Sacred Web 8
Editorial: Reclaiming the Center
by M. Ali Lakhani
How is authentic Islam to be distinguished from the horrible acts committed in its name? This Editorial traces the tragic course of decentered Islam, explores the origins of resentment that have shaped modern Muslim societies, and the tensions between fundamentalism, tradition and modernity that lie at the heart of the events of September 11th and their aftermath. Read more ...
Frithjof Schuon: Providence without Paradox
by Michael Fitzgerald
A friend and legal representative of the celebrated metaphysician, the late Frithjof Schuon, responds to Patrick Ringgenberg's criticisms of Schuon in Sacred Web 7, arguing that there is no inconsistency between Schuon's personality and his message.
Frithjof Schuon: Memories and Anecdotes
by Catherine Schuon
Catherine Schuon, wife of the late Frithjof Schuon, provides some recollections of her 50 years with the Shaykh. Her intimate reminiscences of this teacher, who taught and demonstrated the "greatness" which "is the necessary condition for the return to God," indirectly responds to his critics by a portrayal that both humanizes and ennobles its subject.
The Illumination of Frithjof Schuon
by Scott Korn
This article takes issue with the conservative perennialist perspective that faults Schuon's apparent syncretism, arguing instead for the liberal perspective that values principled syncretism as a necessary component of religious pluralism.
Concerning Religious Forms
by Timothy Scott
Religious forms partake of the mystery of both the Absolute and the Infinite. This survey of the nature of religious forms examines the contours of this mystery, and concludes with a note on Ringgenberg's recent evaluation of Schuon in Sacred Web 7.
Shakespeare and the Metaphysics of Tradition
by Peter Milward
This companion piece to Milward's article on Hopkins and the Metaphysics of Modernity in Sacred Web 7 summons certain key passages from the Bard to demonstrate his traditionally metaphysical orientation.
The End of the World according to William Blake and J.G. Bennett
by Paul Davies
This article argues that the end of the world according to Blake and Bennett is to be understood not as the cessation of a physical universe but as the transformation of human nature - a goal that lies at the heart of the metaphysical quest.
SPECIAL SECTION: REFLECTING ON SEPTEMBER 11th
Shadows and Strife: Reflections on the Confrontation of Islam and the West
by Rodney Blackhirst and Harry Oldmeadow
In the wake of the events of September 11th and their aftermath, this collaborative piece by two Australian academics contrasts American Fundamentalism and Islamic Fundamentalism, and draws from the current conflict the broader questions of the basis of religious pluralism. Read more ...
Recollecting the Spirit of Jihad
by Reza Shah-Kazemi
Drawing from historical evidence, and citing such examples as Saladin and the Emir Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri, the author distinguishes between the stereotype of "Jihadism" and the true spirit of Jihad. Read more ...
Towards Informed and Conscientious Media Coverage of Islam
by Karim H. Karim
The author has adapted a chapter from his award-winning book, Islamic Peril: Media and Global Violence, to reflect on the coverage of Islam in the dominant Western media, particularly in light of the events of September 11th. Read more ...
The System of Antichrist
by Charles Upton
The author of The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age revisits his book in the wake of September 11th.
Letters to the Editor
Notes on Contributors
