Christian Perspectives on Sufism

Christian Perspectives on Sufism: Mystics, Monks and Mosques explores how Christian thought has historically engaged with the mysticism of Islam, offering a theologically grounded, dialogical reflection on Sufi beliefs and practices. Drawing on a series of lectures delivered at Oxford, this book examines Christian–Sufi encounters through themes such as love, law, poetry, freedom and mysticism—tracing both mutual influence and theological divergence. It explores how Sufism emerged and developed in dialogue with other traditions along the Silk Road, how figures like Rumi and Iqbal expressed mystical ideas in poetry and philosophy, and how Christian thinkers have engaged with these ideas across time. With chapters on the renewal of thought in both Islam and Christianity in the Middle East and South Asia, the book provides a differentiated and critical Christian perspective on Sufism—appreciating its spiritual richness while engaging its theological tensions. Accessible yet grounded in deep scholarship, this book will appeal to students and scholars of theology, religious studies, Islamic studies and Middle Eastern history, as well as to those involved in interfaith dialogue and Christian–Muslim engagement across the globe.