Religion scholar Huston Smith called Frithjof Schuon “the most important religious thinker of [the 20th] century.” In the first section of this revised edition of his classic work, Schuon provides striking insights to age-old religious and philosophical controversies such as the problem of evil, predestination and free will, and the meaning of eternity in heaven and hell. In the second section, Schuon masterfully harmonizes the divergent theological claims of the three main branches of Christianity—Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism—in the light of universal metaphysical truth. The final section contains several chapters relating to Islamic esoterism and concludes with a remarkable chapter on the spiritual substance of the Prophet.
This new edition contains 60 pages of completely new material, including a fully revised translation from the French original and previously unpublished selections from Schuon’s letters and other private writings. Also included are editor’s notes, a glossary, and an index.
Concerning In the Face of the Absolute, author and scientist Wolfgang Smith wrote: “Once again Frithjof Schuon treats of the nature and necessity of the religions as well as the limits and apparent contradictions of their exoteric aspects. [In the Face of the Absolute], however, is not simply a restatement of the doctrine already given in his earlier books, but a fresh presentation bringing to light new clarities, and on occasion, new insights that take one’s breath away. One might add that the whole is suffused as it were with a sheer contemplative joy that gently transfers itself to the reader, and a serene beauty that pacifies and liberates.”
