Jamal J. Elias

Jamal J. Elias, the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the Mevlevi community's evolution after Rumi's death. He discusses the concept of 'emotional communities' and critiques labeling Sufism. The narratives around charismatic leaders like Ulu Arif and women’s roles in Mevlevi history shed light on important cultural dynamics. Elias also delves into the complexities of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, the significance of the Masnavi, and how Persian literature faced challenges during the Ottoman period.