Religion of Love : Sufism and Self-Transformation in the Poetic Imagination of ?Attar

A groundbreaking study of Farid al-Din Aar, one of Persian literature''s greatest poets.

Religion of Love explores the life and work of the Persian Sufi poet and sage Farid al-Din Aar. Aar changed the face of world literature, leaving his impact on all cultures that have valued Persian Sufi writings. Considered for the first time through the lens of religious studies, Aar''s oeuvre offers much to contemporary readers. Aar''s poems cast a light on the relationship between revelation and the intellect. They also encourage liberation from self-centeredness through the fiery path of love. Thus, Religion of Love considers one of Persian literature''s greatest poets as more than just a poet, but also as a thinker and a commentator on moral psychology, ethics, and the intellectual debates of his age, debates that shed light on today''s religious complexities.