Frithjof Schuon and Orthodox Christology

[Felipe Augusto Ortiz]

Dear friends,

A non-Orthodox friend of mine is publicly disputing with me that I, as an Orthodox Christian, should accept the validity of a number of different religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and the like. His main arguments come from this essay:

http://www.cutsinger.net/pdf/mystery.pdf

It is a text about the Orthodox Christology as interpreted by a (non-Orthodox) religious thinker he is very fond of: the Swiss-American Frithjof Schuon. The author (Prof. James Cutsinger) presents himself as an Orthodox Christian, but I was told once that he is actually an Uniate Catholic.

The text itself and its conclusions do not disturb me at all, because they seem too obviously heretical; so I simply disregard them. Nevertheless, I have neither the familiarity with Schuon´s work nor the Orthodox theological and philosophical scholarship I should have if I were to write a fine rejoinder. And my friend asks me for a refutation.

So could anybody with metaphysical and theological training (and, if possible, some acquaintance with the "perennialist" philosophy of Frithjof Schuon) kindly donate some of his time to write a rebuttal? Or, if a good rebuttal is already available somewhere, could someone please inform me?

Many thanks in advance, and please forgive me for this odd request.

[matt]

I first read this article in "Every Branch in Me", a collection of essays on spirituality and universalism. My first exposure to Cutsinger, who is eastern Orthodox, was through a conference at Rose Hill, an Orthodox "great books" college that only lasted a few years. A few of the lectures from this conference, which I think is the best one that I have heard, are found in the book, "Reclaiming the great Tradition", edited, I think, by Cutsinger. Many prominent CHristian theologians and thinkers were present including Bp Kallistos, Fr Neuhaus, Fr Reardon, and many many others. It was excellent.

Anyhow, I too don't totally understand the universalist perspective as expounded by Schuon, who was in my mind more or less a sufi. I may be wrong on that, but I think that is the case. My main beef with the perennialist view is that it may in some circles limit the significance of the personhood of Christ and his historical nature. I have come to think that of the Christian traditions, the Orthodox are the most generous and come closest to a universalist possibility. Certainly we have this as a theme in much of our tradition, even if Origen's teaching that everyone would certainly be saved was condemned, if I recall. I personally did not find the article offensive. I like it very much. If Christ comes to people as the tao instead of the logos, so be it. But not at the expense of the revelation of the incarnate logos. And this is my difficulty. When Cutsinger and Schuon speak of the so-called Prophet, the Buddha, and the Christ as equivalents, then I get nervous. Only Christ. I dont think we need to circle the wagons and say that unless you are bpatized and claim the name are you "saved", however we want to define that, but it also doesn't negate the fact that the only namke given under heaven by which men are saved is Jesus Christ, son of the Father. WHoever is saved is saved in Christ, and I would argue in spite of Muhammed etc, not becasue of it.

I am getting off topic here, but I think that in one of Lewis' Narnia stories a character is told by the Lion that although he worshipped the false god Tash, he was in reality worshipping Aslan. I think that there is something to that.

Bp Kallistos has an article on the salvation of all in his vol 1 of the collected works, that may be of interest. I know, however, that Universalism is not the same as perennialism, but it does overlap.

Finally, I would suggest that you write Cutsinger himself. He seems like a very approachable man and would help you understand the pros and cons of what he is writing.

Matt

[Janine]

Have you ever read "The Jesus Prayer" by "A Monk of the Eastern Church"? He is also known as Lev Gillet (I think that's how his name is spelled). In that book, he makes it clear that we are called to recognize Truth as part of Logos wherever it is found, even if the people or the culture has no knowledge of Christ. If I remember correctly, his explanation is that every culture has within it seeds of the memory of the Garden, the pre-Fallen world, and in each culture there are attempts to return to it. While we may not say that in those attempts there is the fullness of Jesus Christ, we can recognize any aspect of Truth that a culture has accepted in its attempt to regain the Garden, as part of Logos. Hope that explanation makes sense. It is something related to the concept of Truth as seeing the icon of Christ in all people, or the church recognizing the holiness of many pre-Christians, even of pagan societies, like Socrates for example. Truth is recognized as part of Logos, wherever it is found.

[Fr. Gregory (Hallam)]

.... and to back that up anthropologically, there is ONE human nature in which we all share. Therefore, humanity is Orthomorphic, (made up word!). We should therefore EXPECT to see the work of the Logos far, far afield.

There is also that philosophical truism that if Christ is for all then the mere fact that anyone can receive him as such indicates not only a capacity for Truth but also an existing participation, (however limited and partial) in that Truth that makes fuller recognition possible.

[Janine]

That is very beautiful to think about Father Gregory. And if his Spirit is poured out upon all flesh it just backs up what you said, too, I think.

[Janine]

PS I like that - Orthomorphic! Interesting!

[Ken McRae]

" ... we are called to recognize Truth as part of Logos wherever it is found, even if the people or the culture has no knowledge of Christ. If I remember correctly, his explanation is that every culture has within it seeds of the memory of the Garden, the pre-Fallen world ... etc." - Janine

Dear Janine ~

That's a great book, as are all his others too! Monk Gillet's teaching accords with Patristic tradition, I believe, and is firmly grounded in Scripture too!! Thus the importance attributed, by the Church fathers, to the writings of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. And in our own time to Oriental writers like Lao Tzu. See the book entitled "Christ the Eternal Tao".

Here are some Scripture passages, located below, which I hope you won't mind my sharing with the group, which support the teaching that the Divine Logos has been, and continues to be revealed to all peoples and cultures. In the first passage from Proverbs, it is clearly intimated that nature is "exceeding wise"; thus implying that if we would just take the time to contemplate deeply the created mysteries of nature, we'd learn much about the Divine Logos and Creator, and become "exceeding wise", not unlike Solomon himself, or even a Plato and Aristotle.

In the second passage from John, we're shown that the Divine Logos dwells in all men, as a principle of natural or created light and life. This principle of "natural" light is manifested through common sense, reason and the dictates of conscience, as witnessed by St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans and Mars Hill Address.

St. Paul testifies to all these truths, making it crystal clear in his Mars Hill Address that God deals providentially with all men, both as nations and individuals, and that this manner of dealing is itself a principal source of the knowledge of God, if we'd only fully avail ourselves of it. For if we humans, as Paul teaches, "live, and move, and have our being" in God, according to created nature, then not a single hair can fall from our heads without God's knowledge and permission, as the Gospel teaches.

In other words, Paul seems to be teaching, in his Mars Hill Address, that God's providential dealings with all men are calculated to awaken all men to the knowledge of God, that they might both "feel" and "find" Him. Thus it is "that they are without excuse (ROM. 1:20)."


PROV. 30:24-28

"24": There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
"25": The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
"26": The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
"27": The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
"28": The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

JOHN 1:1-4
1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2: The same was in the beginning with God.
3: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4: In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

ACTS 17:22-29
22: Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23: For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24: God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25: Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26: And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27: That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29: Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."

ROM. 1:18-20
18: ... the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

ROM. 2:11-15
11: For there is no respect of persons with God.
12: For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13: (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

In Christ's humility,
Theophilus

[Janine]

Theophilus, marvelous! So much to think about here! Thank you!

[M.C. Steenberg]

Just to clarify, it is Fr Lev Gillet, priest here in England for many years.

INXC, Matthew

[Ken McRae]

" ... Fr Lev Gillet, priest ... " - Matthew

My apologies, Matthew. No disrespect was intended. I should've checked first, though, but I was in a hurry to reply before I retired for the night. I formally owned three of Fr.Gillet's books, but had to sell my modest library back in 2000, and I could'nt recall, off-hand, if he was a priest. I'm presently rebuilding my library, but have'nt yet acquired Fr. Gillet's books again. Sadly, many of the excellent books I had collected (and sold off) are no longer available in hardcover, or are now out of print, and won't be available again for some years to come.

By the way, Felipe, sorry that I did'nt tie my last post more directly into your question, as I should've done. As Fr. Gregory intimated, the Logos is integral to human nature, according to the written teaching of Scripture, most notably St. John's Gospel 1:1-4. Thus it is no surprise that Cosmic Truth is found in the "sacred" literature of religions like Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism, for example.

One excellent example of the Divine Logos found in Confucianism, for example, is the "Golden Rule". We've been taught to do onto others as we'd have them do unto us. Well, this same teaching was promulgated in Confucianism about 500 B.C., but in the negative form: "Do not do unto others, as you would not have them do unto you."

However, the question is: Does the presence of Divine Truth in other religions "validate" those religions? IMO, the answer to that question is both yes and no. I don't have the time to really elaborate further on this right now, but will try to later. For now, though, I'll direct your attention to Rom. 2:11-15, where it states quite clearly that God is not a respector of persons.

Applied to Buddhists, for example, who qualify as "Gentiles", according to the passage in question, while they may not enter into the joy of the Lord, (having never heard of Christ in many cases, or ever had the chance to receive baptism,) St. Paul leads us to believe that if they genuinely sought to "faithfully" follow the law of God, according to their knowledge of it, gleaned from nature and the examination of their own hearts, it will fair far better for them on the day of judgment than for many Christians.

For according to the Gospel, it is worse to have known the Truth and not kept it in sincere obedience, than to have not known it, but sought it diligently and lived, to the best of one's natural ability, according to the clear dictates of their "natural" conscience.

Incidentally, there is a book by St. John of Damascus, that might interest you, called "Barlaam And Ioasaph" (http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/749/1.html), which is apparently based on the life of the historical Buddha.

[Janine]

Sorry about that Matthew; I will try to remember the title next time I use his name. At any rate, I am a great admirer of him, obviously.

Theophilus, how interesting. I will have to look for that book too! (Although I already have so many books simply collecting dust that I'm *supposed* to read -haha- I wish I could give half to you to at least give you a library again...except mine are all paperback!)