Excursus: Embodying the Vision of God in Theology and Sufism

Abstract

After discussing the last and first boundary crossings which together form the first part of our case studies, and before moving to the second part which considers two prophetic case studies of visionary crossings from this world to the otherworld, this chapter offers an excursion into theoretical debates on otherworldly and this-worldly vision of God in theology and in Sufism. This is an important prerequisite to adequately contextualize and appreciate the discussions on the vision of God in the following two chapters. After presenting an overview of theological positions on the vision of God and their main arguments, the positions of the Sufi authors of this study on this specific issue are analyzed through a reading of their non-tafsīr works.