The Perennial Philosophy Series
World Wisdom’s Perennial Philosophy Series takes its name from a school of thought that has ancient traditional roots but that was finally articulated at the beginning of the Twentieth Century through the writings of several leading figures. It continues to be the philosophical foundation upon which numerous contemporary authors base their writings on the crises of the modern world, the essential unity of religions, the nature of sacred art and symbolism, the relationship of humankind to the cosmos, and so on. The Perennial Philosophy focuses on universal aspects of Reality that manifest themselves within the sacred traditions of the world, tying together statements of ancient wisdom with contemporary observations on the dilemmas of modern life to answer such fundamental questions as:
- What is the nature of God?
- How is creation related to its cause (i.e. God)?
- What explains the existence of multiple religions, each claiming its own unique relationship to the Truth?
- Why do some modern people reject the superiority of the modern world in comparison to traditional civilizations?
- What does it mean to fulfill our “nature” as human beings?
The leading exponents of the Perennial Philosophy are such writers as René Guénon, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Frithjof Schuon, Titus Burckhardt, Martin Lings and Seyyed Hossein Nasr. The following slides in this slideshow give brief overviews of the books in World Wisdom’s Perennial Philosophy series.
Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man, edited by Barry McDonald, 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 essential 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 in the image of God.
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, these essays stretch the boundaries of commonly held wisdom in search of a deeper unifying truth.
A new collection of essays by the great traditionalist/perennialist Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy contains 21 essays on topics reflecting the vast scope of Coomaraswamy’s intellect, including those topics with which he is most associated, such as symbolism, Eastern vs. Western thinking, mythology, literature, metaphysics, traditional art, folklore, and even more. For those new to Coomaraswamy’s writings, this is an excellent survey, and for those who cannot find some of his out-of-print essays, this collection may be the solution.
Renowned Perennialist, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, says about this book “Over forty years have passed since the death of Ananda Coomaraswamy; yet his writings remain as pertinent today as when he wrote them and his voice echoes in the ears of present day seekers of truth and lovers of traditional art as it did a generation ago. In contrast to most scholarly works which become outmoded and current philosophical opuses which become stale, Coomaraswamy’s works possess a timeliness which flows from their being rooted in the eternal present.”
The purpose of this book, the first major publication of its kind, is to promote precisely this more inward kind of ecumenical perspective. Despite the long and well-known history of conflict between Christians and Muslims, their mystical traditions especially in the Christian East and in Sufism, have shared for centuries many of the same spiritual methods and goals. One thinks, for example, of the profound similarities between the practices of the Jesus Prayer among the Hesychast masters of the Philokalia and the Sufi practices of dhikr or invocation.
These commonalities suggest the possibility for a deeper kind of religious dialogue than is customary in our day, a dialogue which seeks to foster what Frithjof Schuon has called inward or “esoteric” ecumenism, and which, while respecting the integrity of traditional dogmas and rites, “calls into play the wisdom which can discern the one sole Truth under the veil of different forms.”
This groundbreaking book is the first to compare and illuminate the doctrine of the Transcendent Absolute. It discusses the implications of the Transcendent Absolute both conceptually and experientially, in the spiritual perspectives of three towering figures in the history of world religions. Shankara, Ibn ‘Arabi, and Meister Eckhart represent the metaphysical and mystical summits of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
“…Given the immense importance of these figures within their respective traditions, close scrutiny of their perspectives should yield valuable insights into the ultimate spiritual attainments conceived and realized in the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian traditions… Shankara, Ibn Arabi, and Meister Eckhart have been chosen as appropriate subjects for this study inasmuch as both the conceptual and experiential aspects of transcendence figure prominently in their articulated writings and discourses.”
—Reza Shah-Kazemi
This collection of essays by aims at explaining, discussing, and developing in a new key, the spiritual, philosophical and artistic patrimony of the Christian tradition in its intellectually challenging dimension – as well as to consider its future possibilities. Behind the book lies the belief that one of the main factors responsible for the contemporary decadence, lack of vigor, and indeed the tragic crisis, of traditional religion is the indifference that is shown towards its sapiential or “knowledge” dimension.
The essays here envisage religion primarily as knowledge of a sacred character – not as “social service” nor as a merely ethical system. The authors of the Perennial Philosophy here support the vision that the intellective dimension is central to the human being; knowledge, profoundly understood, is the very heart of man.
How do people sense God’s presence in created things? Seeing God Everywhere is an anthology of essays on nature and the sacred which address that question. Written by an impressive list of spiritual leaders and thinkers, these essays explore the question from many different perspectives. Reading these essays enriches our inner lives and enlivens our contemplative imaginations. Surely, this is the “deepest” ecology possible. As a special bonus, at the end of each essay is a short poem on nature and the sacred, taken from various traditions.
“This collection of essays by some of the most important scholars and religious authorities of our time points to the necessity of understanding the current environmental crisis through the lens of spiritual vision: its basic thesis is that the earth itself is sacred, and that to overcome the current agendas of exploitation and waste, we must see the creation and the work of the Creator. This book is essential reading for anyone who has ever felt the presence of God in nature.”
—Michael Fitzgerald, editor of The Sermon of All Creation: Christians on Nature
This book is the much-anticipated collection of writings from Titus Burckhardt, one of the great Perennialist authors of the 20th century.
Burckhardt’s writings are characterized by a profound grounding in the Perennial Philosophy and integral metaphysics, a remarkable history of contacts with traditional peoples and their civilizations, a true artist’s knowledge of and love for traditional art, a scholar’s knowledge of diverse source materials not accessible to most modern seekers, and a gifted teacher’s ability to make all of these things understandable and of deep interest to readers. This collection will bring together many of Burckhardt’s most representative writings that will amply demonstrate these qualities.
“Titus Burckhardt was one of the most authoritative exponents of the perennialist school. His work was centrally concerned with the interrelationships of Truth, Beauty and Goodness, with the principles informing traditional arts and sciences, and with the nexus between intellectuality and spirituality. This marvellous compilation of some of his most arresting and significant work will command the attention of anyone seriously interested in the ways of the spirit.”
—Kenneth Oldmeadow, La Trobe University at Bendigo
Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998) was widely acknowledged as the foremost 20th century exponent of the Perennial Philosophy. These selections, chosen under his supervision, were approved by him during his lifetime and confirmed as a representative volume of his magisterial writings.
What can be learned from this volume? This volume covers an enormous range of topics including: the nature of religion; esotericism and mysticism; love and knowledge of God and theology and philosophy.
Schuon’s unique approach to comparative religion, metaphysics, aesthetics, prayer, the spiritual path, and criticism of the modern world, as expressed in this volume, opens the way to understanding one of the most influential philosophers and spiritual leaders of our time.
What others have said about Frithjof Schuon
—T. S. Eliot, commenting on Schuon’s first book in English, The Transcendent Unity of Religions
“I have met with no more impressive work in the comparative study of Oriental and Occidental religion.”
“In reading Schuon I have the impression that I am going along parallel to him, and once in a while I will get a glimpse of what he means in terms of my own tradition and experience… I appreciate him more and more…. I am grateful for the chance to be in contact with people like him.”
—Thomas Merton, from a letter published in his The Hidden Ground of Love
“The man is a living wonder; intellectually a propos religion, equally in depth and breadth, the paragon of our time. I know of no living thinker who begins to rival him.”
—Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions
