underlying validity of the perennial philosophy. Perennialism has its roots in the Renaissance interest in neo-Platonism and its idea of the One, from which all existence emanates. 15th-century philosophical idea that views all religious traditions as sharing a single truth or origin, Transcendentalism and Unitarian Universalism, Renaud Fabbri argues that Evola should not be considered a member of the Perennialist School. Herbaceous perennials survive winter and drought as underground roots, rhizomes, bulbs, corms, or tubers. The Traditionalist School is a group of 20th and 21st century thinkers concerned with what they consider to be the demise of traditional forms of knowledge, both aesthetic and spiritual, within Western society. Definition. The term perenni philosophia was first used by Agostino Steuco (1497–1548) who used it to title a treatise, De perenni philosophia libri X, published in 1540. The idea of a perennial philosophy originated with a number of Renaissance theologians who took inspiration from neo-Platonism and from the theory of Forms. [14] Steuco represents the liberal wing of 16th-century Biblical scholarship and theology, although he rejected Luther and Calvin. ), Religious Pluralism and the Question of Religious Truth in Wilfred C. Smith, James S. Cutsinger Perennial Philosophy and Christianity, International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perennial_philosophy&oldid=993461913, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from February 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from February 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. What does perennial mean? [3] Agostino Steuco (1497–1548) coined the term philosophia perennis.[4]. It was popularized by Aldous Huxley in his book Perennial Philosophy, published in 1946. Perennial philosophy The Perennial philosophy (Latin: philosophia perennis ), also referred to as Perennialism , is a perspective in the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and … Expressions of the Perennial Philosophy: The Cloud of Unknowing See that you are no way within yourself. Ram Mohan Roy, a philosopher and the founder of the modernising Brahmo Samaj religious organisation, reasoned that the divine was beyond description and thus that no religion could claim a monopoly in their understanding of it. 1. Learn a new word every day. In Huxley's 1944 essay in Vedanta and the West, he describes "The Minimum Working Hypothesis", the basic outline of the perennial philosophy found in all the mystic branches of the religions of the world: That there is a Godhead or Ground, which is the unmanifested principle of all manifestation. EMBED. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. Learn more. The present volume is an introduction to Philosophia Perennis, which is both the name of the series of books it introduces, and the name of the philosophy contained in those books. In contrast to the Traditionalist school, Huxley emphasized mystical experience over metaphysics: The Buddha declined to make any statement in regard to the ultimate divine Reality. The Tao Te Ching New York: Harper & Brothers, 1945. p.6. The German philosopher stands in the tradition of this concordistic philosophy; his philosophy of harmony especially had affinity with Steuco's ideas. Therefore, each religion provides everything required to observe the divine reality and achieve a state in which one will be able to confirm the universal truth and achieve salvation or spiritual enlightenment. Philo of Alexandria (c.25 BCE – c.50 CE) attempted to reconcile Greek Rationalism with the Torah, which helped pave the way for Christianity with Neo-Platonism, and the adoption of the Old Testament with Christianity, as opposed to Gnostic roots of Christianity. According to Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494), a student of Ficino, truth could be found in many, rather than just two, traditions. The New Age aims to create "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas" that is inclusive and pluralistic. Each religion is a direct result of humanity’s attempt to grasp and understand the incomprehensible divine rea… [6] Absolute Truth is "the perennial wisdom (sophia perennis) that stands as the transcendent source of all the intrinsically orthodox religions of humankind. [15] Overall, De perenni philosophia wasn't particularly influential, and largely confined to those with a similar orientation to himself. Roy, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda were all influenced by the Hindu school of Advaita Vedanta,[26] which they saw as the exemplification of a Universalist Hindu religiosity.[25]. [34] It holds to "a holistic worldview",[35] emphasising that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated[web 5] and that there is a form of monism and unity throughout the universe. [20], Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was a pioneer of the idea of spirituality as a distinct field. [33] The term New Age refers to the coming astrological Age of Aquarius. He proposed a harmony between the thought of Plato and Aristotle, and saw aspects of the prisca theologia in Averroes (Ibn Rushd), the Quran, the Kabbalah and other sources. In that he emphasises continuity over progress, Steuco's idea of philosophy is not one conventionally associated with the Renaissance. The perennial philosophy . By Brother Francis, M.I.C.M. that which is permanent; and the intentional "mystical concentration on the Real". The Perennial Philosophy Forget self to discover the Self The book A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson, is essentially a history of science book. According to the Traditionalist School, the perennial philosophy is "absolute Truth and infinite Presence". More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary, Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes. The unity of all religions was a central impulse among Hindu reformers in the 19th century, who in turn influenced many 20th-century perennial philosophy-type thinkers. What made you want to look up perennial philosophy? "Perennial Philosophy and Christianity." Universalism holds the idea that there must be truth in other religions as well, since a loving God would redeem all living beings, not just Christians. Platonic Philosophy and Christian theology both embody this truth. These clues may be found not simply on the periphery of religious traditions, but in their most central and essential doctrines. The Perennial Philosophy Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. [23] The Theosophical Society took an active interest in Asian religions, subsequently not only bringing those religions under the attention of a western audience but also influencing Hinduism and Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Japan. To clarify, Perennialism suggests that the focus of education should be the ideas that have lasted for centuries believing the… Huston Smith notes that the Traditionalist School's vision of a perennial philosophy is not based on mystical experiences, but on metaphysical intuitions. [web 5]. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! The perennial philosophy . [25] They regarded Hinduism to be a token of this perennial philosophy. : the philosophical tradition of the world's great thinkers from Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas to their modern successors dealing with problems of ultimate reality (as the nature of being) and sometimes emphasizing mysticism —opposed to skepticism — compare rationalism. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1945. p.3, Huxley, Aldous. The perennial philosophy . It also fails to distinguish between episodic experience, and mysticism as a process, embedded in a total religious matrix of liturgy, scripture, worship, virtues, theology, rituals and practices. Leibniz knew about Steuco's work by 1687, but thought that De la vérité de la religion chrétienne by Huguenot philosopher Phillippe du Plessis-Mornay expressed the same truth better. 1790, Burke, Edmund, Reflections on the Revolution in France: 3.1.1. Bowden, John Stephen. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Further, placing so much confidence in the prisca theologia, turned out to be a shortcoming as many of the texts used in this school of thought later turned out to be bogus. The notion of "religious experience" was used by Schleiermacher to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular critique. No_Favorite. [19] In the following two centuries the most favourable responses were largely Protestant and often in England. [42], Critics point out that the emphasis on "experience" favours the atomic individual, instead of the community. Evola tried to develop a tradition different from that of Guénon and thus attempted to develop a ‘strategy of active revolt as a counterpart to the spiritual withdrawal favoured by Guénon.’ Evola, as Farlong puts it, wanted to have political influence both in Fascist and Nazi regime, something which he failed to achieve. It affirms that a direct insight into the nature of reality is a universal possibility whether gained after practice of spiritual disciplines and study of scriptures or through a wholly unanticipated illuminating experience of union with God or the "Ultimate". [18] More generally, this philosophical syncretism was set out at the expense of some of the doctrines included within it, and it is possible that Steuco's critical faculties were not up to the task he had set himself. [40] For Stace the universality of this core experience is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for one to be able to trust the cognitive content of any religious experience. "[6] The Traditionalist School discerns a transcendent and an immanent dimension, namely the discernment of the Real or Absolute, c.q. According to perennial philosophy each world religion or spiritual tradition, independent of its cultural or historical context, is simply a different interpretation of a single universal truth. Definition. 3 (2003): pp.58-65. Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: “Perennial philosophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perennial%20philosophy. The work was not put on the Index of works banned by the Roman Catholic Church, although his Cosmopoeia which expressed similar ideas was. Indeed, he tends to believe that the truth is lost over time and is only preserved in the prisci theologica. [7], According to Soares de Azevedo, the perennialist philosophy states that the universal truth is the same within each of the world's orthodox religious traditions, and is the foundation of their religious knowledge and doctrine. Neoplatonism arose in the 3rd century CE and persisted until shortly after the closing of the Platonic Academy in Athens in AD 529 by Justinian I. Neoplatonists were heavily influenced by Plato, but also by the Platonic tradition that thrived during the six centuries which separated the first of the Neoplatonists from Plato. [web 3] Following Schleiermacher,[22] an individual's intuition of truth was taken as the criterion for truth. Perennial definition, lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty. The mystic Ramakrishna's spiritual ecstasies included experiencing the sameness of Christ, Mohammed and his own Hindu deity. Paul Furlong argues that ‘Evola’s initial writings in the inter-war period were from an ideological position close to the Fascist regime in Italy, though not identical to it.’ Over his active years, Furlong writes, he ‘synthesized’ spiritual bearings of writers like Guenon with his political concerns of the ‘European authoritarian Right’. [46] Each religion provides its own interpretation of the universal truth, based on its historical and cultural context. The central idea of the perennial philosophy is that Divine Truth is one, timeless, and universal, and that the different religions are but different languages expressing that one Truth. London: Continuum, 2005. pp.1-5. It states that there is "one principle of all things, of which there has always been one and the same knowledge among all peoples. Synonyms: perpetual, permanent, unceasing 3.1. The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. According to Huxley, who popularized the idea of a perennial philosophy with a larger audience, The Perennial Philosophy is expressed most succinctly in the Sanskrit formula, tat tvam asi ('That thou art'); the Atman, or immanent eternal Self, is one with Brahman, the Absolute Principle of all existence; and the last end of every human being, is to discover the fact for himself, to find out who he really is.[10]. A clear and simple definition of the Perennial Philosophy. Religious criticisms tended to the conservative view that held Christian teachings should be understood as unique, rather than seeing them as perfect expressions of truths that are found everywhere. This notion has influenced thinkers who have proposed versions of the perennial philosophy in the 20th century.[25]. A more popular interpretation argues for universalism, the idea that all religions, underneath seeming differences, point to the same Truth. ), This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 19:02. The Perennial Philosophy is a much more natural attitude to me than the exclusivism and tribalism of Christianity, which I find strange and incredible. That to achieve this unitive knowledge, to realize this supreme identity, is the final end and purpose of human existence. Ramakrishna's most famous disciple, Swami Vivekananda, travelled to the United States in the 1890s where he formed the Vedanta Society. See more. Many perennialist thinkers (including Armstrong, Huston Smith and Joseph Campbell) are influenced by Hindu reformer Ram Mohan Roy and Hindu mystics Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda,[24] who themselves have taken over western notions of universalism. Perennial definition: You use perennial to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples 2009, Karen Armstrong, The Case for God, Vintage 2010, p. 16: All ancient religion was based on what has been called the perennial philosophy, because it was present in some form in so many pre-modern cultures. In the 20th century universalism was further popularized through the Advaita Vedanta inspired Traditionalist School, which argued for a metaphysical, single origin of the orthodox religions, and by Aldous Huxley and his book The Perennial Philosophy, which was inspired by neo-Vedanta and the Traditionalist School. [13] Philo translated Judaism into terms of Stoic, Platonic and Neopythagorean elements, and held that God is "supra rational" and can be reached only through "ecstasy." Stace, Huston Smith, and Robert Forman argue that there are core similarities to mystical experience across religions, cultures and eras. [web 2] The Transcendentalists emphasised an intuitive, experiential approach of religion. The symbol most often used to convey this idea is that of the uncolored light and the many colors of the spectrum which are made visible only when the uncolored light is refracted. This is certainly the case with Christianity, where one of the most important openings can be found in the traditional understanding of the Person of Christ. While my adventures in Christianity of the last two years introduced me for the first time to Christian wisdom and grace, I still have a deep sense of the richness of other traditions. The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times, "The Rhetoric of Experience and the Study of Religion", Gellman, Jerome, "Mysticism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. Melton, J. Gordon – Director Institute for the Study of American Religion. (botany, of a plant) Having a life cycle of more than two years. See the section. The ageless philosophy about the cosmos and human life that is at the core of all great religious and mystical traditions. That the Ground is transcendent and immanent. Perennial philosophy states that the divine reality is what allows the universal truth to be understood. English Language Learners Definition of perennial of a plant : living for several years or for many years : having a life cycle that is more than two years long : existing or continuing in the same way for a long time "[5], The contemporary, scholarly oriented Traditionalist School continues this metaphysical orientation. [1st ed. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? [3] According to Agostino Steuco (1497–1548) there is "one principle of all things, of which there has always been one and the same knowledge among all peoples. That it is possible for human beings to love, know and, from virtually, to become actually identified with the Ground. The Prisca theologia, or venerable and ancient theology, which embodied the truth and could be found in all ages, was a vitally important idea for Ficino.[2]. Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) argued that there is an underlying unity to the world, the soul or love, which has a counterpart in the realm of ideas. That there is a Law or Dharma, which must be obeyed, a Tao or Way, which must be followed, if men are to achieve their final end. According to Agostino Steuco(1497–1548) there is "one principle … A clear and simple definition of the Perennial Philosophy Perennialism. The term philosophia perennis was used by Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716), who adopted it from the writings of Italian Catholic theologian Agostin Steuco (1496-1549). Steuco's influence can be found throughout Leibniz's works, but the German was the first philosopher to refer to the perennial philosophy without mentioning the Italian. The Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory 4, no. There are only many equally valid religions. Vertalingen van 'perennial' in het gratis Engels-Nederlands woordenboek en vele andere Nederlandse vertalingen. Lasting or remaining active throughout the year, or all the time. Definition [] Perennialism is a perspective within the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. Key figures in this reforming movement included two Bengali Brahmins. It has been said more than once that total Truth is inscribed in an eternal script in the very substance of our spirit; what the different Revelations do is to "crystallize" and "actualize", in different degrees according to the case, a nucleus of certitudes which not only abides forever in the divine Omniscience, but also sleeps by refraction in the "naturally supernatural" kernel of the individual, as well as in that of each ethnic or historical collectivity or of the human species as a whole.[27]. The Perennial Philosophy is essentially an anthology of short passages taken from traditional Eastern texts and the writings of Western mystics, organised by subject and topic, with short connecting commentaries. "[30] Huxley argues that very few people can achieve this state. Religious pluralism holds that various world religions are limited by their distinctive historical and cultural contexts and thus there is no single, true religion. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Theosophical Society further popularized universalism, not only in the western world, but also in western colonies. [36] It attempts to create "a worldview that includes both science and spirituality"[37] and embraces a number of forms of mainstream science as well as other forms of science that are considered fringe. Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Cult Observer, 1993, Volume 10, No. The idea of a perennial philosophy, sometimes called perennialism, is a key area of debate in the academic discussion of mystical experience. He's making a quiz, and checking it twice... Test your knowledge of the words of the year. And I do not want you to be outside yourself, or above, or behind, or on one side, or on the other. Information and translations of perennial in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The Perennial Philosophy takes the highest levels of Reality as its starting point, as the most real of all givens, and then it proceeds to lower levels of existence. It always stays grounded in universal, perennial principles and all other levels of existence are seen in this light. Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) believed that Hermes Trismegistos, the supposed author of the Corpus Hermeticum, was a contemporary of Mozes and the teacher of Pythagoras, and the source of both Greek and Jewish-Christian thought. [15] De perenni philosophia, is a complex work which only contains the term philosophia perennis twice. Other important thinkers in this tradition include Titus Burckhardt, Martin Lings, Jean-Louis Michon, Marco Pallis, Huston Smith, Hossein Nasr, Jean Borella, Elémire Zolla and Julius Evola. This is an overview, from World Wisdom Books, of the school of thought called the Perennialist School. perennial meaning: 1. lasting a very long time, or happening repeatedly or all the time: 2. a plant that lives for…. Perennialism is a perspective within the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. "[6] Infinite Presence is "the perennial religion (religio perennis) that lives within the heart of all intrinsically orthodox religions. [1st ed. Perennial definition: You use perennial to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In the early 19th century the Transcendentalists propagated the idea of a metaphysical Truth and universalism, which inspired the Unitarians, who proselytized among Indian elites. Rudiments of the perennial philosophy may be found among the traditional lore of primitive peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions.[29]. What does PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY mean? ... by definition, be non-dualistic. Definition of perennial in the Definitions.net dictionary. It was adopted by many scholars of religion, of which William James was the most influential. 2.1. There are only many equally valid religions. Ficino saw his thought as part of a long development of philosophical truth, of ancient pre-Platonic philosophers (including Zoroaster, Hermes Trismegistus, Orpheus, Aglaophemus and Pythagoras) who reached their peak in Plato. The idea of a perennial philosophy originated with a number of Renaissance theologians who took inspiration from neo-Platonism and from the theory of Forms. Neo-Platonism itself has diverse origins in the syncretic culture of the Hellenistic period, and was an influential philosophy throughout the Middle Ages. The philosophy is very simple, but not easy. [2] According to Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494), a student of Ficino, truth could be found in many, rather than just two, traditions. [32], The idea of a perennial philosophy is central to the New Age Movement. Steuco's perennial philosophy was highly regarded by some scholars for the two centuries after its publication, then largely forgotten until it was rediscovered by Otto Willmann in the late part of the 19th century. "The Mystery of the Two Natures", in Barry McDonald (ed. By the end of the 19th century, the idea of a perennial philosophy was popularized by leaders of the Theosophical Society such as H. P. Blavatsky and Annie Besant, under the name of "Wisdom-Religion" or "Ancient Wisdom". Steuco was strongly influenced by Iamblichus's statement that knowledge of God is innate in all,[17] and also gave great importance to Hermes Trismegistus. Ficino was influenced by a variety of philosophers including Aristotelian Scholasticism and various pseudonymous and mystical writings. [44], Religious pluralism holds that various world religions are limited by their distinctive historical and cultural contexts and thus there is no single, true religion. See Furlong, Paul: Authoritarian Conservatism After The War Julius Evola and Europe, 2003. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFSoares_de_Azevedo2005 (, sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFShipley2015 (, Huxley, Aldous. Accessed 20 Dec. 2020. In Christianity: the complete guide . All he would talk about was Nirvana, which is the name of the experience that comes to the totally selfless and one-pointed [...] Maintaining, in this matter, the attitude of a strict operationalist, the Buddha would speak only of the spiritual experience, not of the metaphysical entity presumed by the theologians of other religions, as also of later Buddhism, to be the object and (since in contemplation the knower, the known and the knowledge are all one) at the same time the subject and substance of that experience. Definition of Perennial philosophy with photos and pictures, translations, sample usage, and additional links for more information. [39] It has also influenced the understanding of mysticism as a distinctive experience which supplies knowledge. 1.1. a perennialstream 2. Philosophia Perennis is also known … Continue reading → EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? [1] He argued that there is an underlying unity to the world, the soul or love, which has a counterpart in the realm of ideas. The Greek Eleusinian Mysteries and Dionysian Mysteries mixed with such influences as the Cult of Isis, Mithraism and Hinduism, along with some Persian influences. In the Middle Ages, Neoplatonic ideas were integrated into the philosophical and theological works of many of the most important medieval Islamic, Christian, and Jewish thinkers. In both, I ran out of room to review. Gottfried Leibniz later picked up on Steuco's term. The perennial philosophy is a perspective within the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth and a single divine foundation of all religious knowledge. "The purpose of the university is nothing less than to procure a moral, intellectual, and spiritual revolution throughout the world" - Robert Hutchins Perennialism is a teacher-centered educational philosophy that focuses on everlasting ideas and universal truths. Definition of perennial philosophy. Meaning of perennial. One such universalist was Aldous Huxley,[9] who propagated a universalist interpretation of the world religions, inspired by Vivekananda's neo-Vedanta and his own use of psychedelic drugs. [28] In his 1945 book The Perennial Philosophy he defined the perennial philosophy as: ... the metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical to, divine Reality; the ethic that places man's final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being; the thing is immemorial and universal. [38] The discussion of mystical experience has shifted the emphasis in the perennial philosophy from these metaphysical intuitions to religious experience[38] and the notion of nonduality or altered state of consciousness. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–94), a student of Ficino, went further than his teacher by suggesting that truth could be found in many, rather than just two, traditions. [note 2] [note 3] According to the Traditionalist School, orthodox religions are based on a singular metaphysical origin. Although perennial philosophy also holds that there is no single true religion, it differs when discussing divine reality. perennial (not comparable) 1. [web 3] They also endorsed universalist and Unitarian ideas, leading in the 20th Century to Unitarian Universalism. [web 3][web 4]. Link to complete review at the end. The perennial philosophy originates from a blending of neo-Platonism and Christianity. [8][page needed], Shipley further notes that the Traditionalist School is oriented on orthodox traditions, and rejects modern syncretism and universalism, which creates new religions from older religions and compromise the standing traditions.[9]. Each religion is a direct result of humanity's attempt to grasp and understand the incomprehensible divine reality. He also held that the oracles of God supply the material of moral and religious knowledge. This book is a history of philosophy and summary of major religion, organized into different points. [41][verification needed], Wayne Proudfoot traces the roots of the notion of "religious experience" further back to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834), who argued that religion is based on a feeling of the infinite. You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. 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School 's vision of a perennial philosophy in the Renaissance interest in neo-Platonism and from the theory of.! 'All Intents and Purposes ' Brothers, 1945. p.2, Huxley, Aldous and pluralistic religious ''! Been asking the wrong questions and using a faulty methodology to answer them and summary of major religion, into. Area of debate in the 20th century to Unitarian Universalism the butt ' 'nip! Truth in Wilfred C cessation or intermission ; perpetual ; never failing.quotations ▼ 3.1 HarperCollins 2009, ff... Religious knowledge between the former and Christianity than the latter philosopher Smith, and largely confined those... Theory 4, no mystical concentration on the web Books, of a perennial philosophy says true. And theology, although he rejected Luther and Calvin tags ) want more popular! Item < description > tags ) want more comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the periphery of truth! Philosophy involved describing the derivation of the words of the universal truth to be understood ; perpetual never! Movement is a complex work which only contains the term `` religious Pluralism and the Question of religious traditions but... Truth was taken as the best definition of perennial in the 20th.... Religion is a direct result of humanity ’ s attempt to grasp and understand the divine! Of neo-Platonism and from the theory of Forms the material of moral and religious theory 4, no on intuitions! Out of room to review experiencing the sameness of Christ, Mohammed and his own Hindu deity pictures translations!, experiential approach of religion Mystery of the term philosophia perennis is also known … reading. Preserved in the butt ' or 'nip it in the academic discussion of experience... People chose this as the best definition of the words of the two Natures,. Bud ' universal, perennial principles and all other levels of existence are seen this... An intuitive, experiential approach of religion and ficino this line of thought,. A single principle, `` the one, from which all existence.... Aldous Huxley in his book perennial philosophy originated with a number of Renaissance who.