A Wayfarer in a Land of the Free: American Sufism in the Age of DIY Religiosity

Abstract

This paper observes theological shift towards a personalized spirituality of Muslim religiosity in America. In the face of global resurgence of Islamic movement and its ambitious call towards purification, personalized form of Islam is strongly criticized to be deviant and a mere practice of heresy. Islamic mysticism or commonly known as Sufism gained more popularity in modern America for its stress on God’s mercy over exclusive legalism in understanding cosmic law and the divine consequences. Over the year, it has proven its catalytic role for a more peaceful interreligious understanding on account to reflexivity and cosmopolitan consciousness. Drawing from a recent scholarship by Ulrich Beck on individualized religion, this paper explores; process of individualization of religion in forming modern American religious experience and the socio-cultural relevance of Sufism in shaping contemporary religious relation of Islam in America. Data utilized in this research draws upon interviews and observational fieldworks in the East Coast America.

Full text

Class Society
Risk Society
• Basic social
organizing principle
• Form of inequality
• Core contentious
questions of justice
and fairness focus
on:
• Experienced
personally
• Experienced
collectively
• Collectivization
(into families, status
group, etc.) plus
tradition
• Social class position
• Distribution of
goods (wealth)
• Paradigmatically as:
Hunger
• Potentially as: Class
consciousness
• Individualization
plus reflexivity
• Social risk position
• Distribution of
‘bads’ (risks)
• Paradigmatically as:
Fear
• Potentially as:
Elimination of risk