Most university courses on religion assign readings and expect essays in return. But what happens when students are asked to respond to a thirteenth-century Sufi master through painting, film, or poetry? Something shifts. The text stops being an artifact to analyze and becomes a living encounter. The Education Committee at the worldwide Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society headquartered in the UK,. The MIAS education program uses the writings of Ibn ‘Arabi — one of the most influential mystics in Islamic history — as a springboard for experiential learning and creative expression.
From the Classroom to the World
The target audiences range from postgraduate scholars to undergraduates, teachers in diverse settings, and the educated public. Extensive interviews with students and educators will provide data on how the approach affects learning. The MIAS team’s work could show that engaging with mystical texts through creative practice is not a supplement to traditional teaching but a powerful method in its own right — one that transforms worldviews and the actions that follow from them.