RR Podcast E36 Free Content Dr. Liana Saif: Islamic Esotericism

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Liana Saif. To access the entire episode, please consider visiting www.patreon/RejectedReligion and become a Tier 1 'The Gates of Argonath' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. 
The Patreon page offers much more content as well, including a book club that meets 4 times per year via Zoom. If you are interested in esoteric topics, please check it out!  ~ Many thanks, Stephanie

In 2021, Liana Saif joined the Centre for the Study of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam as Assistant Professor in the History of Esotericism in the Middle Ages. Liana’s work focuses on Islamic esotericism and the occult sciences, with a special interest in the exchange of esoteric and occult knowledge between the Islamic and Latin inhabited lands. Her book The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015. She is currently preparing a long-awaited critical translation from Arabic into English of the grimoire known as the Picatrix. A few of her research projects include the tenth-century secret brotherhood known as The Brethren of Purity, and the pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica. She also worked as a project curator at the British Museum, deepening her interest in the material and artistic manifestations of the occult and the esoteric.

Liana is a founding member of the European Network for the Study of Islam and Esotericism (ENSIE). Editorial roles include being a board member for Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism and Brill’s Islamic Translation Series, and an associate editor of the journal Early Science and Medicine.

In this interview, Liana speaks at length about Islamic Esotericism. This is an area of esoteric history that I haven’t yet touched upon, so I was happy that Liana agreed to share her extensive knowledge on this topic. Some highlights of our discussion include: why the views and discourse of Islam within the area of “Western” esotericism is problematic; academic debates and disagreements in this area, how Liana defines Islamic esotericism, including paradigms and social orientations; and why the relationship between the idea of an eternal truth and the Islamic law raises anxiety in how Islamic esotericism is interpreted.

 

Liana also discusses her research that deals with the 17th century Maltese inquisition, in particular the trial of Sellem the Moor, a Muslim enslaved person who was accused of being a magician. This work is part of a larger volume called Magic in Malta, and Liana examines this trial on three interconnected levels, and is a down-to-earth, practical example of how magic was being used by people at this time. 

Be sure to check out the program notes for links to all of the articles discussed in this episode. I hope you enjoy! 

PROGRAM NOTES

Liana Saif | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

"What is Islamic Esotericism", Correspondences, Vol. 7, issue 1 (2019)

The Past and Future of the Study of Islamic Esotericism

Magic and Divination Lost in Translation: A Cairene in a Maltese Inquisition

A Preliminary Study of the Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica: Texts, Context, and Doctrines

Research: Dr. Liana Saif - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents


All Music and Editing: Daniel P. Shea

End Production: Stephanie Shea