In Search of The Sacred With Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Original Title:
In Search of the Sacred With Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Uploaded by
marin_antonDate uploaded
on Feb 10, 2012
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Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the preeminent philosophers writing today. Sure to be a key resource for decades to come, In Search of the Sacred: A Conversation with Seyyed Hossein Nasr on His Life and Thought illuminates Nasr's experiences and shares his insights on topics from religion and philosophy to science and the arts.
Based on a series of interviews, the book combines traditional autobiography with an exploration of the intellectual and spiritual trajectories of the author's thought during key periods of his life. In doing so, it presents a fascinating panorama, not only of the life and ideas of one man, but also of major events ranging from intellectual life in Iran during the Pahlavi period and the Iranian Revolution to some of the major religious and intellectual debates between Islam and modernism. Nasr writes that his whole life has been a quest for the sacred. This work connects that quest with some of the most important issues of the day in encounters between Islam and the West.
412 pages
Product description
Review
... this volume is an important introduction to the life and thought of a serious, productive thinker. Included are a full set of notes and a useful index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and public libraries; lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers.
Choice
"...fascinating reading...I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Islam, comparative religions or Perennial Philosophy.-- "
Catholic Library World
About the Author
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, PhD, is university professor of Islamic studies at The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
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Reem rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, religion-spirituality, biography-memoir
Seyyed Hossein Nasr's writings have shaped my views on Islamic spirituality in the past few years. I have read many of his works from books to introductions to other books and random articles. This book gave me a comprehensive look on his life and views in general.
I found myself relating to many of his experiences such as his experience in university, studying physics. His purpose behind studying physics was to learn "the nature of things," but instead he found a gap in the modern scientific study and instead was more interested in the metaphysical. In my case, when I started my psychology degree, in a sense what I wanted to learn - to put it in Nasr's terms - was the nature of the human being. Instead, I was faced with a fragmented science dealing with fragments of the human mind and behaviour as opposed to a holistic view of mind-body-soul. The gap in my study of psychology has led me to "search for the sacred" in other disciplines such as literature and philosophy (there will always be the spiritual gap if we do not actively seek it).
Another thing I really like about Nasr's worldview is that he links everything back to the Sacred and Divine. For example, his views on architecture. He believes that the architecture of the building should reflect its purpose, so you cannot build a mosque like an industrial building, a "box" that deprives the space of its spiritual essence.
Another important issue he addresses is the environmental crisis, which is ultimately caused by the modern spiritual crisis and neglecting the sacredness of nature, and the only way we can actually "solve" the environmental crisis is to reconnect with our spiritual essence and to rebuild our connection with nature. (less)
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Aadil Sohail
Oct 01, 2020Aadil Sohail rated it really liked it
The book thoroughly covers the multi-dimentional aspects of Nasr's philosophy while also providing an insight into the mind of the brilliant polymath. (less)
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Soroosh
Aug 04, 2010Soroosh rated it really liked it · review of another edition
It did change my opinion around Nasr...
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Guanhui
Sep 07, 2012Guanhui rated it really liked it
Shelves: ay2012-2013
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Eclectic, diverse and drawing from his rich tapestry of history, thought and study - we have a feast of ideas encapsulated in one book.
