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Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man is a collection of articles by leading perennialist authors that are unified by a single theme: nothing that is properly human can be separated from the intrinsically spiritual nature of man. The subject matter of this book, therefore, may be termed “spiritual anthropology.” The specific topics are diverse, touching upon many important aspects of human experience, including the meaning of work, the role of laughter in spiritual life, relying upon God during a time of illness, the spiritual significance of clothing and the importance of seeking a spiritual guide. All of these essays, however, affirm with a single voice that man may only truly exist in relation to God’s Being, and that at his center man possesses a nature which is “theomorphic” (that is, in the image of God).
What is the vocation of man? What is the meaning of his life on earth? Like timeless streams flowing down a mountain, these questions seem to have no beginning and no end. In the early morning hours and late at night they echoed in the minds of our ancestors; and they will whisper in the minds of our descendants. Profound questions which concern the deepest nature of man touch upon the very foundation of thought, and throughout the centuries man has never stopped seeking answers. Perhaps, to paraphrase Rumi, within our deepest asking is the answer.
Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man is a collection of articles by leading perennialist authors that are unified by a single theme: nothing that is properly human can be separated from the intrinsically spiritual nature of man. The subject matter of this book, therefore, may be termed “spiritual anthropology.” The specific topics are diverse, touching upon many important aspects of human experience, including the meaning of work, the role of laughter in spiritual life, relying upon God during a time of illness, the spiritual significance of clothing and the importance of seeking a spiritual guide. All of these essays, however, affirm with a single voice that man may only truly exist in relation to God’s Being, and that at his center man possesses a nature which is theomorphic.
The contents of this book offer a genuinely spiritual antidote to the impasses of despair and nihilism which are the final outcomes of the secular and relativist ideologies of our time. This book is a fountain of light and a window into the wisdom of the saints. On the whole, this book professes a rigorously sacred world-view which links the meaning of man to the Reality of God, forming one of the most compelling restorations of serious metaphysical thought in the last one hundred years.
Contributors include:
Frithjof Schuon, Titus Burckhardt, Thomas Yellowtail, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, James Cutsinger, William Stoddart, Brian Keeble, Patrick Laude, Gray Henry, Mark Perry, Lillian Stavely, and others.
About the Author(s)
Barry McDonald
Barry McDonald edited the books Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man and Seeing God Everywhere: Essays on Nature and the Sacred .
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Reviews
- Every Branch In Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man is an anthology of profound, thought-provoking essays that search for the essence and purpose of existence in human life itself. Regarding various religious teachings, modern history, and philosophical dilemmas with evenhanded scrutiny, essays such as ‘The Role of Culture in Education’ and ‘The Survival of Civilization’ stretch the boundaries of commonly held wisdom in search of a deeper unifying truth. Every Branch In Me is an impressive compilation and highly recommended reading for students of religion, philosophy, and metaphysics.
Midwest Book Review
- Every Branch in Me is a most welcome addition to the library of perennialist works; indeed, it is the most significant anthology of its kind since The Sword of Gnosis appeared more than twenty-five years ago. It will return some readers to the sources from which these essays are taken while for others it will serve as an introduction to those riches which are to be found in the spiritual treasuries of the world’s great religions … It is but rarely that one is able to review a book with unqualified enthusiasm — but here is one such occasion. It is the heartfelt wish of this reviewer that Every Branch in Me will find the widest possible audience. The contemporary world stands in the most urgent need of that timeless wisdom which these authors have sought to re-express in a way which, even in these dark and troubled times, is accessible and intelligible. In so doing they offer us some signposts along the path we must travel if we are to be true to our human vocation.
Harry Oldmeadow, La Trobe University Bendigo, and author of Traditionalism: Religion in the Light of the Perennial Philosophy
- I commend this anthology, and each essay included, for its diversity and, at the same time, its coherent unity. In our time of terrorism, war, disease, poverty, and spiritual malaise, there are still (and will always be) beacons of light to an absolute and everlasting truth.…The writers whose works are collected in this book strive to uphold this beacon of light, as their sacred duty. But the beacon they uphold is nothing of their own invention or discovery. It is the one beacon that shines on all of humanity from the religious traditions given to mankind out of God’s grace and mercy. The readers of this journal, and those of the publications from World Wisdom Books, are few in number. The beacon of light shown in these writings will not be amplified by the mass media. But for those whose destiny it is to find this Beacon, it exists; and God willing, they will find it.
Darrell Blakeway, Sophia
