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The Transcendent Unity of Religions
Schuon asserts that to transcend religious differences, we must explore the esoteric nature of the spiritual path back to the Divine Oneness at the heart of all religions.
207 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
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About the author
Frithjof Schuon
177 books221 followersFrithjof Schuon was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality.
Schuon is recognized as an authority on philosophy, spirituality and religion, an exponent of the Religio Perennis, and one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School. Though he was not officially affiliated with the academic world, his writings have been noticed in scholarly and philosophical journals, and by scholars of comparative religion and spirituality. Criticism of the relativism of the modern academic world is one of the main aspects of Schuon's teachings. In his teachings, Schuon expresses his faith in an absolute principle, God, who governs the universe and to whom our souls would return after death. For Schuon the great revelations are the link between this absolute principle—God—and mankind. He wrote the main bulk of his metaphysical teachings in French. In the later years of his life Schuon composed some volumes of poetry in his mother tongue, German. His articles in French were collected in about twenty titles in French which were later translated into English as well as many other languages.
http://www.sophia-perennis.com/philos...
Schuon is recognized as an authority on philosophy, spirituality and religion, an exponent of the Religio Perennis, and one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School. Though he was not officially affiliated with the academic world, his writings have been noticed in scholarly and philosophical journals, and by scholars of comparative religion and spirituality. Criticism of the relativism of the modern academic world is one of the main aspects of Schuon's teachings. In his teachings, Schuon expresses his faith in an absolute principle, God, who governs the universe and to whom our souls would return after death. For Schuon the great revelations are the link between this absolute principle—God—and mankind. He wrote the main bulk of his metaphysical teachings in French. In the later years of his life Schuon composed some volumes of poetry in his mother tongue, German. His articles in French were collected in about twenty titles in French which were later translated into English as well as many other languages.
http://www.sophia-perennis.com/philos...
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 30, 2025
One of the most tedious trends in twentieth-century academia is the endless proliferation of relativist "religious studies" / "comparative religion" / "multicultural studies" b.s. about how all world religions are really the same -- and this has been paralleled by a similar syncretist impulse in Schuon, Huxley, and many others, to reduce all religious difference to accidental properties.
I feel like it should be painfully obvious to everyone why this is not true -- while there is indeed a very basic similarity to most religions (i.e., "renounce your ego in some fashion," "there is some sort of ultimate ontological grounding that is not immediately apparent to the senses"), and while there are some fascinating connections between, e.g., Sufism and Orthodox Christianity, the idea that all religions are really the same could only occur to someone who has (1) not entered deeply into any one tradition and/or (2) is a religious studies professor.
I would argue that all religions do not, to put it lightly (contra Rudolf Otto and everyone after him, up to and including John Hick), have the same 'core experience' that is somehow 'translated' into different religions. This would be like saying that there's really only one human emotion, called "emotion," that is then translated into anger, fear, joy, ecstasy, love, etc.; anyone who has actually experienced these emotions knows that this is comically false. In other words, I think it's fair to say that left-hand path Tantric orgies, or the Chöd sādhana of Tibetan Buddhism (where one offers one's own body to be consumed by demons), are maybe just a tiny bit different -- experientally, dogmatically, etc. -- than the experience of Anglicans at prayer. Similarly, while virtually all religions include an element of mystical experience, how this experience transpires (Bacchic frenzy? Complete dissociation of self? Ecstatic love?) is wildly different in each case.
While I'm talking more about the syncretist impulse in general, to be fair to Schuon, his esoteric/exoteric distinction is a bit more subtle, but ultimately his only 'real' religion is esoteric knowledge, which is identical in all traditions, while religious difference is merely 'accidental' (blind love rather than knowledge). Schuon attempts to be generous in his ecumenism, but his conclusion is that only a few people -- including him! -- can concretely comprehend the transcendent unity of religions, which is, essentially, Vedantic philosophy. But 'Esoteric Christianity' is either heretical (from a Christian perspective) or it isn't -- you have to pick one or the other, but Schuon tries to have it both ways.
I understand the motives behind the hermeticist spiritualism / perennial philosophy of Schuon as well as the present-day 'spiritual but not religious' crowd; they all mean well, I think. I also understand the anodyne let's-all-get-along vibe behind wanting all religions to be combined in a vague United Nations melting pot of mainstream liberal niceness, where there are no sharp edges and no one takes religion too seriously, and every Muslim and Christian realizes that their truth is only true for them -- and, naturally, that the only absolute truth is the 'rights' and 'tolerance' language of the late-capitalist liberal/secular state -- but the facts on the ground do not bear this out.
I feel like it should be painfully obvious to everyone why this is not true -- while there is indeed a very basic similarity to most religions (i.e., "renounce your ego in some fashion," "there is some sort of ultimate ontological grounding that is not immediately apparent to the senses"), and while there are some fascinating connections between, e.g., Sufism and Orthodox Christianity, the idea that all religions are really the same could only occur to someone who has (1) not entered deeply into any one tradition and/or (2) is a religious studies professor.
I would argue that all religions do not, to put it lightly (contra Rudolf Otto and everyone after him, up to and including John Hick), have the same 'core experience' that is somehow 'translated' into different religions. This would be like saying that there's really only one human emotion, called "emotion," that is then translated into anger, fear, joy, ecstasy, love, etc.; anyone who has actually experienced these emotions knows that this is comically false. In other words, I think it's fair to say that left-hand path Tantric orgies, or the Chöd sādhana of Tibetan Buddhism (where one offers one's own body to be consumed by demons), are maybe just a tiny bit different -- experientally, dogmatically, etc. -- than the experience of Anglicans at prayer. Similarly, while virtually all religions include an element of mystical experience, how this experience transpires (Bacchic frenzy? Complete dissociation of self? Ecstatic love?) is wildly different in each case.
While I'm talking more about the syncretist impulse in general, to be fair to Schuon, his esoteric/exoteric distinction is a bit more subtle, but ultimately his only 'real' religion is esoteric knowledge, which is identical in all traditions, while religious difference is merely 'accidental' (blind love rather than knowledge). Schuon attempts to be generous in his ecumenism, but his conclusion is that only a few people -- including him! -- can concretely comprehend the transcendent unity of religions, which is, essentially, Vedantic philosophy. But 'Esoteric Christianity' is either heretical (from a Christian perspective) or it isn't -- you have to pick one or the other, but Schuon tries to have it both ways.
I understand the motives behind the hermeticist spiritualism / perennial philosophy of Schuon as well as the present-day 'spiritual but not religious' crowd; they all mean well, I think. I also understand the anodyne let's-all-get-along vibe behind wanting all religions to be combined in a vague United Nations melting pot of mainstream liberal niceness, where there are no sharp edges and no one takes religion too seriously, and every Muslim and Christian realizes that their truth is only true for them -- and, naturally, that the only absolute truth is the 'rights' and 'tolerance' language of the late-capitalist liberal/secular state -- but the facts on the ground do not bear this out.
December 25, 2015
Books like this are hard to review as they tread in areas where language simply becomes inadequate. Anything that is put on paper doesn’t seem to capture it; Huston Smith says in the introduction that “the truth…is buried so deep in the human composite that they cannot communicate it, not in any way the majority will find convincing.” (xv) So, we can resort to talking about things like duality, the conflict of opposites, resolution of contradictions in ultimate reality, etc… But ultimately transcendence is precisely that, transcendent - over and above, encompassing everything yet at the same time and for that very reason, indescribable. There is the deepest of truths here, and one that sometimes shows itself in flashes of illumination that contain ultimate happiness.
At a certain level, religions are nothing more than symbols that point to a higher reality. For me personally, it took the insights of Islam to reveal this, but it could just as easily have evolved (and still did in many ways) out of my Christian past. It could have come from any revealed religion. Islam in its own right is incredibly universal even on the surface. The Qur’an has many verses that point to the acceptance of all revealed religions as containing the primordial truth. Schuon himself as a Sufi can be said to derive his primary “language” and inspiration from this perspective.
Focusing on one path over others is necessary on the level of lived experience. This is one of the main arguments of the Perennialist approach to religion. To communicate and reach the desired result, there are systems in place that don’t make spiritual sense when intermixed. This is where the Perennialists – led by Schuon and Rene Guenon among others – should not be confused with a simplistic sentimental universality that is prone to compromise. It makes it tough when searching for a way to apply their insights to a world that desperately needs it on the pragmatic (exoteric) level. To them, this higher transcendence is only truly realized by a few, on an esoteric level. This is not so much an elitist view as an observation and insight.
The exoteric/esoteric vertical progression is the key to understanding Schuon. As Huston Smith lays out in the introduction, this is the primary way Schuon looks at the differences in religion, vs. the common method of simply finding symbolic counterparts between different faiths. His insight is that the manifested differences on the exoteric level of religion are ultimately resolved, transcended and eliminated in the essence of the One. There is great wisdom here through holding ideas in tension – meaning that we can cling to one path as the truth while at the same time acknowledging that ultimate reality is beyond comprehension and big enough to include it all.
At a certain level, religions are nothing more than symbols that point to a higher reality. For me personally, it took the insights of Islam to reveal this, but it could just as easily have evolved (and still did in many ways) out of my Christian past. It could have come from any revealed religion. Islam in its own right is incredibly universal even on the surface. The Qur’an has many verses that point to the acceptance of all revealed religions as containing the primordial truth. Schuon himself as a Sufi can be said to derive his primary “language” and inspiration from this perspective.
Focusing on one path over others is necessary on the level of lived experience. This is one of the main arguments of the Perennialist approach to religion. To communicate and reach the desired result, there are systems in place that don’t make spiritual sense when intermixed. This is where the Perennialists – led by Schuon and Rene Guenon among others – should not be confused with a simplistic sentimental universality that is prone to compromise. It makes it tough when searching for a way to apply their insights to a world that desperately needs it on the pragmatic (exoteric) level. To them, this higher transcendence is only truly realized by a few, on an esoteric level. This is not so much an elitist view as an observation and insight.
The exoteric/esoteric vertical progression is the key to understanding Schuon. As Huston Smith lays out in the introduction, this is the primary way Schuon looks at the differences in religion, vs. the common method of simply finding symbolic counterparts between different faiths. His insight is that the manifested differences on the exoteric level of religion are ultimately resolved, transcended and eliminated in the essence of the One. There is great wisdom here through holding ideas in tension – meaning that we can cling to one path as the truth while at the same time acknowledging that ultimate reality is beyond comprehension and big enough to include it all.
February 27, 2019
Interesting book, except that perennialism is an incredible illusion and fallacy - in the sense that perennialists argue against "egalitarianism" in the social order but proceed to tell you that all religions are still equally valid in our time. They tell you that they understand the "absolutist claim" in each religion, but they are above it and relativise it, and then proceed to deny being relativists. They tell you that one has to be traditionnal, but being traditional entails being absolutist and totally non-perennialistic. Fallacy upon fallacy, in the name of misunderstood esoterism. Additional implicit contradictions lie in the fact that one cannot claim to talk from the point of view of the absolute, then proceed to tell you that his reference point is esoterism through his understanding of Advaita Vedanta and Shankara (this is, Schuon's claim himself), needless to say, it is already relativised.... If there are many roads with the intention of reaching the top of the mountain, with divine providence, some roads get blocked, and something else is made available.
Taking the "Limits of Religous Expansion" in another way [contrary to what Schuon means with it], that is, we can see that there is one religion that has reached, unlike all others, parts of all them = From Andalusia to India to China. And this, since its first centuries and original expansion. This geographical hint is enough to let some people ponder. Proving that it is indeed made for all human mentalities, whether they eat with chopsticks, spoons or with the hands directly. Therefore the constant Schuonian obsession of putting "semitic" below "aryan" falls.
Claims to see the absolute in all religions, but through most of his books puts the "semitic" ones below the "aryan" - not so "universal" after all it seems... As this implies there are things better than others...
*******
“[...] On s'emploie à favoriser d'autres auteurs comme le font les anglo-saxons lorsqu'ils mettent en avant Frithjof Schuon. L'« unité transcendante des religions » est une manière d'occulter l'unité immanente proclamée par l'islâm dont la loi s'impose à tous, car elle fixe le régime traditionnel final de la présente humanité.”
― C-A Gilis
***********
I find it very peculiar that the most available english edition is now published by "Quest Books - Theosophical Publishing House" since 1993. Taking in consideration that the author is supposedly against such nonsense and syncretism, something is definitely fishy here.
Taking the "Limits of Religous Expansion" in another way [contrary to what Schuon means with it], that is, we can see that there is one religion that has reached, unlike all others, parts of all them = From Andalusia to India to China. And this, since its first centuries and original expansion. This geographical hint is enough to let some people ponder. Proving that it is indeed made for all human mentalities, whether they eat with chopsticks, spoons or with the hands directly. Therefore the constant Schuonian obsession of putting "semitic" below "aryan" falls.
Claims to see the absolute in all religions, but through most of his books puts the "semitic" ones below the "aryan" - not so "universal" after all it seems... As this implies there are things better than others...
*******
“[...] On s'emploie à favoriser d'autres auteurs comme le font les anglo-saxons lorsqu'ils mettent en avant Frithjof Schuon. L'« unité transcendante des religions » est une manière d'occulter l'unité immanente proclamée par l'islâm dont la loi s'impose à tous, car elle fixe le régime traditionnel final de la présente humanité.”
― C-A Gilis
***********
I find it very peculiar that the most available english edition is now published by "Quest Books - Theosophical Publishing House" since 1993. Taking in consideration that the author is supposedly against such nonsense and syncretism, something is definitely fishy here.
December 23, 2014
The transcendent unity of religions-Frithjof Schuon-The book's main premise is that all main religions share a common ground. This is actually the crux of the school of thought called Perennial Philosophy. By analogy, we can take the example of the duality between the platonic world of ideas and the world of appearances(the reflection of the ideas): the essence of of religions is the same but is dissipated into multiple forms and adapted to the culture of the civilization. Ideas are eternal, while their reflections are transitory, subject to the changes of space, time and causality. Although many objects are relatively distinct, they may be the shadows of the same idea or archetype from which they originated. And how should someone discover the essence of all religious ideologies? The author distinguishes between exoterism(the religious knowledge known to the masses) and esoterism(the knowledge known for the initiates). While the exoteric knowledge may be dependent on the culture, the exoteric one may be considered universal or transcendent. I have to admit that I'm already familiar with this unity of religions popularized intensely by the New Age movement. The New Age movement is obviously the monstrous product of the postmodern era where syncretism, hybridization and juxtaposition are the main characteristics of the zeitgeist. On the other hand, while the Perennial Philosophy bases its ideas on the true tradition, the New age movement is just a mumbo jumbo mixture between different pieces of every religions, pseudo-spiritualism, channeling, etc, or simply put-the monstrous creature of the dr Frankenstein of the religions.
March 4, 2015
Schuon approaches the perrenial philosophy in two ways: by making the distinction between the esoteric and the exoteric form of a religion and by assessing there unity according to pure metaphysics, unlike most by making comparisons. And even when making comparisons, they are mostly made according to temperaments and dispositions rather than through their exoteric shell. Both of these approaches make the perennial philosophy clearer amongst those who confuse a religions outer and inner dimensions and there by rejecting the perrenial philosophy and by assessing the religions through the Divine Intellect with Pure metaphysics rather than through the limiting catagories of modern philosophy.
Following the Platonic tradition, Schuon argues for the trascendental or esoteric unity behind all the worlds religions while acknowledging the existence, the importance and yet the limiting factors of the exoteric. Even though the true essence of all religions and thereby there unity is within the esoteric, this inner truth can only be directly accessed through metaphysics- something that requires the few. The pupose of the exoteric dimension there for is to abstract the esoteric into Symbols- dogmas, creeds and sacraments- that way the layman can participate in that truth, according to their spiritual perception. Even though the intentions mean well for making it accessible to all, there is a risk- as we all know- of people either making the dogma literal where a literal interpretation has no place or people merely going through the motions of the sacraments without any spiritual awareness.
Schuon also discusses the redemptive importance of sacred art and it's usage as a window into eternity. Even though he explains the importance of beauty, he is very critical of, "naturalistic" art whose subject is an end in itself without any pointing towards the sacred or whose images are mere copies of objects. Sacred art must not only be symbolic, but ,"imitate the creative act, not the thing created" and abstract the essential trascendental characteristics of the object/subject. These qualifications lead him to be disgusted with western art from the gothic era, the renaissance and onwards to Modernism. Even though I think his criticism of, "naturalism" is insencere, there's no doubt that sacred art plays an important role in the perrenial philosophy.
What is great about Schuon his is vast knowledge about all the worlds religion and by the objectivity he has towards them. So many writers are either sloppy with their thinking or either too proud of their, "knowledge": Schuon writes with intention and love that's truly intellectual in the right sense. His biggest contribution- even though Miester Echart made this point in the 13th century- is that the Intellect is not to be confused with reason: the mode of thinking that's conditioned by our biases, riddled with our experiences, temporal and part of the flux of the world. Reason has bread all the petty materialisms, imperialisms, empiricisms, positivisms and skepticisms that has made it impossible for the modern to find any claim for Truth possible. Truly, this world is symbolic of a higher one that has emanated from the One just as our Kantanian Catagories are platonic reflections of the Divine Intellect. To escape these Catagories by looking to where they point and then returning to them, one can sit back and watch the cosmic dance of Maya play in front and within you. If Schuon was a sage or in fact a bodhisattva, reading his work should confirm that intuition.
Following the Platonic tradition, Schuon argues for the trascendental or esoteric unity behind all the worlds religions while acknowledging the existence, the importance and yet the limiting factors of the exoteric. Even though the true essence of all religions and thereby there unity is within the esoteric, this inner truth can only be directly accessed through metaphysics- something that requires the few. The pupose of the exoteric dimension there for is to abstract the esoteric into Symbols- dogmas, creeds and sacraments- that way the layman can participate in that truth, according to their spiritual perception. Even though the intentions mean well for making it accessible to all, there is a risk- as we all know- of people either making the dogma literal where a literal interpretation has no place or people merely going through the motions of the sacraments without any spiritual awareness.
Schuon also discusses the redemptive importance of sacred art and it's usage as a window into eternity. Even though he explains the importance of beauty, he is very critical of, "naturalistic" art whose subject is an end in itself without any pointing towards the sacred or whose images are mere copies of objects. Sacred art must not only be symbolic, but ,"imitate the creative act, not the thing created" and abstract the essential trascendental characteristics of the object/subject. These qualifications lead him to be disgusted with western art from the gothic era, the renaissance and onwards to Modernism. Even though I think his criticism of, "naturalism" is insencere, there's no doubt that sacred art plays an important role in the perrenial philosophy.
What is great about Schuon his is vast knowledge about all the worlds religion and by the objectivity he has towards them. So many writers are either sloppy with their thinking or either too proud of their, "knowledge": Schuon writes with intention and love that's truly intellectual in the right sense. His biggest contribution- even though Miester Echart made this point in the 13th century- is that the Intellect is not to be confused with reason: the mode of thinking that's conditioned by our biases, riddled with our experiences, temporal and part of the flux of the world. Reason has bread all the petty materialisms, imperialisms, empiricisms, positivisms and skepticisms that has made it impossible for the modern to find any claim for Truth possible. Truly, this world is symbolic of a higher one that has emanated from the One just as our Kantanian Catagories are platonic reflections of the Divine Intellect. To escape these Catagories by looking to where they point and then returning to them, one can sit back and watch the cosmic dance of Maya play in front and within you. If Schuon was a sage or in fact a bodhisattva, reading his work should confirm that intuition.
December 5, 2020
An interesting read. I personally don’t agree with his thesis but I still think people should read it. Schoun is a fascinating man and I intend to read more of his works in the future.
May 12, 2022
longest short book ever rread. go to a church or a mosque or maybe a sinagogue. don t ask why. just do it.
October 3, 2018
I'll start off with this quote as a warning to other fools like me: "We wish to state clearly that -- this is never with the intention of convincing opponents whose minds are already made up, but simply to enable those who wish to understand to get a glimpse of certain aspects of reality; it is for the latter alone that we are writing, and we decline to enter into polemics that would have no interest for our eventual contradictors or for ourself." (p. 94) What this means is that Schuon is working with certain very controversial axioms (eg. the existence of God, his Grace, his Mercy, and his Love) which he does not even always explicitly state and which he has no intention of calling into question, even for argument's sake. So don't come into this book expecting to be convinced - like I did.
An experience similar to Buber's I and Thou, in that both were very interesting books to read but are very hard to rate. This is by no means a study, but more of an extended essay, which is not to say it doesn't have research behind it. Schuon seems (I recognize my limitations to make any judgements on the matter) to be astonishingly well versed in the three monotheisms, the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which are the focal point of this work (contrary to what the title and the cover art of this Quest Book edition might imply), but there are occasional glimpses into erudition on other religious traditions, though to grasp their significance one should be better versed in religious studies than I.
By the way, true to his heritage (German), Schuon writes in extremely long run-on sentences - and I seem to have been infected.
I'm sure the basic premise of the book is obvious. Even though the whole is not very focused and even feels slightly unfinished, it is packed with interesting observations and comments regarding the three monotheisms and their essential unity. Even if one doesn't believe in this Unity with a capital 'u' for the same reasons as Schuon, one can still glean many a fascinating insight from the work. For example, Schuon asserts that Christianity is essentially an esoteric offshoot of Judaism. With all the new information on primitive Christianity that's come to light in the half a century since Schuon wrote this book, it has become a very attractive theory. Islam Schuon sees as a synthesis of the exoteric and esoteric bents of Judaism and Christianity, which emphasize Law and Mercy respectively. This synthesis-nature of Islam is, Schuon claims, the reason for its fundamentalism and totalitarianism, so to speak; the tendency of Islamic theocracy. (As a side note: all this gives one the impression Schuon holds a sort of Hegelian view of religious history.)
Like with Buber, a summation seems impossible. A captivating read. Challenging - and equally rewarding.
An experience similar to Buber's I and Thou, in that both were very interesting books to read but are very hard to rate. This is by no means a study, but more of an extended essay, which is not to say it doesn't have research behind it. Schuon seems (I recognize my limitations to make any judgements on the matter) to be astonishingly well versed in the three monotheisms, the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which are the focal point of this work (contrary to what the title and the cover art of this Quest Book edition might imply), but there are occasional glimpses into erudition on other religious traditions, though to grasp their significance one should be better versed in religious studies than I.
By the way, true to his heritage (German), Schuon writes in extremely long run-on sentences - and I seem to have been infected.
I'm sure the basic premise of the book is obvious. Even though the whole is not very focused and even feels slightly unfinished, it is packed with interesting observations and comments regarding the three monotheisms and their essential unity. Even if one doesn't believe in this Unity with a capital 'u' for the same reasons as Schuon, one can still glean many a fascinating insight from the work. For example, Schuon asserts that Christianity is essentially an esoteric offshoot of Judaism. With all the new information on primitive Christianity that's come to light in the half a century since Schuon wrote this book, it has become a very attractive theory. Islam Schuon sees as a synthesis of the exoteric and esoteric bents of Judaism and Christianity, which emphasize Law and Mercy respectively. This synthesis-nature of Islam is, Schuon claims, the reason for its fundamentalism and totalitarianism, so to speak; the tendency of Islamic theocracy. (As a side note: all this gives one the impression Schuon holds a sort of Hegelian view of religious history.)
Like with Buber, a summation seems impossible. A captivating read. Challenging - and equally rewarding.
Read
March 15, 2016Correspondence from Guénon to Schuon about this book :
[Le Caire, 16 avril 1946]
"[...] Merci pour les envois successifs des chapitres de votre livre, maintenant complété ; je le trouve du plus grand intérêt, et il aurait été assurément bien regrettable que vous ne vous décidiez pas à l’écrire. Je ne vois vraiment pas quelles modifications je pourrais vous suggérer, ni ce qu’il pourrait y avoir à ajouter ou à retrancher ; je crois que ce qui se rapporte au Christianisme, en particulier, n’avait jamais été présenté sous ce jour, et cela pourra aider certains à comprendre bien des choses. Il importe que ce livre puisse paraître le plus tôt possible ; Luc Benoist m’avait parlé de la fin de cette année, mais, comme la réédition de la « Crise du Monde moderne » paraît devoir se faire plus tôt qu’il ne le disait alors, j’espère que cela avancera d’autant la publication des volumes suivants de la collection, c’est-à-dire de votre livre en premier lieu, et ensuite de celui de Coomaraswamy sur « Hindouisme et Bouddhisme ». – Pour ce qui est de votre nouveau titre, il me semble en effet préférable au premier parce qu’il est plus court, et que peut-être aussi il semblera plus clair aux lecteurs qui ne sont pas encore habitués à notre terminologie.
[...] Votre chapitre sur les formes d’art sera certainement très bien pour le volume de Bharata Iyer : [...]"
[Le Caire, 16 avril 1946]
"[...] Merci pour les envois successifs des chapitres de votre livre, maintenant complété ; je le trouve du plus grand intérêt, et il aurait été assurément bien regrettable que vous ne vous décidiez pas à l’écrire. Je ne vois vraiment pas quelles modifications je pourrais vous suggérer, ni ce qu’il pourrait y avoir à ajouter ou à retrancher ; je crois que ce qui se rapporte au Christianisme, en particulier, n’avait jamais été présenté sous ce jour, et cela pourra aider certains à comprendre bien des choses. Il importe que ce livre puisse paraître le plus tôt possible ; Luc Benoist m’avait parlé de la fin de cette année, mais, comme la réédition de la « Crise du Monde moderne » paraît devoir se faire plus tôt qu’il ne le disait alors, j’espère que cela avancera d’autant la publication des volumes suivants de la collection, c’est-à-dire de votre livre en premier lieu, et ensuite de celui de Coomaraswamy sur « Hindouisme et Bouddhisme ». – Pour ce qui est de votre nouveau titre, il me semble en effet préférable au premier parce qu’il est plus court, et que peut-être aussi il semblera plus clair aux lecteurs qui ne sont pas encore habitués à notre terminologie.
[...] Votre chapitre sur les formes d’art sera certainement très bien pour le volume de Bharata Iyer : [...]"
May 18, 2011
Schuon compares the great religions to spokes in a wheel, all leading to the one center. It's hard to imagine a more important message for our times.
August 30, 2016
Given to me as a gift by one of my best friends, this book makes really good insights on the topic. I don't agree with everything, but it's eye-opening.
October 28, 2023
Primera y más conocida obra de Frithjof Schuon, uno de los principales representantes de la escuela filosófico-teológica de la philosophia perennis, también conocido como tradicionalismo.
Supuestamente en este libro Schuon expone su teoría (en coincidencia con otros tradicionalistas como René Guénon) de que las religiones son diferentes en sus aspectos exotéricos (ritos e incluso doctrina) pero iguales en su aspecto trascendente o esotérico (la unidad mística de la certeza absoluta debido a que en ella sujeto y objeto coinciden en la intuición intelectual). Aquellos elementos que resultan contradictorios a nivel exotérico, se unifican en el Dios infinito que incluye en sí mismo todas las cosas, incluso las contradictorias.
Schuon considera también que la forma más adecuada de conoce a Dios no es la vía de moral, la voluntad o la belleza, sino la vía del Conocimiento que incluye como subordinadas el resto de vías. También coincide con otros perennialistas en pensar que nos encontramos en el ciclo cósmico del Kali-yuga, que es el último, el estado más alejado de la edad de oro y en el que más cuesta (excepto para la élite espiritual) acceder a la dimensión esotérica.
Además de exponer estas teoría comunes al resto de perennialistas, da la impresión de que el libro es un poco como un cajón de sastre donde Schuon expone sus principales teorías (por ejemplo, que el Islam es la culminación del monoteísmo al arrebatar el monoteísmo del exclusivismo de Israel o de Cristo; o que el arte anónimo tradicional estaba, bajo las reglas que seguía el artesano, cerca de la dimensión esotérica de la que se aleja el arte desde el Renacimiento). Aún así, todas muy interesantes.
Hay momentos en los que Schuon parece justificar la guerra (aunque esto es interpretable), pero donde es explícito es en su rechazo del humanitarismo moderno (y en general de la izquierda) por practicar una caridad orientada hacia el bienestar en este mundo y no en el más allá. De hecho, el punto que más me cuesta de Schuon y los perennialistas en general es este: su rechazo al mundo material y a la inmanencia. Lejos de las teorías que pretenden encontrar ya en el neoplatonismo una valoración del mundo material debido a que, aunque sea la última emanación, emana de Dios, Schuon parece valorar muy poco este mundo, hasta el punto de caer en una justificación del sufrimiento humano. A mí es algo que me cuesta aceptar, aunque probablemente Schuon me diría que estoy demasiado inmerso en la decadencia del kali-yuga. Y yo replicaría que, en contra de Schuon, creo que desde una perspectiva no-dualista tradicional también se puede valorar esta vida. Como decía el Maestro Eckhart, quien no sea feliz en este mundo, que no espere serlo en el otro. Sin embargo, Schuon a su vez quizá me pudiera responder que mi interpretación del no-dualismo está demasiado cercana al panteísmo que, después de divinizar la materia, acaba por desdivinizar a Dios.
Estaré atento a los escritos de Schuon sobre filosofía y religión asiáticas para ver cómo interpreta él las doctrinas que hoy se comprenden comúnmente como no dualistas.
Otra duda que me queda es la siguiente: en la visión intelectual de la dimensión esotérica donde coinciden todas las religiones, ¿esta dimensión se ve bajo los símbolos de cada religión particular, o se accede a un reino intelectual más allá de los símbolos particulares?
Supuestamente en este libro Schuon expone su teoría (en coincidencia con otros tradicionalistas como René Guénon) de que las religiones son diferentes en sus aspectos exotéricos (ritos e incluso doctrina) pero iguales en su aspecto trascendente o esotérico (la unidad mística de la certeza absoluta debido a que en ella sujeto y objeto coinciden en la intuición intelectual). Aquellos elementos que resultan contradictorios a nivel exotérico, se unifican en el Dios infinito que incluye en sí mismo todas las cosas, incluso las contradictorias.
Schuon considera también que la forma más adecuada de conoce a Dios no es la vía de moral, la voluntad o la belleza, sino la vía del Conocimiento que incluye como subordinadas el resto de vías. También coincide con otros perennialistas en pensar que nos encontramos en el ciclo cósmico del Kali-yuga, que es el último, el estado más alejado de la edad de oro y en el que más cuesta (excepto para la élite espiritual) acceder a la dimensión esotérica.
Además de exponer estas teoría comunes al resto de perennialistas, da la impresión de que el libro es un poco como un cajón de sastre donde Schuon expone sus principales teorías (por ejemplo, que el Islam es la culminación del monoteísmo al arrebatar el monoteísmo del exclusivismo de Israel o de Cristo; o que el arte anónimo tradicional estaba, bajo las reglas que seguía el artesano, cerca de la dimensión esotérica de la que se aleja el arte desde el Renacimiento). Aún así, todas muy interesantes.
Hay momentos en los que Schuon parece justificar la guerra (aunque esto es interpretable), pero donde es explícito es en su rechazo del humanitarismo moderno (y en general de la izquierda) por practicar una caridad orientada hacia el bienestar en este mundo y no en el más allá. De hecho, el punto que más me cuesta de Schuon y los perennialistas en general es este: su rechazo al mundo material y a la inmanencia. Lejos de las teorías que pretenden encontrar ya en el neoplatonismo una valoración del mundo material debido a que, aunque sea la última emanación, emana de Dios, Schuon parece valorar muy poco este mundo, hasta el punto de caer en una justificación del sufrimiento humano. A mí es algo que me cuesta aceptar, aunque probablemente Schuon me diría que estoy demasiado inmerso en la decadencia del kali-yuga. Y yo replicaría que, en contra de Schuon, creo que desde una perspectiva no-dualista tradicional también se puede valorar esta vida. Como decía el Maestro Eckhart, quien no sea feliz en este mundo, que no espere serlo en el otro. Sin embargo, Schuon a su vez quizá me pudiera responder que mi interpretación del no-dualismo está demasiado cercana al panteísmo que, después de divinizar la materia, acaba por desdivinizar a Dios.
Estaré atento a los escritos de Schuon sobre filosofía y religión asiáticas para ver cómo interpreta él las doctrinas que hoy se comprenden comúnmente como no dualistas.
Otra duda que me queda es la siguiente: en la visión intelectual de la dimensión esotérica donde coinciden todas las religiones, ¿esta dimensión se ve bajo los símbolos de cada religión particular, o se accede a un reino intelectual más allá de los símbolos particulares?
February 13, 2025
Fritjof Schuon’s The Transcendent Unity of Religions offers a profound exploration of how seemingly disparate religious traditions share a common metaphysical essence. Schuon’s reflections on ritual, myth, and symbolism across various faiths are illuminating and reveal a compelling vision of a transcendent reality underlying all paths. However, despite the inherently dense nature of his subject, the author sometimes complicates matters further by employing unnecessarily complex language, which can hinder readability. Additionally, while Schuon does provide some historical and factual elements, these are relatively sparse, and a more robust examination of each tradition’s historical context could have enriched the overall argument.
Another notable shortcoming is the occasionally disjointed flow between chapters, making the progression of ideas less cohesive than one might expect. Nevertheless, Schuon’s work remains highly influential for those interested in the Perennialist perspective on religious unity and offers valuable insights into the universal core of spiritual traditions. For further exploration, one might consult related authors such as René Guénon (e.g., Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines) and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (e.g., Hinduism and Buddhism), who share similar viewpoints. In addition, historians of religion like Mircea Eliade (A History of Religious Ideas) can provide a more comprehensive historical and factual backdrop, complementing Schuon’s metaphysical approach.
Another notable shortcoming is the occasionally disjointed flow between chapters, making the progression of ideas less cohesive than one might expect. Nevertheless, Schuon’s work remains highly influential for those interested in the Perennialist perspective on religious unity and offers valuable insights into the universal core of spiritual traditions. For further exploration, one might consult related authors such as René Guénon (e.g., Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines) and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (e.g., Hinduism and Buddhism), who share similar viewpoints. In addition, historians of religion like Mircea Eliade (A History of Religious Ideas) can provide a more comprehensive historical and factual backdrop, complementing Schuon’s metaphysical approach.
June 23, 2018
Perennialism or better, especially Traditionalism, is more of an understandable answer to the challenges for religion after the enlightenment (considering questions and conclusions not posited before), than an answer in itself. To problematic is the mix of universalism and isolationism which mirrors in a telling way the thoughts of pan-europeanists and ethnopluralists. The main problem with these groups, be they religious or political, is, that they cannot tell ontology and epistemology apart and use it in a proper way. Be this as it may, the chapter on the metaphysics of religion was still quite good and educative for people who try to think the plurality of religions as unity - which is the great desideratum of religions.
August 22, 2017
In The Transcendent Unity of Religions, Schuon presents the most nuanced, complete, and compelling perspective I have yet to encounter on topics such as the origins and functions of religion. Schuon's style is dense albeit very clear for the critical reader, delving deep into the metaphysical aspect of religious reality. The Perennialist perspective that Schuon develops here provides a particularly poignant rebuttal to religious reductionism, both from the standpoint of the atheist and the modern religious fundamentalist.
October 3, 2021
Read the first chapter at least and the preface, introduction. The distinction between exo and esoteric is useful. The language can be a bit obfuscatory at parts, which makes the experience of reading a bit confusing for someone who isn't that well read on all these different mystical traditions. I find Huxley or Guenon easier to read when it comes to these topics. Nevertheless, this book is good food for thoughts.
August 14, 2021
Există traducerea în Ro de Anca Manolescu, cu un cuvânt înainte de Andrei Scrima, apărută la Humanitas în '94, dar eu nu știu să adaug cărți în aplicație.
E o carte pentru cei interesați de subiect, nu e o lectură tocmai facilă, însă Schuon e important de lecturat în studiul filosofiei perene, aș spune că merită efortul!
E o carte pentru cei interesați de subiect, nu e o lectură tocmai facilă, însă Schuon e important de lecturat în studiul filosofiei perene, aș spune că merită efortul!
October 29, 2025
Enjoyed reading this book. The main takeaways were the distinction between the esoteric and the exoteric side of religion, and the role of the intuitive Intellect which is an aspect of the Divine in us and enables us to know the Divine.
February 12, 2020
There are perspectives here that must be read an pondered for those wrestling with the mystery of religion.
July 5, 2023
Basically something to the effect of all religions are groovy insofar as they agree with Islam- and even starts sounding like Guenon a bit, finally
April 9, 2008
Master Schuon explains the common transcendent core of all the world's religions. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Shamanism, Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and more have an esoteric core which leads directly to intimacy in the knowledge of God. Once again showing the truth of the phrase "One must first walk the Shari'ah in order to have access to the Haqiqa."
January 18, 2017
“Hıristiyanlık’ta Önce sevmek, sonra istemek, sonra da zamanı geldiğinde bilmek (Tanrı sevgisiyle bağlantılı olarak bilmek) gerekir. İslâm’da ise önce bilmek, sonra istemek, sonra da zamanı geldiğinde sevmek (Tanrı bilgisiyle bağlantılı olarak sevmek) gerekmektedir”.
March 25, 2024
Book is formatted incorrectly!
The entire book is just photocopied and put in kindle sideways! I don't know how this got by Amazon! Pathetic! No q.c.
The entire book is just photocopied and put in kindle sideways! I don't know how this got by Amazon! Pathetic! No q.c.
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August 5, 2014i read this book while i was listening the lecturing from my guru
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