Fuerst/Words of Experience, 9. Carl Ernst's Methodology of Sufi Studies

Carl Ernst's methodological approach has played a significant role in the development of Sufi Studies. Ernst translates, contextualizes, and makes relevant Sufi primary sources to the present time. He engages with his topic in a multidisciplinary manner, clearly evaluating historical arguments, relations, and geographical differences in their cultural environment. He shifts religious studies methodology from "the model of comparative zoology" which had been utilized by Orientalist works into the human-centered Hodgsonian view. Ernst builds bridges of understanding by presenting his academic studies to the general public in an accessible manner. In this paper, Ernst's methodology will be studied in an attempt to offer a model for Sufi Studies in Turkey.