Rumi & Confucius

Rumi and Confucius: Two great names, two great thinkers. Despite the fact that Confucius and Rumi were born in different periods and places, both were born at a time of social upheaval and political turmoil. Consequently, both thinkers tried to provide the means for their people to overcome the times of difficulty, first by understanding, cultivating, and realising their human potentialities, and then by transforming themselves, their families, and their societies. Interestingly, Rumi and Confucius share more in common than most people would think and their teachings are still meaningful and relevant to the modern world. The wisdom of Confucius and Rumi provides today's readers with spiritual resources to overcome the challenges of our time and to build bridges of understanding and dialogue among different cultures and civilisations. This book examines the core ideas of these two great thinkers and provides anthropocosmic insights into their ideas on nature, family, and music. Professor Dr ibrahim Ozdemir is the rector of Gazikent University, in Gaziantep, Turkey. He has travelled widely in the Muslim world and the West. Ozdemir addresses a variety of audiences on topics related to the philosophy of religion, world religions, Sufism, environmental philosophy, sustainable development, religion and the environment, interfaith dialogue, and Islamic studies.