Imaginal worlds : Ibn al-Arabi and the problem of religious diversity / William C. Chittick.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chittick, William C., author.

Series:

SUNY series in Islam

SUNY series in Islam Imaginal worlds

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ibn al-ʻArabī, 1165-1240.

Ibn al-ʻArabī.

Islam--Doctrines--History.

Islam.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vii, 208 p. ) ill. ;

Place of Publication:

Albany, New York : State University of New York Press, [1994]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this book Chittick explains Ibn al-ʿArabī's concept of human perfection, his World of Imagination, and his teachings on why God's wisdom demands diversity of religious expression. He then suggests how these teachings can be employed to conceptualize the study of world religions in a contemporary context.Ibn al-ʿArabī, known as the "Greatest Master,"is the most influential Muslim thinker of the past 600 years. This book is an introduction to his thought concerning the ultimate destiny of human beings, God and the cosmos, and the reasons for religious diversity. It summarizes many of Ibn al-ʿArabī's teachings in a simple manner. The ideas discussed are explained in detail.The book is divided into three parts. In the first part Chittick explains Ibn al-ʿArabī's concept of human perfection; in the second part he looks at various implications of the World of Imagination; and in the third part he exposes Ibn al-ʿArabī's teachings on why God's wisdom demands diversity of religious expression, and he suggests how these teachings can be employed to conceptualize the study of world religions in a contemporary context.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

PART I. HUMAN PERFECTION

1. Oneness of Being

2. Microcosm, Macrocosm, and Perfect Man

3. Ethics and Antinomianism

4. Self-Knowledge and the Original Human Disposition

PART II. WORLDS OF IMAGINATION

5. Revelation and Poetic Imagery

6. Meetings with Imaginal Men

7. Death and the Afterlife

PART III. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

8. A Myth of Origins

9. Diversity of Belief

10. The Divine Roots of Religion

Notes

Bibliography

Index of Sources

Index of Koranic Verses

Index of Hadiths and Sayings

Index of Names and Terms

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780791498958

0791498956

9780585034256

0585034257

OCLC:

1237399163