“Embracing the World: Fethullah Gulen’s Thought and Its Relationship to Jalaluddin Rumi and Others” with Dr. Ori Z. Soltes

Join Dr. Ori Z. Soltes on November 14, 2013 at 6:30 pm for a talk on his recent book Embracing the World: Fethullah Gulen’s Thought and Its Relationship to Jalaluddin Rumi and Others

There is a range of distinct connections that may be found between Rumi in his time and Gülen in his time—our time. Fundamentally, the former one spoke and taught and wrote and while the latter speaks and teaches and writes of issues that reach beyond themselves, because they are not time-bound. Ultimately a central point of discussion is to demonstrate how (without presuming to state definitively as to why), within broad intellectual, cultural and spiritual frameworks, two individuals so far apart in time can be and have been within their respective times of thinking, feeling and writing, ahead of their time—and ultimately timeless, at least to those willing to listen carefully to their respective words. Rumi’s words, as Gülen recognizes, are really directed to all humans who share the potential to hear and see and who value and seek to hear and see inwardly as much as and sometimes more than outwardly. This is a sentiment shared, in fact, by Rumi and Gülen, each of whom in his own way is an important part of exploring and explaining how to carry “this great love … inside me” out to the world.

Dr. Ori Z. Soltes teaches at Georgetown University across a range of disciplines, from art history and theology to philosophy and political history. He is the former Director and Curator of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, where he curated over 80 exhibitions. He is also the author of over 230 books, articles, exhibition catalogues, and essays on a range of topics. Recent books include Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source,Searching for Oneness: Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Untangling the Web: A Thinking Person’s Guide to Why the Middle East is a Mess and Always has been, and Embracing the World: Fethullah Gulen’s Thought and Its Relationship to Jalaluddin Rumi and Others.