Sufis in Western Society Global networking and locality [Hardcover]

In recent years Sufism has undergone something of a revival as a spiritual alternative to other manifestations of Islam. This book investigates the development of Sufism in Western societies, with a regional focus on North America and Europe. Exploring a number of issues relating to the dynamic tensions between religious globalization processes and specific sacred localities, this book looks at the formation of Sufi movements that have migrated from their place of origin to become global religious networks.

Sufi groups are highly differentiated and often inaccessible, so the origins and development of Sufism in the West have not been widely studied. Employing a comparative approach based on regional fieldwork and case studies, this book addresses theoretical issues and gives a comprehensive analysis of distinct communities and the development of regional branches of Sufi orders, providing an international perspective on Sufism in the West. With contributions from well-known international experts on the topic, the book addresses Sufi orders in the context of the transnational networks in which they are operating and the constraints of the localities in which they live.

This book will be of interest to scholars and students of religion, Islam and Sufism in particular.

1. Introduction Markus Dresser, Ron Geaves and Gritt Klinkhammer  2. Glocalization of Religions: Plural Authenticities at the Centres and at the Margins  Peter Beyer  3.Global Sufism Theirs andOurs  Marcia Hermansen  4. Globalizing the soundworld:Islam and Sufi music in the West Michael Frishkopf  5. Pluralism and Authenticity: Sufi Paths in Post-9/11 New York   Markus Dressler  6. A Case of Cultural Binary Fission or Tl#-