Between Islam and the New Age: The Jerrahi Order and categorical ambiguity in the study of Sufism in North America

Abstract

AbstractDrawing upon our ethnographic research of the Jerrahi Sufi Order, in this paper we consider an analytical problem in the study of Sufism in North America. In engaging two distinct branches of the Jerrahi Order, we draw attention to the ways in which identities and practices shaped by classical Islamic law and theology cannot be easily parsed from those associated with the New Age movement in North America. We begin by offering a brief overview of Sufism in North America, highlighting reconfigurations of authority, organization, and practice. Following this, we consider the two major North American branches of the Jerrahi Sufi order: The Jerrahi Order of America, and the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Order, drawing out the conceptual problems of categorizing these branches by distinguishing between the “Islamic” and the “New Age” within these movements. We conclude with a summary of the utility and drawbacks these categories offer the study of Sufism, while considering some directions for future scholarship on the subject.