Name: Safiya 's review of Knowledge and the Sacred by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Item: Knowledge and the Sacred
Rating: 4
Author: Safiya

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Nasr (Islamic studies, George Washington U.), in a series of ten lectures, argues that, unlike in the West, where scientific thought has been secularized, in the East, knowledge and religious experience have remained unified. Drawing from Buddhist, Hindu, Judaic, Christian, and Islamic traditions, he finds in each the idea of perennial wisdom as a philosophical basis for such unity. Paperback edition ($10.95) not seen. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Knowledge and the Sacred

Safiya 

This is my first SHN book, and frankly I was surprised at the perspicacity of his analysis and interpretations of different doctrines and theories, from Suhraurdi to Plato... As did Guénon in a more revolutionary manner, Dr.Nasr describes how the "Moderns" separated the Logos from God, and consequently hid the sacred knowledge.. He then tackles the Definition of Tradition which is one of the most comprehensive definitions I've ever read so far, " it contains the sense of truth which is both of divine origin and perpetuated throughout a major cycle of human history through both transmission and renewal of the message by means of revelation.", and make things clearer regarding the Zeitgeist that is commonly known as the spirit of time, which is nothing more than a modern substitute of the anima mundi... and while Burckhardt uses Barzakh to define that man who links the skies to the earths and that this role is limited to avatars, Dr.Nasr uses the pontifical functions of men instead, bridging between heaven and earth...Add to that one of the most unusual treatises about sacred art, and symbolism with various references...

But why emphasize on the importance of sacred sciences ?
" To know is to be delivered" "Knowledge of the sacred leads to freedom and deliverance from all bondage and limitation because the sacred is none other than limitless Infinite and the Eternal"
 "من يرد الله به خيرا يفقهه في الدين"
" And in this moment, I swear…
… we are infinite." - The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

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Knowledge and the Sacred by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

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Knowledge and the Sacred by Seyyed Hossein Nasr