Negotiating Sufism and Modernity: A Literature Review from the Perspective of the Anthropology of Religion

Abstract

Modernity is often understood as a condition that promotes rationalization and secularization, thereby potentially diminishing the role of religion in human life. However, the development of contemporary Muslim societies demonstrates a different phenomenon, namely the resurgence of the need for spirituality as a response to various crises associated with modernity, such as the crisis of meaning, individualism, materialism, and moral decline. This study aims to analyze the process of negotiation between Sufism and modernity through a literature review from the perspective of the anthropology of religion. The research employs a qualitative approach using a literature study method based on books, journal articles, and scholarly works discussing Sufism, Neo-Sufism, Urban Sufism, and the anthropology of religion. Data were analyzed, through thematic classification and conceptual interpretation. Rather than depicting modernity as driving the disappearance of Sufism, the reviewed literature suggests that contemporary Islamic spirituality undergoes continuous processes of negotiation, recontextualization, and transformation of religious meaning. This transformation is characterized by the emergence of Neo-Sufism and Urban Sufism, which offer more flexible, inclusive, and socially engaged spiritual practices adapted to modern lifestyle dynamics. Specifically, this article contributes an anthropological reading of how Sufi symbols, authority, and ritual practices are recontextualized to construct adaptive systems of meaning. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the relationship between Sufism and modernity represents an ongoing cultural negotiation that preserves core spiritual values while addressing contemporary societal needs.