A man with a beard

“The Essential Frithjof Schuon” is a collection of writings by the well known Swiss Perennialist and Traditionalist, compiled and edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, another important Traditionalist author. The book could be seen as a companion volume to Harry Oldmeadow's “Frithjof Schuon and the Perennial Philosophy”. If you can't afford both books, buy Oldmeadow's volume. Both are introductory, but Oldmeadow is an easier read.

While “The Essential Frithjof Schuon” is interesting, many of the republished texts are short excerpts. In fact, I'm somewhat surprised that the usually super-intellectual and “elitist” Traditionalists have published a volume of this kind. From a Traditionalist perspective, this collection (filled with excerpts and brackets) is surely a bit dumbed down! Does it really capture the depth of Schuon's thinking? Perhaps it could be seen as a “teaser trailer”.

But yes, Nasr has attempted to cover as many aspects of Schuon's thinking as possible: perennialism, revelation, prayer, the “Neo-Platonist” metaphysics, Schuon's analysis of traditional art, his views on Islam, the criticism of the modern world, etc.

Personally, I'm more interested in traditions Herr Schuon would consider heterodox and counter-initiatic, so don't take my word for it… ;-)