In Search of the Sacred
A Conversation with Seyyed Hossein Nasr on His Life and Thought
by Seyyed Hossein Nasr with Ramin Jahanbegloo Introduction by Terry Moore
July 2010, 373pp, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
1 volume, Praeger

Hardcover: 978-0-313-38324-3
$75, £58, 66€, A103
Please contact your preferred distributor for pricing.
eBook Available: 978-0-313-38325-0
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An opponent of religious fundamentalism in all its forms, Seyyed Hossein Nasr promulgates a philosophy rooted in a traditional Muslim understanding of the world that respects both nature and human dignity. His life has been a quest for the sacred and his religious vision has been rooted in the “transcendent unity of religions;” his work an organic whole that covers a plurality of dimensions.

In this book, a series of interviews offers an accessible, revealing, human and intellectual biography of leading Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the preeminent philosophers writing today. Sure to be a key resource for decades to come, In Search of the Sacred: A Conversation with Seyyed Hossein Nasr on His Life and Thought illuminates Nasr’s experiences and shares his insights on topics from religion and philosophy to science and the arts.

Based on a series of interviews, the book combines traditional autobiography with an exploration of the intellectual and spiritual trajectories of the author’s thought during key periods of his life. In doing so, it presents a fascinating panorama, not only of the life and ideas of one man, but also of major events ranging from intellectual life in Iran during the Pahlavi period and the Iranian Revolution to some of the major religious and intellectual debates between Islam and modernism. Nasr writes that his “whole life has been a quest for the sacred.” This work connects that quest with some of the most important issues of the day in encounters between Islam and the West.

Features

  • An explanatory foreword, "The Spiritual and Intellectual Journey of Seyyed Hossein Nasr" by Jamin Jahanbegloo
  • An introduction by Terry Moore
  • Organization by both chronology and concept to facilitate ease of use for students and scholars, as well as for more casual readers
Seyyed Hossein Nasr , PhD, is university professor of Islamic studies at The George Washington University, Washington, DC. Dr. Nasr was born in Tehran, Iran, where he received his earliest education. He earned his BS at Massachusetts Industry Technology in physics and MS and PhD degrees from Harvard University in the history of science and philosophy. For 20 years, he was professor at Tehran University, where he was also dean and vice chancellor for several years. Dr. Nasr was president of Aryamehr University in Iran and founder and first president of the Iranian Academy of Philosophy. He has taught at Harvard University, The American University of Beirut, the University of Utah, and Temple University. A volume of the Library of Living Philosophers series has been devoted to his thought. Dr. Nasr is the author or editor of some 50 books and hundreds of articles, many translated into several languages.

Reviews

"... this volume is an important introduction to the life and thought of a serious, productive thinker. Included are a full set of notes and a useful index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and public libraries; lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers."—Choice, February 1, 2011

"...fascinating reading...I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Islam, comparative religions or Perennial Philosophy."—Catholic Library World, March 1, 2011
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