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TWENTIETH INTERROGATION Can earthly things seem important to him who is acquainted with the whole of eternity and the magnitude of the universe? ~~ Cicero (106-43 B.C.) Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman and philosopher. Can [.....]
By Charles Upton The writers of the Traditionalist School, notably René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon, have wrestled with the problem of the right relationship between love and knowledge in the spiritual life, and have not always emerged [.....]
Mental Disorders and Spiritual Healing presents the viewpoint on mental disorders held by the early Church Fathers, and in so doing provides a fresh “new” look at psychotherapy, as seen from the standpoint of a tradition which knows the human being as composed of body, soul and Spirit, and gives precedence to the Spirit.
In False Dawn: The United Religions Iniative, Globalism and the Quest for a One World Religion, Lee Penn provides us with a detailed history of the movement, its predecessors, its ideological confederates, its allied organizations both religious and secular, its stated goals and its implicit agendas. He has taken a penetrating look at the dynamics of globalization through the lens of contemporary religion—both the established, organized religions and the new religious movements—and the picture he presents to us is both rarely illuminating and deeply chilling.
What do the Religions Say about Each Other? constitutes a considerable contribution to traditionalist or perennialist studies. And who better to compile such a vital portrayal of “paths that lead to the same summit” than the Scottish philosopher and medically trained octogenarian William Stoddart, who has dedicated his life to researching the spiritual doctrines of the world’s religions?
Samuel D. Fohr’s book Adam & Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis and Exodus is one of the few books to ever attempt the elucidation of the esoteric, non-dual metaphysical myths contained in the Bible.
Charles Upton’s book Folk Metaphysics: Mystical Meaning in Traditional Folk Songs and Spirituals, contains an incredibly lucid and dynamic interpretation of various folk songs from the point of view of what is commonly known as the Perennialist or Traditionalist “school” of esoteric thought and comparative religion.
This assertion is based on a failure to discern the difference in level between an idol and a sacred image. And, given the place of sacred icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, it is just as incorrect to associate “idol worship” strictly with the non-monotheistic traditions as it is to call the veneration of sacred images “idol-worship”.
Public relations campaigns to address Islamophobia and quid-pro-quo negotiations with non-Muslim groups are definitely worth pursuing, but their effectiveness will probably be limited. What is needed, in my opinion, is unilateral action that cuts across the prevailing lines of interfaith conflict and is not dependent upon the success of interfaith dialogue.
One of the trademarks of traditional Appalachian folk singer Jean Ritchie is a song called “Fair Nottamun Town,” which passed to her through her family. (Bob Dylan used the same tune for his song “Masters of War.”) She tells how she and her sisters, as children, used to sit in the evenings on the porch of their farmhouse near the town of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky, and try to untangle its meaning. In later years, on a trip to England, she learned that “Nottamun Town” is a version of the English mummer-song “Nottingham Town,” and that the song has a taboo on it: whoever figures out its meaning will lose all of his or her luck.