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IMAGINAL WORLDS Ibn al-‘Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity

IMAGINAL WORLDS Ibn al-`Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity William C. Chittick Ibn ‘Arabi, known as the “Greatest Master,” is the most influential Muslim thinker of the past 600 years. This book is an introduction to his thought concerning the ultimate destiny of human beings, God and the cosmos, and the reasons for religious diversity. It summarizes many of Ibn `Arabi’s teachings in a simple manner. The ideas discussed are explained in detail. The book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Chittick explains Ibn `Arabi’s concept of human perfection; in the second part, he looks at various implications of the World of Imagination; and in the third part, he exposes Ibn al-`Arabi’s teachings on why God’s wisdom demands diversity of religious expression, and he suggests how these teachings can be employed to conceptualise the study of world religions in a contemporary context. *** “Imaginal Worlds is an excellent summary and a solid interpretation of Ibn al-`Arabi’s teachings.” —Gerhard Bowering, Yale University