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Title: The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy by Henry Corbin, Joseph H. Rowe, Jacob Needleman ISBN: 1-55643-269-0 Publisher: North Atlantic Books Pub. Date: October, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An Introduction to a Brand New World
Comment: Even Henry Corbin's greatest admirers have to admit that he is not an easy read. There are two reasons for this, as I see it. One of them is his adherence to that peculiar French literary convention in non-fiction of assuming that the reader understands more than he or she actually does (the French have a name for this style, although at the moment I can't recall what it is).
The other, more important reason is that it requires a considerable amount of unusual intellectual baggage to reach the point where you can begin to understand what Corbin is trying to say. In order to even consider embarking on Corbin's spiritual journey, it is extremely helpful to be familiar with Medieval Scholasticism, Islamic philosophy, Sufism, Shiite theology and Zoroastrianism. It also doesn't hurt to have a nodding acquaintance with Luther, the seventeenth century German mystics and Swedenborg. I don't know anybody who feels completely at home with all those topics; I know that I don't.
Which is what makes this book so important for an understanding of Corbin. In fact, Corbin didn't put this book together; it is a compilation of various pieces of his writing. The book starts out with a lengthy intellectual biography of Corbin by Christopher Bamford, which helps considerably to set the stage. This is followed by two essays by Corbin on the development of Iranian studies and the history of Iranian philosophy. Both of these are rather long, and to me at least while I was reading them, they were rather boring. However, in retrospect I must admit that these essays probably do more to introduce Corbin's mindset than anything else that could have been selected. Following this are various, mostly short essays dealing with features of Iranian philosophy and mysticism. The whole scheme of the book it to lead the reader into an appreciation of Corbin's endeavors and an understanding of what he was trying to achieve.
I first encountered Corbin about four years ago, when I attempted to read "Man of Light." I gave up after about twelve pages; the material presented was too abstruse for me. After reading this book I realize that Corbin is pure gold, and I'm ready to tackle his work in earnest.
Rating: 4
Summary: The Best Introduction to Corbin's Work
Comment: Corbin is one of the foremost interpreters of Iranian, Sufi and Persian gnosticism in the west. This volume is a terrific introduction to his other works as it is a collection of short essays in which he discusses how he grew from being a student of Heidegger to a scholar of Persian mysticism. I would highly encourage those interested in the imaginal realm to begin their quest here and then take on his other works, especially "Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth" afterward. More people should know of Corbin's work, but unfortunately its audience is largely limited to students of Islam and Sufism. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Very informative book
Comment: The last place I would have looked for a profound spiritualism would have been Iran, but this book proved me wrong. It is amazing and disturbing how much influence cheap media has on our views. After reading this book, I am not surprised that, of all places, Iran should be the country to exhibit such a sharp contrast with modern flashy and shallow philosophies. Obviously these guys know their stuff and can distinguish between real thing and fake ones, something that we in the west need to learn since our spiritualism usually ends up in some sort of sex or money scandal.
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Title: Alone with the Alone by Henry Corbin, Ralph Manheim ISBN: 0691058342 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 02 March, 1998 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth by Henry Corbin, Nancy Pearson ISBN: 0691018839 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 01 August, 1989 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Swedenborg and Esoteric Islam (Swedenborg Studies, No 4) by Henry Corbin, Leonard Fox ISBN: 0877851832 Publisher: Swedenborg Foundation Pub. Date: 01 December, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism by Henry Corbin, Nancy Pearson, Zia I. Khan ISBN: 0930872487 Publisher: Omega Publications Pub. Date: May, 1994 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Heart of Islamic Philosophy: The Quest for Self-Knowledge in the Teachings of Afdal Al-Din Kashani by William C. Chittick ISBN: 0195139135 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: October, 2001 List Price(USD): $65.00 |
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