The Circle and the Compass

The Circle and the Compass

Author: Selected speakers May 4, 2022 Duration: 38:52
Stephen Hirtenstein has been editor of the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society since its inception in 1982, and is a co-founder of Anqa Publishing. He read History at King's College, Cambridge, and then studied at the Beshara School of Intensive Esoteric Education in Gloucestershire and Scotland. After a teaching career, he began writing and giving talks on Ibn 'Arabi's thought at conferences across the world. In addition to lecturing and writing, he organises and leads tours in the footsteps of Ibn 'Arabi. He currently works as a Senior Editor for the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, and is a Short courses tutor in the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. His publications include The Unlimited Mercifier – The spiritual life and thought of Ibn 'Arabi (1999), The Seven Days of the Heart Prayers for the nights and days of the week – Ibn 'Arabi's Awrad al-usbu (2000), Divine Sayings – 101 Hadith Qudsi – The Mishkat al-Anwar of Ibn 'Arabi (2004), and most recently The Alchemy of Human Happiness – Chapter 167 of Ibn 'Arabi's Meccan Illuminations – Fi ma'rifat kimiya' al-sa'ada (2017)

The Ibn 'Arabi Society podcast offers a deep and nuanced exploration into the life, work, and enduring legacy of the 13th-century Andalusian mystic and philosopher, Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi. This series presents a curated selection of talks from the Society's annual symposia, featuring a diverse range of Selected speakers including scholars, translators, and practitioners. Each episode delves into specific themes from Ibn 'Arabi's vast corpus-such as the Oneness of Being, the imagination as a creative cosmic force, and the perfect human-placing his thought in dialogue with contemporary questions in spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like attending a rigorous yet accessible academic gathering, where complex ideas about the nature of reality, love, and divine knowledge are unpacked with care and passion. You'll hear detailed analyses of primary texts, cross-cultural comparisons, and reflections on how these profound teachings apply to modern life and interfaith understanding. It is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to move beyond superficial summaries and engage seriously with one of history's most influential spiritual intellects. The discussions are richly layered, rewarding both newcomers and those already familiar with Sufi metaphysics, and together they build a comprehensive portrait of a thinker whose work continues to resonate across centuries and disciplines.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 181

Ibn 'Arabi Society
Podcast Episodes
Living through the Spectacles of Tasavvuf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:32
Cemalnur Sargut received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from the State Academy of Architecture and Engineering in 1974 and taught Chemistry to high school students in Istanbul for 20 years. For the last 25 years, she ha…
Ibn 'Arabi and the modern Mindfulness movement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
Alison Yiangou read physics and psychology at Bristol and Oxford and then trained in business management and human relations before joining her husband to found Yiangou Architects in 1981. A long-time student of the Besh…
Trying to find the path of Ibn 'Arabi in 21st Century London [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:20
Dr. Ann Coxon has been associated with the Society for many years and was the Fellows' Representative in 2005. She had an international childhood exposed to many religious faiths, and was educated in convent schools. She…
Rumi's Community: Celebrating the Eternal Rumi with Poetry and Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:42
Coleman Barks is a renowned poet and the best-selling author of The Essential Rumi, The Soul of Rumi, Rumi: The Book of Love and The Drowned Book. He was prominently featured in both of Bill Moyers' PBS television series…
Ibn 'Arabi's Lyric Mysticism and the Persian-Arabic Love Affair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:14
Ibn 'Arabi's erotic love poetry emerges from within the Arabic lyrical tradition. The named beloved in the poems is Nizam, a girl from Isfahan, who has been called Ibn 'Arabi's Beatrice. Michael Sells, who writes about a…