Neil Douglas-Klotz

Neil Douglas-Klotz, Ph.D., is a teacher, scholar, author and musician who specialises in the native traditions of Southwest Asia, often called the Middle East. He is the author of Prayers of the Cosmos, The Hidden Gospel, The Sufi Book of Life, Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus, Desert Wisdom and many other books. His work takes an Aramaic approach to the Gospels and draws on Jewish and Sufi mysticism. His 2022 book received the Paradigm Explorer Journal's "Outstanding Book of 2022", and a more recent one was named "Best Spiritual Book of 2025" by the Spirituality and Practice e-zine.

He describes his work as having two layers. On the surface it deals with ancient texts and the ways they have been misheard. Beneath that it points toward the Life and Reality waiting to be discovered as the real "I" within us. He writes that his books, videos and audios are only an invitation to a life-renewing experience, and he encourages people to listen to the "still, small voice" that comes from within.

Neil lives in Scotland and directs the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning. He was for many years co-chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion and is a cofounder of the International Network of the Dances of Universal Peace. In 2004 he cofounded the Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace. In 2005 he received the Kessler-Keener Foundation Peacemaker of the Year award for his Middle Eastern peacemaking work.

He is a frequent speaker and workshop leader. He maintains the Abwoon website himself, which marks 40 years of his work with the Aramaic Jesus and native Middle Eastern traditions.