Spektrum Iran

Abstract This article explores the pedagogical significance of Rumi’s Majāles-e Sabʿa (Seven Sermons) as a religious framework for meaning-making in adult education. The study positions religion as a meaning system and highlights the underutilized pedagogical potential of wisdom literature in promoting existential orientation, especially among Muslim adults in diasporic contexts. Utilizing Baumeister and Vohs’s four-fold framework of meaning, including purpose, values, efficacy, and self-worth, the article offers a hermeneutical-phenomenological analysis of Rumi’s First Sermon to understand his notions of meaning in life. Through a textual analysis of supplicatory monologues, moral parables, and theological reflections, the study examines how Rumi constructs a theocentric model of existential transformation grounded in longing, repentance, and divine mercy. Purpose is rendered as an eschatological and teleological orientation toward the return to God; values are framed through repentance, humility, and moral sincerity; efficacy is redefined as spiritual agency through remembrance and trust; and self-worth is shaped by sincerity and divine recognition rather than merely meritocratic or moralistic frameworks. Methodologically, the article integrates grounded theory and hermeneutical phenomenology to offer a contextual, layered reading of Rumi’s homiletic discourse, viewing it as a performative site of meaning rather than a static text. In its pedagogical implications, the study proposes to approach Rumi’s Sermons as a “wisdom pedagogy” that draws on Rumi’s thought to support identity formation, moral resilience, and existential literacy among Muslim adult learners. It is argued that Rumi’s model offers a powerful educational framework for dealing with plural, disorienting modern lifeworlds, while also raising critical questions about normativity and inclusivity in such pedagogies.

Abstract The present article pursues two primary objectives. Firstly, it aims to review the existing literature and conceptualize an approach to understanding the dynamics of religion and peacebuilding from a religious studies perspective. This involves exploring essentialist and functionalist views, integrating sociocultural theories, and employing Ninian Smart’s dimensional model of religion to provide a comprehensive framework for analysis. By doing so, the article emphasizes the significance of studying peacebuilding through its association with religion not merely as a static set of beliefs but as a dynamic cultural system deeply embedded in social practices and interactions. Secondly, the article seeks to analyze how religion serves as a resource for promoting conviviality, which encompasses mutual respect, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence within diverse communities. Using Smart’s dimensional model, the study examines specific dimensions of religion, i.e. doctrinal, ritual, mythic, experiential, ethical, social, and material, and demonstrates how these aspects contribute to fostering a culture of peace and cooperation. This dual approach not only enriches the theoretical understanding of religion’s role in peacebuilding but also provides practical insights into leveraging religious resources for enhancing social harmony and resilience.