Sufism and the Christian East: a symposium (free post)

Revisiting an outstanding event twenty-two years later

Twenty-two years ago to the day, the University of South Carolina wrapped up an international conference it had hosted on the relationship between the contemplative and mystical traditions of Islam and Eastern Christianity (Oct. 18-20, 2001). This was in the immediate wake of the horrors of 9/11, and at the time feelings of antipathy directed toward Muslims were riding high. Gathering at such an irenic event in the Southern US, one that featured Muslim speakers, was simultaneously, then, risky and a sign of hope. Nearly three hundred attended — students, academics, clergy, laity, spiritual leaders, and spiritual seekers. As the late James S. Cutsinger wrote in the Foreword of the book that came out of the conference (Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East, Bloomington: 2002):

To our knowledge, a symposium of this kind — on such a topic and on such a scale — was without precedent…

The aim of the conference was to do something new. Interfaith gatherings are common enough, but dialogue is almost always confined to the outward or exoteric level of doctrines and practices, and at this level, given the considerable differences among the teachings of the world’s religions, contradiction or compromise often appears to be the only alternatives…

Religions, however, are not just systems of exoteric beliefs and behaviors deployed on a plane, to be accepted (or rejected) by the reason and will. Each of the great traditions also has a third “dimension”, a spiritual heart, in which the deeper meaning of those beliefs and practices comes alive, and where the spiritual pilgrim may discover, beyond the level of seemingly contradictory forms, an inner commonality with those who follow other paths.

As a renewed conflict rages in Israel/Palestine — one that inevitably is blamed, quite wrongly, on “religion” (an amoral category in itself, like politics or ideology) rather than on the universal destructive combustibility of innate human passions — it’s worthwhile, perhaps, to revisit these two-decades-old lectures, recalling that authentic religion lies with its mystical core, not with the hard, unyielding institutional carapaces of human ingenuity. Religion too often begins in mysticism and then gets stifled by bureaucracy, as someone once noted.

The speakers in these fascinating recordings are as follows: James Cutsinger, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Vincent Rossi, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, William Chittick, and Gray Henry. I have added some additional video recordings of James Cutsinger as “extras.” For a fuller, richer exploration of the conference and what was presented there, I highly recommend purchasing the book.

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Before posting the videos below, allow me to mention that my next paid post will be on the topic of the limitations of Zen and also of one specific (and key) aspect of Carl Jung’s thought. I have been very clear in past posts regarding my deep appreciation of both Zen (I even wrote a book about it, as most of you are aware) and Jungian thought, but I believe — having been asked about both — that I need to be forthright about those areas of caution that shouldn’t be overlooked. No “school” of thought or practice is without its potential pitfalls. So, stay tuned. After that post, I intend to continue with the series on the Gospels, picking up with that of Luke.

I hope you enjoy the videos.