Syllabus,
Rumi Seminar
Fall 2003


Monday, September 1st:
1/2 hour class meeting; introduce class, syllabus.
Remember that this 1/2 hour meeting takes place at 2:30 in 202 Hascall hall.
Wednesday, September 3rd: (from here on, we meet at 7)
*Read Rumi article ("Persian Poet Top Seller")

*I will provide background material on Sufism. 
Look up the key terms from
 http://www.uga.edu/islam/Sufism.html
and http://www.uga.edu/islam/

*for an engagement with current events,
see Kabir Helminski's "The Dialogue of Civilizations"




Wednesday, September 10th: 
A taste of poetry
  Helminski, 1-100

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 17th:
*Frank Lewis, Rumi, “intro”.
*Reshad Feild, The Last Barrier (entire book)

 

 

 

The Sufi context of Rumi's poetry:
September 24th:Rumi's Father (Baha Valad)
 *Frank Lewis, Rumi, chapter 1 (41-96)
*William Chittick, "Images of Beatitiude",
from Sufism: A Short Introduction, pages 97-110.
*A.J. Arberry, "Aspects of Islamic Civilization", pages 227-255.
[Both of the last two items are in the course-pack, handed out in class]

October 1st:   Helminski,   101-198.

 



Rumi talks to his discples:
Fihi ma fihi: "In it is what's in it"
 

October 8th:  Signs of the Unseen, 1-120

October 15th:  Signs of the Unseen, 121-246.

 

October 22nd:  The Masnavi

Close Reading of Rumi's Masnavi.

First, start with this page, and pay attention to the Persian original of the first 18 lines.
Then, check out the various translations of the same 18 lines.  
Then, read the commentaries on the first 18 lines by Nicholson:  part I, part 2, part 3. 


 

 

Time to get moving on the research papers!

October 29th:
No class today.  Go to work on your research papers.

 

 


focus on the Mevlevi order, role of music

November 5th:
Frank Lewis, Rumi, Chapter 10, 423-467;
Friedlander, Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes (entire book)
check out:  http://www.mevlana.net/ 

Wednesday, November 12th:
Westernization of Rumi
*Frank Lewis, Rumi, 499-615 (skim).
explore:   http://www.sufism.org/
 

November 26th (thanksgiving break)

The Mevlevi order  comes to America: focus on Women's experiences

Wednesday, November 19th:
Reinhertz, Women Called to the Path of Rumi, beginning-105
Explore:  http://www.hayatidede.org/

December 3rd: 
Reinhertz, Women Called to the Path of Rumi, 106-240.
*read up on Catherine Albanese's discussion of "spirituality" and "religion" in American Spiritualities.   In what way do those tensions get reflected here?

December 10th:
course wrap up, presentation of papers

 

 

Examination period:  December 15th to 19th.


Note on the pictures on this site:

These pictures come from a variety of sources. A good many of them originally appear in the the photo album of the Threshold Society. Some of the pictures, in particular that of the last section are from photo album of the Nortoh America Mevlevi organization.