Pathology of a Textbook: Principles of Theoretical Mysticism a Contextual and Methodological Approach

Efficacy of textbooks is in strong correlation with the focus put on their technical and methodological criteria. Attaining this objective is only possible with group work in compilation of the books as well as their continuous revision and evaluation and trying to obviate their obvious and obscure shortcomings post-publishing revisions. These criteria are diverse and numerous and experts have explicated many of them briefly or in detail. This study is an assessment of Dr. Saeed Rahimian’s Principles of Theoretical Mysticism which has been published as a textbook by SAMT organization. It is being evaluated against contextual and methodological criteria. Assessment of this textbook against these criteria reveals many shortcomings and proves it cannot be emotionally, cognitively and skill-wise satisfactory for students with different knowledge, mindset, character, and personality, and it is way behind the educational objectives.