Doctor Milad Milani

Senior Lecturer,
Humanities (Arts)

Biography
Contact
Publications
Projects
Supervision
Teaching
Media

Biography

Dr Milad Milani is a Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at Western Sydney University. He specialises in the study of Sufism and Islam through a comparative religious studies lens. A key area of his research is Persian Sufism and Sufi Poiesis, with special reference to Attar of Nishapur. He is broadly interested in the ontology of Islam. His research draws on Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology, paying special attention to how historical religion is understood in present-day thinking about religion. He has published in internationally peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, and is the author of The Nature of Sufism: An Ontological Reading of the Mystical in Islam (Routledge 2021), Sufi Political Thought (Routledge 2018), and Sufism in the Secret History of Persia (Routledge 2014). He has also co-edited Islam, Civility and Political Culture (Palgrave Macmillan 2020). For a full list of Milad’s publications please visit the Research Direct site.

At Western, Milad is a member of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry discipline cluster based in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts (SoHCA), and a research member of the School of Social Sciences’ Religion and Society Research Cluster and the Digital Humanities Research Group based in the SoHCA. He coordinates subjects of study in the Islamic Studies and History and Political Thought Majors and Minors. Milad is also an honorary member of Western’s Chaplaincy and Inclusive Communities (CIC), where he represents non-denominational spiritual care as a key aspect of the inclusivity of faith experience. He shares in the vision of CIC that student academic success can be enhanced by social, emotional, and spiritual factors.

Beyond Western, Milad is the Executive Officer for the Australian Association for the Academic Study of Religion (AASR) and is the co-founder of the Sufi Studies Network of Australia with the Ibn Arabi Interreligious Research Initiative, based at Monash University.

This information has been contributed by Doctor Milani.

Qualifications

PhD University of Sydney
BA(Hons) University of Sydney

Professional Memberships

Sufi Studies Network of Australia (2020)
Religion and Society Research Centre (2013)

Awards

Honours - First Class, Religious Studies (The University of Sydney) 2004-03-05
Australian Post Graduate Award 2004-04-02
Certificate Award - Principles and Practice of Certificate Award, University Teaching and Learning, Institute for Teaching and Learning (University of Sydney) 2006-05-05

Interests

Comparative Religion
History of Ideas in World Religion
Islam and the West / Modernity
Philosophy of History
Religion and Politics
Sufism

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

Humanities (Arts)

Committees

First Year Committee
Sufi Studies Network of Australia
Course Management Committee
Chaplaincy

Contact

Email:	M.Milani@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone:	(02) 9685 9428
Mobile:
Location:	EQ.1.46 Parramatta

PLEASE NOTE: obtaining information from this Directory must be for the legitimate purposes of doing business with and within Western Sydney University, and must not be used for unsolicited bulk e-mailing (spamming) or similar purposes.

Teaching

Previous Teaching Areas

102184 History of Muslim Civilisations and Ideas, 2021
102495 Mystical Islam: The Emergence of Sufism in World History, 2020
102585 What is Islam?, 2021
102734 History of Religion, 2021
102823 Islam: Past, Present and Future, 2021

Publications

Books

Milani, M. (2022), 'The Nature of Sufism: An Ontological Reading of the Mystical in Islam', : Routledge 9781138328334.
Milani, M. and Adrahtas, V. (2021), 'Islam, Civility and Political Culture', : Palgrave Macmillan 9783030567606.
Milani, M. (2018), 'Sufi Political Thought', : Routledge 9781138787643.
Milani, M. (2013), 'Sufism in the Secret History of Persia', : Acumen 9781844656776.

Chapters in Books

Milani, M. (2021), 'Introduction : Eschaton and civility in Islamic history', Islam, Civility and Political Culture, Palgrave Macmillan 9783030567606.
Milani, M. and Adrahtas, V. (2021), 'The quandary of modernity : Islam and civility', Islam, Civility and Political Culture, Palgrave Macmillan 9783030567606.
Milani, M. and Adrahtas, V. (2021), 'Islam divided : the underlying political culture of the conflict between the Sunni and the Shi'a', Islam, Civility and Political Culture, Palgrave Macmillan 9783030567606.
Milani, M. and Krok, M. (2021), 'The paradox of gendered holiness in Islamic mysticism', Islam, Civility and Political Culture, Palgrave Macmillan 9783030567606.
Milani, M. (2021), 'Javad Nurbakhsh and the Ni'matullahi 'Khaniqahi' Order', Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements, Brill 9789004425255.
Milani, M. (2020), 'The "Sufism" of Monsieur Ibrahim', Cultural Fusion of Sufi Islam: Alternative Paths to Mystical Faith, Routledge 9781138615038.
Milani, M. (2020), 'Shariati, Ali', The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion, Sage Publications 9781473942202.
Milani, M. (2020), 'Neo-Sufism', The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion, Sage Publications 9781473942202.
Milani, M. (2020), 'Sufism', The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion, Sage Publications 9781473942202.
Trompf, G. and Milani, M. (2019), 'From "Zurvanism" to Mazdak', The Gnostic World, Routledge 9781138673939.
Milani, M. (2019), 'Classic Sufism and Gnosis', The Gnostic World, Routledge 9781138673939.
Milani, M. (2017), 'The Sufism of Iran : regional indigeneity and Islamic mysticism', Religious Categories and the Construction of the Indigenous, Brill 9789004324411.
Milani, M., Possamai, A. and Wajdi, F. (2017), 'Branding of spiritual authenticity and nationalism in transnational Sufism', Religions, Nations, and Transnationalism in Multiple Modernities, Palgrave 9781137592385.
Milani, M. (2017), 'Ali Shariati', The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, Wiley-Blackwell 9781118430866.
Milani, M. (2017), 'The cultural Muslim, secularization and the academic study of Islam', Religious Encounters in Transcultural Society: Collision, Alteration, and Transmission, Lexington Books 9781498569187.
Milani, M. (2017), 'Sufi politics in the contemporary West : the role and definition of Sufism in the works of Javad Nurbakhsh (1926-2008)', Sufism, Pluralism, and Democracy, Equinox 9781781792209.
Milani, M. (2015), 'Sufism and the challenge of modernity in the twenty-first century', Sufism and Social Integration: Connecting Hearts, Crossing Boundaries, ABC International Group 9781567444322.
Milani, M. (2013), 'The subtle body in sufism', Religion and the Subtle Body in Asia and the West : Between Mind and Body, Routledge 9780415608114.
Milani, M. (2012), 'The cultural products of global Sufism', Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production, Brill 9789004221871.
Milani, M. (2012), 'The cultural repository of Persian Sufism : medieval chivalry and mysticism in Iran', Intercultural Exchange in the Early Medieval Mediterranean, Continuum 9781441139085.
Milani, M. (2006), 'Mystical experience and its critique of pure reason in the spiritual epistemology of Suhrawardi and Rumi', Through a Glass Darkly : Reflections on the Sacred : Collected Research, Sydney University Press 9781920898540.
Milani, M. (2005), 'Cyclical history, gnosis, and memory : a study in the role and significance of mystical poetry as a medium of popular culture for Persian Sufism', The Buddha of Suburbia: Proceedings of the Eighth Australian and International Religion, Literature and the Arts Conference 2004, RLA Press 1864877529.

Journal Articles

Milani, M. and Taheri, Z. (2021), 'An inquiry into the nature of the female mystic and the divine feminine in Sufi experience', Religions, vol 12, no 8 .
Milani, M. and Adrahtas, V. (2020), 'Modern thinking in Islam : a study of religion and ideas in Muslim thought', Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, vol 33, no 2 , pp 113 - 118.
Milani, M. (2020), 'Shahab Ahmed and the hermeneutics of Islam', Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, vol 33, no 2 , pp 185 - 203.
Milani, M. (2020), 'Harry Potter and the way of truth : reflections on where we are as standing towards religion', Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review, vol 11, no 2 , pp 235 - 247.
Milani, M. (2019), 'Reflections on an academic pursuit of religion', Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, vol 32, no 2-3 , pp 182 - 195.
Milani, M. and Adrahtas, V. (2018), 'Modern talking : Sufi socio-political discourse', Journal of Religious and Political Practice, vol 4, no 2 , pp 175 - 194.
Milani, M. and Cottle, D. (2018), 'Quest for justice : Islamism, social justice, and civility in Islamic history', Journal of Religious and Political Practice, vol 4, no 3 , pp 368 - 388.
Milani, M. and Possamai, A. (2016), 'Sufism, spirituality and consumerism : the case study of the Nimatullahiya and Naqshbandiya Sufi orders in Australia', Contemporary Islam, vol 10, no 1 , pp 67 - 85.
Milani, M. (2016), 'Metaphysics of love in Sufi writings', Eremos: Exploring Spirituality in Australia, vol 2016 , pp 13 - 17.
Milani, M. and Possamai, A. (2013), 'The Nimatullahiya and Naqshbandiya Sufi orders on the Internet : the cyber-construction of tradition and the McDonaldisation of spirituality', Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, vol 26, no 1 , pp 51 - 75.
Milani, M. (2013), 'Umar Khayyam : a paradigm of the secular and religious', Threskeiologia: Hiera/Vevela = Studies in Religion: Sacred/Profane, vol 8, no 9 , pp 50 - 78.
Milani, M. (2011), 'Representations of Jesus in Islamic mysticism : defining the 'Sufi Jesus'', Literature and Aesthetics, vol 21, no 2 , pp 45 - 64.

Conference Papers

Milani, M. (2021), 'The Nature of Sufism: An Ontological Reading of the Mystical in Islam', Sufi Studies Network of Australia. Meeting, online.
Milani, M. (2019), 'Shahab Ahmed and the hermeneutics of Islam', Religion and Ideas Roundtable, Parramatta, N.S.W..
Milani, M. (2018), 'Indefinable mysticism : Sufism in the Persian cultural style', Iranica Conference, Sydney, N.S.W..
Milani, M. (2018), 'Some remarks on Islamism, social justice, and civility in Islamic history', Studies in Religion Seminar Series , University of Sydney.
Milani, M. (2012), 'The question of multiple modernities in Islam : examining methodology and approach to Islamic studies', Australian Association for the Study of Religion. Conference, Parramatta, N.S.W..
Milani, M. and Possamai, A. (2011), 'The changing face of Sufi orders : the neo-Sufi aspects of two traditional orders in Australia : Nimatullahiya and Naqshbandiya', Sufism for a New Age, Bankstown, N.S.W..

Recently published:

Milad Milani, The Nature of Sufism: An Ontological Reading of the Mystical in Islam (Abingdon: Routledge, 2021).

Currently working on:

Book project on Islam concerning, historicity, heremeneutics, and ontology.

Early Career Researcher Award 2016:

TItle: Sufism: religious pluralism and the alternative narrative in Islam (oral history of Sufi groups and organisations in Australia).

Chief Resaercher: Milad Milani

Supporting Institution: School of Humanities and Communication Arts

Project Code: 20111. 87611

Publication Output: 1 book and 1 peer reviewed journal article – Sufi Political Thought (Routledge 2017) and Journal of Religious and Political Practice (2018)

Research Pilot Study 2011-2013:

Title: Belief Systems of Sufi Groups in Australia (historical and sociologial analysis of traditional Sufi groups in Australia)

Researchers: Adam Possamai and Milad Milani

Supporting Institution: Religion and Society Research Centre, School of Social Sciences and Psychology

Publication Output: 2 peer reviewed journal articles with Journal for the Academic Study of Religion (2013) and Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Life (2016)