Cyber Sufis: Virtual Expressions of the American Muslim Experience

(Paperback)

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Description

The Internet has changed every aspect of life in the modern world, providing us with myriad new ways to communicate, work and learn. For a growing number of people it is also transforming the way they practise their religion. In America today, online spaces serve as critical alternatives for tech-savvy Muslims seeking a place to root their faith, forge religious identity, and build communities. With a particular focus on the Inayati Order in North America, a branch of the oldest and most prominent Sufi order in the West, Robert Rozehnal explores the wider trends emerging where digital and religious worlds meet. He examines how the Cyber Sufis are revolutionising internal communication, spiritual pedagogy and public outreach, and looks ahead to the future of digital Islam in the age of Web 3.0. The first introductory roadmap to navigating this new landscape, Cyber Sufis will be a vital resource for students and general readers interested in how the Internet is reshaping religious practice in the twenty-first century.

Reviews

Essential reading for students and academics with interests in the diverse expressions of contemporary Islam, on- and offline.

-- Gary R. Bunt, author of Hashtag Islam, and Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Captivating, thought-provoking, and groundbreaking. Cyber Sufis is a serious attempt to explore the highly understudied and mostly overlooked spiritual and mystical dimension of the digital ecosystem.

-- Sahar Khamis, Associate Professor of Communication, University of Maryland, and co-author of Islam Dot Com

Author Bio

Robert Rozehnal is Associate Professor of Religion Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Global Islamic Studies at Lehigh University. He is the author of Islamic Sufism Unbound, the editor of Piety, Politics and Everyday Ethics in Southeast Asian Islam, and numerous articles. He serves as the national co-chair of the Islamic Mysticism group at the American Academy of Religion.