ABSTRACT
Jalaluddin Rumi stands as the preeminent Sufi poet in Islamic tradition. This chapter presents a methodology for teaching a unit on Rumi’s poetry in Religious Studies courses. By outlining the primary Islamic topoi in his poetic discourse—the oneness of God, prophetic history, and the annihilation of the ego through love of God—as well as strategies for exploring Rumi’s work in a classroom setting, this chapter argues that Rumi’s poetry exemplifies the way in which religious discourse seeks to connect what is human with what is understood to be divine. Special attention is paid to situating religious studies within a humanistic approach to history, language, and society.
