Oleg Yarosh | Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (original) (raw)
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Papers by Oleg Yarosh
Religions, 2025
This article addresses religious governance in Ukraine in relation to local Muslim organizations ... more This article addresses religious governance in Ukraine in relation to local Muslim organizations associated with the Council of European Muslims (CEM), formerly known as the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE). Specifically, it focuses on the Council of Ukrainian Muslims (CUM), formerly known as Alraid, and the Spiritual Administrations of Ukrainian Muslims Ummah (SAUM Ummah). Addressing the policymaking aspect of securitization, the article concerns state policies in Ukraine as ‘soft securitization’, meaning the execution of limited interventions and restrictions on the activities of Muslim organizations in Ukraine, particularly those at the focus of this article and labeled as ‘Islamist’. The FIOE in Europe and Alraid in Ukraine developed a response to these policies, informed by the wasatiyyah (moderation) post-Islamist ideology. The article analyzes how the wasatiyyah ideology was appropriated and negotiated in the discourse of these Ukrainian organizations, and how it informed their civic activism.
Journal of Muslims in Europe 13, 2024
This article explores the vision of human perfection and spiritual individualism in Western Sufis... more This article explores the vision of human perfection and spiritual individualism in Western Sufism, focusing on Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's literary works and teachings. It argues that, despite some similarities with New Age concepts that imply minimal transcendence, Shaykh Fadhlalla's teachings are deeply rooted in the classical Sufi tradition and based on otherworldly transcendence, but articulated through the lens of reflexive spirituality. While contemporary Sufi communities in Western Europe navigate the opposing trends of "re-Islamisation" and the development of "post-tariqa" Sufism, this article posits that Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's vision of post-tariqa Sufism is shaped by his ideas on human perfection and the ways to attain it.
Entangled Late Soviet Sufism, 2024
The complex esoteric milieu in Soviet society, although centered around influential figures and g... more The complex esoteric milieu in Soviet society, although centered around influential figures and groups in major cities of the European part of the USSR, was not homogenous. Less noticeable peripheral areas in the eastern parts of the Soviet Union also contributed to the esoteric milieu, often introducing unique teachings and practices. The dynamic interplay between these central and peripheral regions informed a multifaceted esoteric underground that developed despite the still oppressive late Soviet political climate. My focus lies on the Sufi current within this milieu, which evolved from the reciprocal entanglement process between center-periphery dynamics, encompassing Western esoteric currents, parascience, and popular Sufism in the Muslim-majority regions of the USSR.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 27, 2023
![Research paper thumbnail of Günümüzde Ukrayna Müslümanları: Yerel Gelişmeler ve Küresel Bağlantılar, [in:] Yeni Türkiye, Yıl 23, Sayı 96 (Temmuz - Ağustos 2017): 384-391.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/55361335/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Mefisto Rivista di medicina, filosofia, storia, 2021
This paper addresses contextualisation of Yogic practices, in particular, pranayama or breathwork... more This paper addresses contextualisation of Yogic practices, in particular, pranayama or breathwork in the western Sufism. For at least a half of century western religious milieu has been subjected to the eastern religious tradition influx and syncretisation that has an impact on appropriation of Sufis traditions in the West. Contemporary developments in the western Sufis are regarded in line with the concept of ‘reflective spirituality’ (Roof) who claims that contemporary ‘reflective self’ finds it expression in the ‘reflective spirituality’ that tend to be highly fused and oriented towards the practical holistic
perspective of ‘self-realisation’.
Religion & Gesellschaft IN OST UND WEST. Schlaglichter Ukraine in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 2023
Der Islam in der Ukraine umfasst eine Vielzahl muslimischer Organisationen, die zum Teil auch tr... more Der Islam in der Ukraine umfasst eine Vielzahl muslimischer Organisationen, die zum Teil
auch transnational vernetzt sind. Auf die russische Großinvasion in die Ukraine reagierten
die muslimischen Organisationen mit humanitärer Hilfe, einem Ausbau der Militärseelsorge und Mobilisierung von Hilfe aus dem Ausland. Zudem verurteilten ihre Anführer einhellig den Angriff sowie muslimische Vertreter in Russland, die den Krieg billigen.
Islamology, 2017
Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the S... more Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the Sufi communities in the West. It deals with theoretical aspects of the study of Western Sufi communities, the conceptualization of religious conversion and its motives, as well as collective factors and individual trajectories of conversion on the basis of own field research in the Sufi communities in Western Europe and materials presented in the relevant studies. The paper shows that conversion to Islam through Sufi communities is characterized by the transition from religious individualism to collectively shared normativity, while the charisma of the shaykh largely determines the collective identity of the community and affects the life trajectories of its members.
Journal of Eurasian Studies
This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the ... more This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the region, specifically to North Caucasus and Central-Eastern Europe (Germany and Ukraine) maintained through the translocal Sufi communities, that is, Naqshbandiyya-Haqqaniyya and al-Ahbash. The article demonstrates how these two Sufi networks that originated in the 1970s–1980s in Levant and later spread across the globe through migration routes, missionary activities, and conversions are contextualized in the Western sociocultural milieu in terms of discourses, practices, and institutionalization. While dealing with “redemptive sociality” in the Sufi communities as a form of collective solidarity based on allegiance to a charismatic Sufi Shaykh, this article conceptualizes a distinction between the general or founding charisma of silsila represented by its founders and spiritual leaders, and locally constructed charisma negotiated by local Sufi community and its spiritual leader.
Mondi , 2019
Present paper focuses on a little-known period of the Inayati Movement development, namely on Ina... more Present paper focuses on a little-known period of the Inayati Movement development, namely on Inayat Khan’s stay in Russia in October 1913 – May 1914. This short but very intense period was filled with musical performances by Inayat Khan and his brothers and multiple encounters with the emblematic representatives of Russian creative intelligentsia and esoteric circles of that time, as well as with the local Muslim elite. I would argue that reception of Inayat Khan’s mystical and aesthetic concepts in Russian cultic milieu was informed by its interest in the Theosophical doctrines, through prism of which they appropriated exotic ideas of «Sufi Wisdom».
Journal of Eurasian Studies , 2019
This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the ... more This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the region, specifically to North Caucasus and Central-Eastern Europe (Germany and Ukraine) maintained through the translocal Sufi communities, that is, Naqshbandiyya-Haqqaniyya and al-Ahbash. The article demonstrates how these two Sufi networks that originated in the 1970s–1980s in Levant and later spread across the globe through migration routes, missionary activities, and conversions are contextualized in the Western sociocultural milieu in terms of discourses, practices, and institutionalization. While dealing with “redemptive sociality” in the Sufi communities as a form of collective solidarity based on allegiance to a charismatic Sufi Shaykh, this article conceptualizes a distinction between the general or founding charisma of silsila represented by its founders and spiritual leaders, and locally constructed charisma negotiated by local Sufi community and its spiritual leader.
Aliter E-Journal, 2017
Present paper discusses contemporary scholarly approaches to the problems of typology and periodi... more Present paper discusses contemporary scholarly approaches to the problems of typology and periodization of the Sufi movements in the West that could be regarded as an essential part of Western Esotericism. It argues that, despite some shortcomings and limitations, existing typologies and the periodization of the development of Sufi communities in the West constitute important analytical tools for the study of these religious movements and institutions.
Islamology: Journal for Studies of Islam and Muslim Societies, 2017
Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the S... more Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the Sufi communities in the West. It deals with theoretical aspects of the study of Western Sufi communities, the conceptualization of religious conversion and its motives, as well as collective factors and individual trajectories of conversion on the basis of own field research in the Sufi communities in Western Europe and materials presented in the relevant studies. The paper shows that conversion to Islam through Sufi communities is characterized by the transition from religious individualism to collectively shared normativity, while the charisma of the shaykh largely determines the collective identity of the community and affects the life trajectories of its members.
Keywords: Islam in Europe, Sufism, tariqa, conversion, shaykh, charisma.
The article exposes the process of the development and transformation of the Sufi communities in ... more The article exposes the process of the development and transformation of the Sufi communities in Western Europe. It focuses on the Sufi Centre Rabbaniyya in Berlin which is considered here as a “hybrid” community contextualizing Sufi traditions in the Western socio-cultural milieu. “Hybrid” communities are regarded in the article as unstable and exposed to the current trend in the Western Sufism known as “turn to authenticity”, in consequence of which they are partially transformed into the more traditional shari’a-oriented institutions.
The present paper focuses on the models of communication and mechanisms of acculturation of Musli... more The present paper focuses on the models of communication and mechanisms of acculturation of Muslims converts of European origin in the multiethnic Sufi communities in socio-cultural context of the European megapolis. Sufi communities are considered here as social groups formed by representatives of the Muslim diasporas and Europeans-converts, assembled around religious authority in the person of Sheikh and on the
ground of common beliefs, values, norms, symbols and meanings that are shared by their members in the process of interaction in varying degrees, depending on their own socio-cultural predispositions.
Key words: authority, inculturation, communication, converts, Sufism, hybrid community
In der Ukraine gibt es mehrere muslimische Institutionen, die sich unterschiedlich zum Majdan pos... more In der Ukraine gibt es mehrere muslimische Institutionen, die sich unterschiedlich zum Majdan positioniert haben. Unter der Annexion der Krim haben vor allem die Muslime auf der Halbinsel zu leiden, wo im September 2014 ein prorussisches Taurisches Muftiat in Konkurrenz zur traditionellen Geistlichen Verwaltung der Krimtataren gegründet wurde. Letztere steht vor der Aufgabe, zwischen den unterschiedlichen Interessegruppen zu vermitteln und ein konstruktives Verhältnis zu den russischen muslimischen Institutionen aufzubauen. -R. Z.
Islam: history, essential dimensions and contemporary trends, 2008
Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within t... more Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within the framework of traditional Islam as well as new religious movements influenced by Sufism. This research also presents typology of these movements and analysis of their doctrine and organizational principles.
Religions, 2025
This article addresses religious governance in Ukraine in relation to local Muslim organizations ... more This article addresses religious governance in Ukraine in relation to local Muslim organizations associated with the Council of European Muslims (CEM), formerly known as the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE). Specifically, it focuses on the Council of Ukrainian Muslims (CUM), formerly known as Alraid, and the Spiritual Administrations of Ukrainian Muslims Ummah (SAUM Ummah). Addressing the policymaking aspect of securitization, the article concerns state policies in Ukraine as ‘soft securitization’, meaning the execution of limited interventions and restrictions on the activities of Muslim organizations in Ukraine, particularly those at the focus of this article and labeled as ‘Islamist’. The FIOE in Europe and Alraid in Ukraine developed a response to these policies, informed by the wasatiyyah (moderation) post-Islamist ideology. The article analyzes how the wasatiyyah ideology was appropriated and negotiated in the discourse of these Ukrainian organizations, and how it informed their civic activism.
Journal of Muslims in Europe 13, 2024
This article explores the vision of human perfection and spiritual individualism in Western Sufis... more This article explores the vision of human perfection and spiritual individualism in Western Sufism, focusing on Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's literary works and teachings. It argues that, despite some similarities with New Age concepts that imply minimal transcendence, Shaykh Fadhlalla's teachings are deeply rooted in the classical Sufi tradition and based on otherworldly transcendence, but articulated through the lens of reflexive spirituality. While contemporary Sufi communities in Western Europe navigate the opposing trends of "re-Islamisation" and the development of "post-tariqa" Sufism, this article posits that Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's vision of post-tariqa Sufism is shaped by his ideas on human perfection and the ways to attain it.
Entangled Late Soviet Sufism, 2024
The complex esoteric milieu in Soviet society, although centered around influential figures and g... more The complex esoteric milieu in Soviet society, although centered around influential figures and groups in major cities of the European part of the USSR, was not homogenous. Less noticeable peripheral areas in the eastern parts of the Soviet Union also contributed to the esoteric milieu, often introducing unique teachings and practices. The dynamic interplay between these central and peripheral regions informed a multifaceted esoteric underground that developed despite the still oppressive late Soviet political climate. My focus lies on the Sufi current within this milieu, which evolved from the reciprocal entanglement process between center-periphery dynamics, encompassing Western esoteric currents, parascience, and popular Sufism in the Muslim-majority regions of the USSR.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 27, 2023
Mefisto Rivista di medicina, filosofia, storia, 2021
This paper addresses contextualisation of Yogic practices, in particular, pranayama or breathwork... more This paper addresses contextualisation of Yogic practices, in particular, pranayama or breathwork in the western Sufism. For at least a half of century western religious milieu has been subjected to the eastern religious tradition influx and syncretisation that has an impact on appropriation of Sufis traditions in the West. Contemporary developments in the western Sufis are regarded in line with the concept of ‘reflective spirituality’ (Roof) who claims that contemporary ‘reflective self’ finds it expression in the ‘reflective spirituality’ that tend to be highly fused and oriented towards the practical holistic
perspective of ‘self-realisation’.
Religion & Gesellschaft IN OST UND WEST. Schlaglichter Ukraine in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 2023
Der Islam in der Ukraine umfasst eine Vielzahl muslimischer Organisationen, die zum Teil auch tr... more Der Islam in der Ukraine umfasst eine Vielzahl muslimischer Organisationen, die zum Teil
auch transnational vernetzt sind. Auf die russische Großinvasion in die Ukraine reagierten
die muslimischen Organisationen mit humanitärer Hilfe, einem Ausbau der Militärseelsorge und Mobilisierung von Hilfe aus dem Ausland. Zudem verurteilten ihre Anführer einhellig den Angriff sowie muslimische Vertreter in Russland, die den Krieg billigen.
Islamology, 2017
Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the S... more Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the Sufi communities in the West. It deals with theoretical aspects of the study of Western Sufi communities, the conceptualization of religious conversion and its motives, as well as collective factors and individual trajectories of conversion on the basis of own field research in the Sufi communities in Western Europe and materials presented in the relevant studies. The paper shows that conversion to Islam through Sufi communities is characterized by the transition from religious individualism to collectively shared normativity, while the charisma of the shaykh largely determines the collective identity of the community and affects the life trajectories of its members.
Journal of Eurasian Studies
This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the ... more This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the region, specifically to North Caucasus and Central-Eastern Europe (Germany and Ukraine) maintained through the translocal Sufi communities, that is, Naqshbandiyya-Haqqaniyya and al-Ahbash. The article demonstrates how these two Sufi networks that originated in the 1970s–1980s in Levant and later spread across the globe through migration routes, missionary activities, and conversions are contextualized in the Western sociocultural milieu in terms of discourses, practices, and institutionalization. While dealing with “redemptive sociality” in the Sufi communities as a form of collective solidarity based on allegiance to a charismatic Sufi Shaykh, this article conceptualizes a distinction between the general or founding charisma of silsila represented by its founders and spiritual leaders, and locally constructed charisma negotiated by local Sufi community and its spiritual leader.
Mondi , 2019
Present paper focuses on a little-known period of the Inayati Movement development, namely on Ina... more Present paper focuses on a little-known period of the Inayati Movement development, namely on Inayat Khan’s stay in Russia in October 1913 – May 1914. This short but very intense period was filled with musical performances by Inayat Khan and his brothers and multiple encounters with the emblematic representatives of Russian creative intelligentsia and esoteric circles of that time, as well as with the local Muslim elite. I would argue that reception of Inayat Khan’s mystical and aesthetic concepts in Russian cultic milieu was informed by its interest in the Theosophical doctrines, through prism of which they appropriated exotic ideas of «Sufi Wisdom».
Journal of Eurasian Studies , 2019
This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the ... more This article examines historical connectedness inside West Asia, that is, Levant, and beyond the region, specifically to North Caucasus and Central-Eastern Europe (Germany and Ukraine) maintained through the translocal Sufi communities, that is, Naqshbandiyya-Haqqaniyya and al-Ahbash. The article demonstrates how these two Sufi networks that originated in the 1970s–1980s in Levant and later spread across the globe through migration routes, missionary activities, and conversions are contextualized in the Western sociocultural milieu in terms of discourses, practices, and institutionalization. While dealing with “redemptive sociality” in the Sufi communities as a form of collective solidarity based on allegiance to a charismatic Sufi Shaykh, this article conceptualizes a distinction between the general or founding charisma of silsila represented by its founders and spiritual leaders, and locally constructed charisma negotiated by local Sufi community and its spiritual leader.
Aliter E-Journal, 2017
Present paper discusses contemporary scholarly approaches to the problems of typology and periodi... more Present paper discusses contemporary scholarly approaches to the problems of typology and periodization of the Sufi movements in the West that could be regarded as an essential part of Western Esotericism. It argues that, despite some shortcomings and limitations, existing typologies and the periodization of the development of Sufi communities in the West constitute important analytical tools for the study of these religious movements and institutions.
Islamology: Journal for Studies of Islam and Muslim Societies, 2017
Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the S... more Present paper examines the processes of native Europeans conversion to Islam in relation to the Sufi communities in the West. It deals with theoretical aspects of the study of Western Sufi communities, the conceptualization of religious conversion and its motives, as well as collective factors and individual trajectories of conversion on the basis of own field research in the Sufi communities in Western Europe and materials presented in the relevant studies. The paper shows that conversion to Islam through Sufi communities is characterized by the transition from religious individualism to collectively shared normativity, while the charisma of the shaykh largely determines the collective identity of the community and affects the life trajectories of its members.
Keywords: Islam in Europe, Sufism, tariqa, conversion, shaykh, charisma.
The article exposes the process of the development and transformation of the Sufi communities in ... more The article exposes the process of the development and transformation of the Sufi communities in Western Europe. It focuses on the Sufi Centre Rabbaniyya in Berlin which is considered here as a “hybrid” community contextualizing Sufi traditions in the Western socio-cultural milieu. “Hybrid” communities are regarded in the article as unstable and exposed to the current trend in the Western Sufism known as “turn to authenticity”, in consequence of which they are partially transformed into the more traditional shari’a-oriented institutions.
The present paper focuses on the models of communication and mechanisms of acculturation of Musli... more The present paper focuses on the models of communication and mechanisms of acculturation of Muslims converts of European origin in the multiethnic Sufi communities in socio-cultural context of the European megapolis. Sufi communities are considered here as social groups formed by representatives of the Muslim diasporas and Europeans-converts, assembled around religious authority in the person of Sheikh and on the
ground of common beliefs, values, norms, symbols and meanings that are shared by their members in the process of interaction in varying degrees, depending on their own socio-cultural predispositions.
Key words: authority, inculturation, communication, converts, Sufism, hybrid community
In der Ukraine gibt es mehrere muslimische Institutionen, die sich unterschiedlich zum Majdan pos... more In der Ukraine gibt es mehrere muslimische Institutionen, die sich unterschiedlich zum Majdan positioniert haben. Unter der Annexion der Krim haben vor allem die Muslime auf der Halbinsel zu leiden, wo im September 2014 ein prorussisches Taurisches Muftiat in Konkurrenz zur traditionellen Geistlichen Verwaltung der Krimtataren gegründet wurde. Letztere steht vor der Aufgabe, zwischen den unterschiedlichen Interessegruppen zu vermitteln und ein konstruktives Verhältnis zu den russischen muslimischen Institutionen aufzubauen. -R. Z.
Islam: history, essential dimensions and contemporary trends, 2008
Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within t... more Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within the framework of traditional Islam as well as new religious movements influenced by Sufism. This research also presents typology of these movements and analysis of their doctrine and organizational principles.
Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe: Widening …
The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Uk... more The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Ukraine in full scale. Despite a relatively small number of Muslims in the country, different and even contesting Islamic institutions are present, which makes Islamic tradition in Ukraine extremely polarized. Local conditions of Islamic revival (including religious, ethnocultural and political), of constructing and reconstructing Islamic institutions, have shaped the understanding and practice of Islam among Ukrainian Muslims. On the other hand, these conditions are under the influence of international Islamic network institutions, bringing their disputes and feuds into the Ukrainian context.
Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe
The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Uk... more The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Ukraine in full scale. Despite a relatively small number of Muslims in the country, different and even contesting Islamic institutions are present, which makes Islamic tradition in Ukraine extremely polarized. Local conditions of Islamic revival (including religious, ethnocultural and political), of constructing and reconstructing Islamic institutions, have shaped the understanding and practice of Islam among Ukrainian Muslims. On the other hand, these conditions are under the influence of international Islamic network institutions, bringing their disputes and feuds into the Ukrainian context.
The Islamic World in Contemporary and Historical Perspective / Świat islamu w perspektywie współczesnej i historycznej, 2020
This paper examines the institutional development of transnational Sufi communities in the West. ... more This paper examines the institutional development of transnational Sufi communities in the West. Western Sufism has been developing in a social-cultural milieu that is marked by the "specialization of institutional domains, the pluralism of mass-culture, and the development of a market of world views" 1. Privatization of religion as a new social form is driven by the development of the private sphere, individual autonomy and liberal values, as a result "the individual is given the freedom to choose from a variety of sacred universes" 2. Thomas Luckmann describes this privatized social form of religion as "relying primarily on an open market of diffuse, syncretistic packages of meaning, typically connected to low levels of transcendence and produced in a partly or fully commercialized cultic milieu" 3. This idea is echoed by Danièle Hervieu-Léger who claims that "religious modernity" is characterized by plurality of individual religious combinations, and weakening of the institutionalized belief systems; in other words, it is driven by individualized dispersion and the decay of religious codes that maintained collective religious identities 4. Historically, transnational Sufi cults mediated connections between the different parts of the Islamicate World and they were also critical in spreading Islam beyond its borders not only as a source of religious practice and knowledge, but also as a civil and political force. Nile Green presents a very fitting description for these trans-regional Sufi cults as "cultural technology of interregional connection and exchange" 5. Sufi networks continue to perform some of these functions today in the Muslim diasporas located in the West, maintaining for example "complex relationships with homeland societies while simultaneously developing global contacts crossing the ethnical links and thereby becoming the channels of the cultural flows" 6 .
Routledge eBooks, Sep 16, 2022
The authors of the monograph focus on the historiography of the study of Oriental intellectual tr... more The authors of the monograph focus on the historiography of the study of Oriental intellectual traditions within the framework of the “Orientalist paradigm”, that is, an established system of views that determine the way problems are posed and solved. The “Orientalist paradigm” is based on Enlightenment rationalism, universalism and progressivism, and its key postulate is the thesis of the ontological and epistemological difference or even gap between the “East” and the “West” (E. Said). “Orientalism” was preceded by the “receptive-polemical” stage of understanding of Oriental intellectual traditions in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, which was characterized by the works of translators and church polemicists. “Practical Orientalism” is closely related to this period, primarily associated with the activities of missionaries, diplomats, soldiers, travelers, and merchants. In turn, academic orientalism, which began to actively develop since the 17th century, is associated ...
The Islamic World in Contemporary and Historical Perspective. Ed by Agata S. Nalborczyk, Izabela Kończak, Magdalena Lewicka. Łódź: Łódź University Press, 2020
This paper examines the institutional development of transnational Sufi communities in the West. ... more This paper examines the institutional development of transnational Sufi communities in the West. Western Sufism has been developing in a social--cultural milieu that is marked by the "specialization of institutional domains, the pluralism of mass-culture, and the development of a market of world views" 1 . Privatization of religion as a new social form is driven by the development of the private sphere, individual autonomy and liberal values, as a result "the individual is given the freedom to choose from a variety of sacred universes" 2 . Thomas Luckmann describes this privatized social form of religion as "relying primarily on an open market of diffuse, syncretistic packages of meaning, typically connected to low levels of transcendence and produced in a partly or fully commercialized cultic milieu" 3 . This idea is echoed by Danièle Hervieu-Léger who claims that "religious modernity" is characterized by plurality of individual religious combinations, and weakening of the institutionalized belief systems; in other words, it is driven by individualized dispersion and the decay of religious codes that maintained collective religious identities 4 .
Islam in the Public Sphere: Theories and Social Practices, 2020
The study examines the main theoretical approaches to understanding of the public sphere and the ... more The study examines the main theoretical approaches to understanding of the public sphere and the function of religion, as well as analyzes the theoretical contribution of Muslim thinkers, religious processes and the development of pre-modern and modern public sphere in the West and the Islamicate World, the role of globalization and transnational movements. Particular attention is paid to the public role of Islam in Central and Eastern Europe, in particular in Poland and Ukraine. This work may be useful to those who study social theory and are interested in religious studies and religious and social processes in the historical context and today, in particular the Islamic religious tradition and social practices in the Western and Muslim public spheres.
![Research paper thumbnail of Islam and Politics: Ideology, Movements and Organizations [in Ukrainian]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/63175662/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](In the collective monograph "Islam and Politics: Ideology, Movements and Organizations", are expl... more In the collective monograph "Islam and Politics: Ideology, Movements and Organizations", are explored the causes of the emergence of Islam, the main stages of its development, the main actors and structural components. The analysis of the development of the phenomenon of political Islam in key regions of the world is being carried out.
The results of joint two-year studies provide the basis for equating the notions of "political Islam", "political activism in Islam" and "Islamism." No less important is the elucidation of the nature of the links between political Islam and Salafism. This is, in particular, the mutual penetration and mutual influence of Islamism, which emerged and develops primarily in the public sphere, and Salafism, for which the most natural is the sphere of religion.
The structure of the monograph includes 4 sections, introduction and conclusion. The introduction defines the basic concepts that help to analyze the phenomenon of political Islam. In addition, the theological basis of Islamism is examined.
The first section of the monograph is devoted to the study of the origins of political Islam in historical retrospect.
In the second section, the political component of the main trends in modern Sunnism and Shiism is analyzed. In particular, the political component of Salafism and Takfirism is explored. The essence of the "Vilayat al-Faqih" doctrine in relation to the Iranian revolution of 1979 is considered.
The third section of the monograph is devoted to the main movements of political Islam, their history and structure.
The fourth section reveals the ethnographic features of Islamists. The authors attempted to analyze the situation on the state of political Islam in the most important regions of the Muslim world.
In the afterword options are considered for further development of world events against the backdrop of the relationship between Western and Islamic civilizations, against the backdrop of the expectation of another radical Islamist project.
Muslim Minorities and the Refugee Crisis in Europe. Katarzyna Górak-Sosnowska Marta Pachocka Jan Misiuna (Eds.). Oficyna Wydawnicza SGH, Warszawa, 2019
Present paper focuses on the development of Muslim communities and institutions in Ukraine after ... more Present paper focuses on the development of Muslim communities and institutions in Ukraine after 2014 since the annexation of Crimea and beginning of war in Donbas. These dramatic events significantly affected Muslim population in Ukraine, because these two regions are territories where Muslims constitute a significant part of the population. The Muslim communities in Crimea were forced to adapt their policies to the new realities on the ground and act within a Russian Federation legal framework. Meanwhile the influx of the Crimean Tatars into the mainland Ukraine facilitated formation of the new Muslim religious institutions. It also leads to expansion of Muslim communities in Western Ukraine. The role of transnational Islamic networks in Ukraine turns to be even more important because of the recent development of the local Salafi communities and religious organizations. The Muslim communities' development in Ukraine after 2014 is marked by a growing diversity, territorial expansion and further politicization of Muslim religious life in Ukraine.
Moving In and Out of Islam, Karin van Nieuwkerk (ed.), Austin: University of Texas Press., 2018
This chapter addresses the issue of religious authority in Berlin Sufi communities in the context... more This chapter addresses the issue of religious authority in Berlin Sufi communities in the context of native European converts to Islam and second-generation Muslims who are born to Sufi followers (murids).
It will discuss the following research questions. How is religious authority in Western Sufi groups constructed, and how does it affect interreligious and intrareligious conversions? How does the presence of many native European converts affect local Sufi communities? How do these European converts view Islamic normative tradition and express their religious identity? And how do they influence the defining discourses of local Sufi communities?
I will particularly address intrareligious conversion, regarded here as a
process of religious learning and gradual adoption of religious norms and
practices in Sufi communities. This chapter will also address the institutionalization and collective expressions of religious authority in some Sufi communities in Berlin, namely in the Sufi Center Rabbaniyya and the Tariqah Burhaniyya.
![Research paper thumbnail of Sieć Braci Muzułmanów oraz wspólnoty muzułmańskie w Europie Środkowowschodniej: instytucje, misje, działalność społeczna, [w:] Widy-Behiesse Marta, Zasztowt Konrad (red.), Islam w Europie. Nowe kierunki badań. Księga ku czci Profesor Anny Parzymies, Warszawa, Dialog, 2015: 312-324.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/50848275/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Present chapter focuses on development of the transnational Islamic communities and networks in t... more Present chapter focuses on development of the transnational Islamic communities and networks in the East-Central Europe. Today, Muslim communities in the West are strongly influenced by the ‘universality’ of contemporary global culture although preserve religion as an important marker of their collective identity. Transnational Islamic organizations and movements associate themselves with some religious leaders and are united around common principles and ideological goals, while have a decentralized network structure whose business is global in nature and not limited to a separate region.
One of the most widespread transnational Islamic networks in the target region is the Federation of Islamic Organization in Europe (FIOE), an umbrella structure for the “Muslim Brotherhood” (MB) in Europe. These networks can be described in terms of post-Islamist agenda which mainly includes tasks related to religious, cultural and social problems of Muslim communities in Europe, although they maintain close contacts with MB organizations in Muslim countries and support their political agenda and activities.
![Research paper thumbnail of Sufickie Ruchy odrodzenia Islamu w Europie Zachodniej i na Ukrainie, [w]: Islam w Europie. Bogactwo różnorodności czy źródło konfliktów?, Widy-Behiesse Marta (red.), Warszawa: Dialog, 2012](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/39352771/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Аннотация: Сборник статей «Суфизм и мусульманская духовная традиция» посвящен такому многогранном... more Аннотация:
Сборник статей «Суфизм и мусульманская духовная традиция» посвящен такому многогранному, спорному и яркому феномену мусульманской духовно-практической традиции, как суфизм, — его текстам, институтам, идеям и интерпретациям. Сборник рассчитан на самый широкий круг читателей, интересующихся духовной культурой и практикой мусульман, историей суфизма и его современным состоянием.
Summary:
“Sufism and the Muslim Spiritual Tradition” explores the complex and occasionally controversial phenomenon of Islamic theory, culture and practice known as “Sufism”. The chapters assembled in this book discuss Sufi texts, institutions, rituals, and discourses as well as related phenomena of Muslim cultural and spiritual life in the past and today.
Редакционная коллегия:
Ответственный редактор А.Д. Кныш, Университет Мичигана и Санкт- Петербургский Государственный университет
Д.В. Брилёв, Национальный педагогический университет им. М.П. Драгоманова, Киев
О.А. Ярош, Институт философии им. Г.С. Сковороды НАН Украины, Киев
Edited by:
Alexander Knysh, University of Michigan and St. Petersburg State University
Denis Brilyov, National Pedagogical University named after M.P. Dragomanov
Oleg Yarosh, Institute of Philosophy named after G.S. Skovoroda, The Ukraine National Academy of Sciences
by Oleksandr Trygub, Авраменко Валеріївна, Oleg Yarosh, Nadia Oksenyi]vna, Ира Шейко, Нефёдов Дмитрий, Ksenia Gospodarenko, Олеся Звездова, Михайло Гончар, Елена Барсук, and Игорь Шева
До збірника увійшли матеріали доповідей і повідомлень учасників VІІ Міжнародної науково-практично... more До збірника увійшли матеріали доповідей і повідомлень учасників VІІ Міжнародної науково-практичної конференції «Аркасівські читання: історичні дослідження на сучасному етапі розвитку гуманітарної науки». Публікації присвячені актуальним питанням археології, історії України, всесвітньої історії, міжнародних відносин, етнології, історіографії та краєзнавства Для археологів, істориків, археологів, краєзнавців, вчителів історії
Sententiae, 2023
Review of Baig, M., & Gleave, R. (Eds.). (2021). Violence in Islamic Thought from European Imperi... more Review of Baig, M., & Gleave, R. (Eds.). (2021). Violence in Islamic Thought from European Imperialism to the Post-Colonial Era (Vol. 3). Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP.