Schuonian Writers: Biographic Analysis


Index

Borella, Jean
Brown, Joseph Epes
Burckhardt, Titus
Chittick, William
Coomaraswamy, Rama
Critchlow, Keith
Cutsinger, James

Danner, Victor
Eaton, Charles Le Gai
Fitzgerald, Michael Oren
Levy, John
Lings, Martin
Michon, Jean-Louis
Murata, Sachiko

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein
Nasr, Vali Reza
Osman Bakar
Pallis, Marco
du Pasquier, Roger
Perry, Whitall
Schaya, Léo

Schuon, Frithjof
Sherrard, Philip
Smith, Huston
Stoddardt, William

Major Writers

Frithjof Schuon (1907-98)

  • 37 books 1933-97, of which 6 major (1948-78)
  • Wrote mostly on spirituality, sometimes on Islam
  • Wrote mostly in French, translated into most important European languages and some other languages
  • Two most importat books
  • Biography
    • Born Switzerland of Franco-German parentage
    • Became Muslim in 1932
    • Textile designer
    • Shaykh of the Maryamiyya and Master of the Primordial Religion

Marco Pallis (1895-1989)

  • 5 books 1939-80, of which one major (1939), which may be pre-Traditionalist
  • Wrote on Tibetan Buddhism for a general public
  • Wrote in English, translated into French
  • Main work Peaks and Lamas (1939)
  • Biography
    • Born in England of Greek parents
    • Became a Tibetan Buddhist
    • Visited Himalyas 1923 or 1933-48
    • Relations with Guénon unknown. Met Schuon in 1940
    • Also a musician (7 compositions published)
    • No known followers

Titus Burckhardt (1908-84)

  • 17 books 1941-79 and one posthumous collection, of which 7 major (1952-1960)
  • 3 translations
  • Wrote on Islam and art for the educated general public
  • Wrote in German, translated into various European languages
  • Three most important books
  • Biography
    • Swiss, related to the celebrated historian of the Reniassance
    • Became Muslim
    • Spent many years in Morocco
    • School-friend of Schuon
    • Publisher; also worked for UNESCO
    • Schuon's most important follower

Charles Le Gai Eaton (? 1941-)

  • 3 books 1949-85, of which 1 major (1985)
  • Wrote on Islam
  • Wrote in English; one translation into German
  • Main work: Islam and the destiny of man (1985)
  • Biography
    • English
    • Became Muslim
    • Worked at London Mosque

Martin Lings (1909-  )

  • 11 books 1952-91, of which 3 major (1961-83)
  • 3 volumes of poetry
  • Wrote on Sufism and Islam for the educated general public
  • Wrote in English, sometimes translated into French, also into Spanish, Arabic and Turkish
  • Two most important books
  • Biographie
    • English
    • Became Muslim
    • Lived in Egypt ; closely associated there with Guénon
    • Met Schuon 1938
    • Two careers
      • Taught at Cairo University 1939-52
      • Then worked at the British Museum

Léo Schaya (1916-86)

  • 3 books 1958-83 and one posthmous collection, of which one major (1958)
  • Wrote on Judaism (kabbala) and Sufism
  • Wrote in French, translated into English and German
  • Main work: L'Homme et l'absolu selon la Kabbale [The universal meaning of the Kabbalah] (1958)
  • Biography
    • Born in Switzerland , moved to France
    • Became Muslim
    • Visited Guénon in Egypt
    • Met Schuon during 1930s
    • Career unknown

Philip Sherrard (1922-95)

  • 14 books 1959-98, of which two major (1959-66)
  • One volume of poetry and two translations
  • Wrote on Greek Orthodoxy
  • Wrote in English, sometimes translated into French or German
  • Main work: Byzantium (1966)
  • Biography
    • English
    • Became Greek Orthodox
    • Spent many years in Greece
    • Meeting with Schuon unknown -- may not have been a real follower of Schuon
    • Professional writer and translator of modern Greek poetry and literature

Joseph Epes Brown

Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1933-  )

  • 37 books and 5 co-authored works 1961-2000 (still writing in 2001), of which 11 major (1964-93)
  • Editor of 7 collections
  • One volume of poetry and one translation
  • Writes on Islam
  • Writes mostly in English, translated into Persian, Turkish and Malay and other Islamic languages, and sometimes  into French and Italian
  • Two most important books
  • Biography
    • Iranian
    • Muslim
    • Moved from Iran to America
    • Met Schuon around 1959
    • Distinguished academic career

William Stoddardt

  • 3 books and one co-edited book 1976-97 (still writing in 2001), of which one major (1976)
  • Writes on various religions
  • Writes in English, one book translated into various European languages
  • Main work: Sufism: The Mystical Doctrines and Methods of Islam (1976)
  • Biography
    • Canadian
    • Became Muslim
    • Career unknown

Other Writers

Academics

  • Huston Smith (1919-  )
    • 7 books, one collection and one co-authored work 1955-2001, of which one major (1958, pre-Traditionalist).  Also editor of 3 collections
    • Writes in English on religion in general
    • American
    • Ordained a Methodist minister, practices Islam
  • Jean-Louis Michon (1924- )
    • 2 books 1969-73
    • Writes in French on Islam; one translation into English
    • Swiss
    • Muslim
  • Keith Critchlow
    • 4 books 1969-79
    • Writes in English on art and design
    • English
    • Design, VITA
    • Muslim
  • Victor Danner (1926-90)
    • 3 books 1973-88
    • Wrote in English on Islam
    • American
    • Religious studies, U of Indiana
    • Muslim
  • William Chittick
    • 5 books, 6 translations and one co-authored work 1974-2000
    • Writes in English on Islam
    • American
    • Islamic studies, State University of New York
    • Connection with Schuon unconfirmed
  • Jean Borella
    • 5 books 1979-98 and one collection
    • Writes in French on Christianity and Tradition
    • French
    • Philosophy, U of Nancy
    • Catholic
    • Headed group of around fifty Christian followers
  • Osman Bakar
    • 5 books and one co-authored work 1987-99
    • Editor of 2 collections
    • Writes in English and Malay on Islam
    • Malysian
    • Muslim
  • James Cutsinger (1953 -)
    • 2 books and editor of one collection 1987-97
    • Writes in English on spirituality
    • American
    • Theology, U de South Carolina
    • Catholic
  • Michael Oren Fitzgerald
    • One book, 1991
    • Wrote in English on Native American Religion
    • American
    • Religious studies, U of Indiana (then became a lawyer)
    • Muslim
  • Vali Reza Nasr
    • 3 books 1992-96
    • 3 co-authored works
    • American (son of Hossein Nasr)
    • Muslim
  • Sachiko Murata (1943- )
    • One book, two co-authored works 1992-2000
    • Writes in English on Taoism and Islam
    • Japanese; American by marriage
    • Connection with Schuon unconfirmed

Non-academics

  • John Levy
    • 2 books 1956-70
    • Wrote in English on Hinduism
    • English
    • Muslim
  • Whitall Perry (1920-)
    • 4 books 1971-96
    • Wrote in English on Tradition
    • American
    • Muslim
  • Roger du Pasquier (1917-99)
    • 3 books, one translation and one co-authored work 1977-88
    • Wrote in French on Islam, translated into English
    • Swiss journalist
    • Muslim
  • Rama Coomaraswamy (1932-)
    • 2 books 1981-99
    • Writes in English on Christianity
    • American (son of Ananda Coomaraswamy)
    • Catholic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditionalists.org was established June 19, 2000.
This page was last revised July 21, 2006 .
Comments © Mark Sedgwick, 1998, 2000-2006