The Faculty of Religions and Mysticism was established to promote systematic academic education and research in the fields of world religions and mystical traditions. The faculty emerged from the integration of the former Faculty of Religions and the Faculty of Mysticism and now serves as a specialized academic center for the study of religions, Religious Studies, Islamic mysticism, and comparative mysticism.

The main areas of education and research in this faculty cover a broad range of religious and mystical traditions. These include the study of the Abrahamic religions—Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—religions of the Far East and India, ancient Iranian religions, theoretical and methodological approaches in Religious Studies, Islamic mysticism in both its theoretical and practical dimensions, and comparative studies of mysticism, including the relationship between Islamic mysticism and mystical traditions in other religions. This diversity of subjects has made the Faculty of Religions and Mysticism a suitable academic environment for comparative study of religious and spiritual traditions across cultures.

The faculty seeks to foster a deeper and more empathetic understanding of religious and mystical traditions through a scholarly, comparative, and dialogue-oriented approach. The presence of specialists in different fields of religions and mysticism, along with the participation of scholars and representatives of various religious traditions in some specialized courses, enables students to engage directly with diverse intellectual and spiritual traditions. This approach not only strengthens academic understanding of religions and mysticism but also facilitates scholarly dialogue and intellectual engagement among different religious communities.

One of the primary educational and research goals of the faculty is to train scholars who are well grounded in the theoretical foundations and methodologies of Religious Studies and the study of mysticism, and who are capable of conducting analytical and comparative research on religious and mystical traditions. Students become familiar with theological, philosophical, sociological, psychological, and epistemological approaches to the study of religion and develop the ability to critically analyze sacred texts, interpretive traditions, and mystical schools of thought. Promoting a culture of interreligious and inter‑mystical dialogue and cultivating an analytical and scholarly perspective on religion are among the central objectives of the faculty.

Instruction in the faculty is conducted in Persian, Arabic, and English. Academic lectures, seminars, and scholarly workshops related to religions and mysticism are regularly organized. Student academic associations also play an active role in facilitating scholarly discussions and presenting new research in the field. Admission for Iranian students is conducted through national entrance examinations, while international applicants may apply by submitting their academic documents, which are then reviewed by the faculty members of the relevant departments. Some doctoral programs are also offered in a research‑based format, in which admission is based on the evaluation of a research proposal and academic background.

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Academic Departments

The Faculty of Religions and Mysticism currently consists of five academic departments.

Department of Abrahamic Religions

This department is one of the oldest departments of the faculty and focuses on the theoretical and comparative study of the Abrahamic religions, particularly Judaism and Christianity. Courses in this department include topics such as the history of Judaism and Christianity, Jewish and Christian sacred texts, Christian theology in different historical periods, and methodologies in the study of religions.

Programs offered in this department include:

– Religions and Mysticism – Comparative Studies of the Qur’an and the Bible — PhD (in‑person) 

– Comparative Religious Studies – Christian Theology — PhD (in‑person) 

– Comparative Religious Studies – Christian Theology — PhD (research‑based) 

– Abrahamic Religions — MA (in‑person)

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Department of Eastern Religions

This department focuses on the study of the religions of the Far East, India, and ancient Iranian religious traditions. Students are introduced to the historical and theoretical foundations of these traditions.

Topics include Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese philosophical traditions, and ancient Iranian religions.

Programs offered in this department include:

– Religion and Mysticism – Ancient Iranian Religions — PhD (in‑person) 

– Religion and Mysticism – Ancient Iranian Religions — PhD (research‑based) 

– Religions and Mysticism – Eastern Religions — MA (in‑person) 

– Religions and Mysticism – Eastern Religions — MA (online) 

– Iranian Studies – Ancient Iranian Religions — MA (in‑person)

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Department of Religious Studies

This department focuses on theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of religion. Students become familiar with different analytical perspectives used in Religious Studies.

Topics include epistemology of religion, religion and rationality, religion and secularism, comparative religion, and methodologies of religious studies.

Programs offered in this department include:

– Religious Studies — MA (in‑person and online) 

– Religious Studies — PhD (in‑person and research‑based)

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Department of Religions and Mysticism

This department adopts a comparative approach to the study of world religions and mystical traditions and examines historical interactions between religions and mystical movements.

Programs offered in this department include:

– Religions and Mysticism — MA (in‑person) 

– Religions and Mysticism – New Religious Movements — MA (in‑person)

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Department of Islamic Mysticism

This department is dedicated to specialized studies in Islamic mysticism (Sufism). In addition to examining the theoretical foundations of Islamic mysticism, it also studies its historical development and comparative dimensions.

Subjects include mystical ontology, mystical anthropology, the history of Sufism, practical mysticism and spiritual discipline, and comparative mysticism.

Programs offered in this department include:

– Sufism and Islamic Mysticism — MA (in‑person) 

– Sufism and Islamic Mysticism — MA (online) 

– Sufism and Islamic Mysticism — PhD (in‑person) 

– Sufism and Islamic Mysticism — PhD (research‑based) 

– Islamic Mysticism and the Thought of Imam Khomeini — PhD (in‑person) 

– Islamic Mysticism and the Thought of Imam Khomeini — PhD (research‑based) 

– Religions and Mysticism – Sufism in the Contemporary World — PhD (in‑person)