Ori Z. Soltes of Georgetown University speaks 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.
Source: Rumi Forum
Related Posts:
- Embracing the World: Rumi and Fethullah Gulen
- Ori Soltes on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement
- Fethullah Gulen, the Gulen Movement and Socrates - A comparison of perspectives on peacebuilding
