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*Call for Papers/Participants*: *Opening up the study of Sufism for the
21st century *

*A. The cover story *

*What*: An edited volume of eight to ten chapters of 7-8,000 words each
written by a scholar and/or published Sufi to be ready by July 2012 for a
roundtable conference in New Zealand August 2012.

*The actual book*: This is going to be a companion volume published by
Continuum to offer a survey of current research but also to give more
practical guidance on research in the field, including research methods and
subject-specific resources.

*B. The Scoop *

I have only just agreed to edit this project if I could gather up a certain
kind of team and the publishers have given me a few weeks to gather the
team.

A couple of the team members necessarily will reflect current approaches to
the study of sufism. These are the starting points for any new approach to
the study of Sufism. We build on the shoulders of our predecessors.
This announcement is for individuals who want to go beyond the existing
postmodern paradigm in whatever dimension they choose to focus.

My motivation in this project is to re-balance the embarrassing situation
whereby what is important for actual practitioners is hardly considered by
scholars anymore. The subjective and trans-rational aspects of Sufi
practice are almost totally ignored. One of the most enlivening
transformative activities on the planet is largely dis-enchanted in
academic Sufi literature.

Postmodernism has taught us to be aware of ethnocentrism but few in
academia are aware of the pervading cognocentrism. This is one of the
gaping holes in Sufi studies today. There are many others. Please let me
know what they are and how you would like to fill them with *enchantment*.

Please contact *Art Buehler*  at  *[log in to unmask] *if you are
interested. Please enclose a 100-word abstract and a three sentence bio.