Tuesdays, April 7-14-21-28 9:00pm ET
What Is the Journey of the Soul in The Conference of the Birds?
Come enjoy one of the greatest spiritual classics of the medieval period, and learn about how it continues to resonate with audiences today! The Conference of the Birds, written in Persian by Farid al-Din Attar of Nishapur in the 12th century CE as a metaphor for the Sufi path, is the story about a group of souls who go on a journey to find their king. Along the way, they discover not only that the journey truly is the destination, but also that your higher Self is found within your self. We will study the text as well as learning about Attar's medieval Persian context. All assigned readings available in English translation.
In this course, participants will explore questions like:
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How does Attar use allegory to describe the Sufi path?
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What do the birdsā€”and their obstaclesā€”represent?
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What does the text suggest about the nature of the Self?
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How do longing, doubt, and surrender shape the spiritual journey?
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About Dr. Patrick J. D'Silva:
Patrick J. D'Silva is a scholar of Islam specializing in Persian Sufism. He received his PhD in Religious Studies from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018, and has since taught at several universities in Colorado. His publications focus on Muslim engagement with Yoga in South Asia and Persian during the medieval and early modern periods.
He is a co-author (with Carl Ernst) of Breathtaking Revelations: The Science of Breath From the Fifty Kamarupa Verses to Hazrat Inayat Khan (Suluk Press, 2024). He is also an expert on the intersection of religion and race in contemporary science fiction, and has published related essays with The Revealer and Reactor. You can follow him on Substack at Worlds Beyond Worlds.
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About the Religion Department:
Coming soon from Religion for Breakfast, the Religion Department is an online school where anyone can learn from leading scholars of religion. Click below to be the first to hear about upcoming classes and events.
