

6 Student Experiences During and Following the Courses 142

Motivations for Taking the Intensive Six-month Introductory Course 143

'Second-generation' Students 145

Some Students' Experiences of the Courses 147

Life After a Beshara Course: Applying Course Experience to Everyday Life 160

Conclusion 175

7 The Pilgrimage through Turkey 176

The Purpose of the Pilgrimage 176

The Influence of Ibn 'Arabi and its Relevance to the Journey 178

The Shrines Visited and their Connection with Ibn 'Arabi 181

Other Islamic, Christian and Hellenistic Sites Visited and their Connection with Ibn 'Arabi 182

The Travellers 183

Itinerary of the Journey 185

Visitation (ziyâra) of the Shrines of Muslim Saints 186

The Travellers' Reactions to the Visits 192

Conclusion 202

8 Outreach 205

Publications and Publicity 205

Communication and Outreach 217

Other Methods of Outreach and Communication Continuing into the 1980s 220

International Expansion 223

Beshara Today 226

9 The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society 231

Introduction 231

Foundation Period 234

Early Days: The Library at Concordia House 237

The Development of the Journal 240

1984 Onwards: The First Annual Symposium 243

The Evolution of the Society through the 1980s to the Early 1990s 248

The Society through the 1990s to the New Millennium 254

The Global Expansion of Knowledge of Ibn 'Arabi 258

Conclusion 261.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [267]-276) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

ISBN:

1845536711

9781845536701

1845536703

9781845536718

OCLC:

416718934

Publisher Number:

99948479654