Gerald Heard: The Perennial Philosopher: Writings on Religion and Spirituality - Softcover

Heard, Gerald

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798990883406

Publisher: Sky Parlor Publications, 2024

Synopsis

The first time these Gerald Heard articles have all been assembled in one book.

Gerald Heard: The Perennial Philosopher - Writings on Religion and Spirituality is a collection of 49 previously published religious and spiritual writings—ranging from Christianity to Vedanta to various spiritual practices—by influential author-historian-philosopher Gerald Heard (1889–1971). These writings demonstrate the trailblazing inroads Heard made both in disseminating the interfaith Vedanta movement in the West and in popularizing many leading-edge spiritual approaches and practices that are now commonplace.

Writings include Heard's complete Voice of India contributions and (except for one article) his complete Vedanta and the West essays, and selected writings from other sources, including The Aryan Path, Christendom, The Christian Century, Faith and Freedom, Religion in Life, and a dynamic new compilation from Heard’s three early 1940s spiritual books. Altogether, the articles in this collection span the years 1938 to 1963.

Editor John Roger Barrie writes, "Gerald Heard didn’t follow trends; he set them. These visionary writings chart the trajectory of an informed spiritual voyager plotting an interreligious route through largely untraversed terrain, leaving a clearly defined trail for those following after. ...In this collection, Gerald’s main focus is on Vedanta and Christianity. Moreover, he provides brilliant analyses of the human condition, inspired insights into human nature and the inner workings of the mind, intimate details of many spiritual processes, and he knowledgeably discusses various spiritual disciplines whereby a person may apply the principles of the Philosophia Perennis in order to bring about experiential spiritual realization."

This treasury of writings has been thoroughly edited to render them as clear as possible and, in keeping with contemporary usage conventions and sensibilities, to reflect inclusive, gender-neutral, and sensitive wording wherever possible. Five articles have been abridged to improve their readability. All told, this vital collection of diverse writings underscores Gerald Heard’s enormous contributions to the spiritual praxis of the past and amply demonstrates his continuing relevance for today.

About this title

About the Author

Gerald Heard (1889-1971), author, philosopher, lecturer, and historian of consciousness and its evolution, took honors in history at the University of Cambridge. He began lecturing at Oxford University in the 1920s. Heard's 1929 book, The Ascent of Humanity, won the British Academy's prestigious Hertz Prize. From 1930 to 1934, he served as the BBC's first science commentator, receiving accolades from H. G. Wells.

In 1937, Heard came to the United States, accompanied by Aldous Huxley. In the 1940s, he founded and directed Trabuco College, which advanced comparative religion studies and practices. In the 1950s, his main activities were writing, lecturing, and occasional TV and radio appearances. Heard lectured at most major colleges and universities in the United States.
 
Heard's broad philosophical themes and scintillating oratorical style attracted and influenced many people, including Huxley and Huston Smith. His visionary work has been recognized and lauded by many. "Heard's work ... was one of the ideological sources of the human potential movement and was also instrumental in the spreading of Vedanta in the Western hemisphere" (from Dr. Georg Feuerstein's 2006 review of Heard's book Pain, Sex and Time).

A prolific writer, Heard penned some 38 books, including his pioneering philosophical works (Pain, Sex and Time, The Five Ages of Man [now revised and retitled as The Five Ages of Humanity]), several popular devotional books (The Creed of Christ, Training for the Life of the Spirit), and, as H. F. Heard, a number of mysteries (A Taste for Honey, The Great Fog). For more information, visit the Gerald Heard Official Website.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sky Parlor Publications
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798990883406
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 361
• Editor: Barrie John Roger