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
By Way of Essential Meaning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:34
Born in Lancashire, UK. Married with two grown up children. Read Philosophy and Religious Studies at Lancaster University and postgraduate research at Keble College, University of Oxford. Formerly Senior Lecturer at Univ…
Naught but Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:07
Dr. Pablo Beneito is Professor at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville. He has edited and translated several of Ibn 'Arabi's works: the Mashahid al-asrar (with Souad a…
"Whoever knows himself..." in the Futuhat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:45
James W. Morris is professor in Theology at Boston College. He has written and taught in many areas of spirituality and religious thought, including the Islamic humanities, Islamic philosophy, Sufism, and cinema in spiri…
You Are My Mirror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:18
Cecilia Twinch read Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University. She has studied Ibn 'Arabi's work for many years and is actively involved with the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society based in Oxford, being Reviews Ed…
The Levels of the Soul and the Levels of Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:06
Caner Dagli is currently a professor in the Religion and Philosophy department at Roanoke College in Salem, VA. Dagli earned a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. from George Washington University and a Ph.D. from Prin…
The Young Woman at the Ka'ba - Love and Infinity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:09
Michael Sells, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), is a John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Michael Sells studies and teaches in the areas of qur…