"The light of God is in everyone. As we open to this light, one's true being and purpose comes through and this brings healing."
Susan Schmall PhD
Department Chair of Spiritual Healing & Counseling
"Bringing hope in extreme conflict situations is the greatest medicine and our training equips students to do just that."
Nura Laird
Department Chair
Spiritual Peacemaking in the Sufi Way
"Our students help one person change the way they see the world-from seeing it as a world of suffering to finding inner happiness, finding the light of God and sharing this light in the world."
Salima Adelstein
Department Chair
Spiritual Ministry & Sufi Studies
"Leadership is a way of being. It's the person who sees something missing, sees something needed and then raises their hand, brings themself forward in that environment to make the contribution."
Paul Werder
Department Chair
Spiritual Leadership in the Sufi Way
Masters of Divinity
The Masters of Divinity is offered in five areas of specialization. The Masters of Divinity and Advanced Certificate program consists of an additional 25-quarter credit units of instruction after the core curriculum.
NEW! Spiritual Healing and Counseling for Individuals, Couples, Families & Communities
In this Masters program we place you face to face with Allah with a focus on integrating the Sufi teachings into your life for healing of individuals as well as on relationships--past, present and future. This program integrates essential components from the healing and peacemaking curriculum. We provide ample opportunity for personal healing and profound walking, with an eye toward improving overall health, including healthy, loving relationships with oneself, Allah, family, community and the earth. It also provides the skills needed to help individuals and groups heal in these areas.
Spiritual Healing and Counseling
The Spiritual Healing and Counseling masters is designed to train high quality professionals to heal through the light of God, transform spiritual illness and emotional distress, and guide people into their hearts and back to God, the true source of health and wholeness.
The coursework is grounded in the centuries old tradition of Islamic Medicine and the profound wisdom of the Sufi Path, opening students up to the secrets of healing in the way of the Prophets. The curriculum integrates knowledge gained from the Sufi view of the human being, spiritual healing, herbs and nutrition. Students learn to work with individuals and couples. They have the opportunity to explore in depth working with many different problems and population groups.
Spiritual Peacemaking in the Sufi Way
From the Sufi perspective, humanity is created as a reflection and a manifestation of Allah Who entrusted humanity to safeguard and care for Allah’s creation on earth. Further, Allah created humanity as one family under one father and one mother. We are all brothers and sisters in unity through our surrender to the One. Masters students in peacemaking learn how to make these principles a living reality. They learn in practical ways how to safeguard Allah’s creation.
The teachings help them to beautify their humanity so that they can truly embody the peace, love, mercy, justice, freedom and equality of Allah. They learn to anchor these qualities “in the ground” through their thoughts, speech and actions, to cultivate love and mercy in their relationships, and to foster healing and reconciliation where needed. In the end, love is the basis for peace, divine love as embodied in a heart that radiates love to all of creation.
Masters graduates are competent and qualified to mediate conflict and restore peace in their personal, family, community and professional life, and in society at large. They are prepared to step into the world of professional mediation.
Spiritual Ministry and Sufi Studies
Once the journey to God is complete, the journey in God begins. In the Spiritual Ministry and Sufi Studies major, we explore the infinite journey in God. It provides the foundation for living a life with God in the world.
Students learn the principles of love as a transformative power; how to care for yourself, the earth and others, moment by moment. Ceremonies and healings for major life transitions, such as births and weddings, illnesses, natural disasters and death are addressed.
Course work includes practicum and research in orphanages, hospices, children’s hospitals and centers, relief efforts, sustainable agriculture enterprises and green and natural building eco-villages.
We explore the inner and outer dimensions of the perfect servant of God, Insan-al-Kamal, the angels and the jinn, female spirituality in Islam, the inner meaning of Islamic rites and the spiritual significance of the Qur’an.
Spiritual Leadership in the Sufi Way
The spiritual leadership major prepares students to bring their God-given talents out into the world with power and humility. While our ultimate goal is to reinvent our society's relationship to business, we must begin with ourselves. Some of our current business practices have jeopardized the future of humanity. As a participant in the world of work, we must personally demonstrate that success can occur without unpalatable compromises before we can support others to discover this for themselves. We begin by strengthening our spiritual alignment with the practices that fill our hearts’ with divine light. This work heals or prevents apathy, burn-out, stress related illnesses, and ethical compromises that leave us bereft of personal fulfillment.
As students begin to embody the peace, love, and wisdom of Allah, they naturally become leaders in service to God and His creation. They learn to provide spiritual transformation to individuals, and bring unity to people struggling with dysfunctional group dynamics. Ultimately, they become skilled in transforming organizations.
This transformation comes from deep reliance on God. As spiritual leaders, our graduates learn to become change agents whether or not they have the authority to do so; they attract opportunities with a humble yet powerful expression of truth. In a work world filled with struggle, confusion, and fear, our masters graduates stand out by bringing the light of Allah to those who are seeking a complete experience of real success.
Two Masters are offered for 2010.
Spiritual Ministry & Sufi Studies
Spiritual Healing & Counseling for Individuals, Couples, Families, Groups, & Communities
Spiritual Ministry & Sufi Studies
October 6-11, 2010
January 23-28, 2011
April 3-8, 2011
April 1-6, 2012
Additional dates for zawiyah TBA
Spiritual Healing & Counseling for Individuals, Couples, Families, Groups & Communities
October 6-11, 2010
January 9-14, 2011
April 17-22, 2011
August 7-16, 2011
April 1-6, 2012
