More than Twenty-five centuries have passed since that which has been called the Perennial Philosophy was first committed to writing; and in the course of those centuries it has found expression, now partial, now complete, now in this form, now in that, again and again. In Vedanta and Hebrew prophecy, in the Tao, The King, and the Platonic dialogues, in the Gospels according to St. John and Mahayana theology, in the Plotinus and the Areopagite, among the Persian Sufis and the Christian mystics of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance – The Perennial Philosophy has spoken almost all the languages of Asia and Europe and has made use of the terminology and traditions of every one of the higher religions. But under all this confusion of tongues and myths, of local histories and particularist doctrines, there remains a Highest Common Denominator, which is the Perennial Philosophy in what may be called its chemically pure state.

The Perennial Philosophy

Negotiating Nationalism: Nation-Building, Federalism and Secession in the Multinational State

There has been an increasing medical interest in Muslim religious practices in promoting well-being. Central to Muslim religious practices are salat (prayer) and dhikr (chanting). These two religious forms may be argued as comprising elements of mind/body medicine due to their positive effect on the psychoneuroimmunological response. The aim of this article was to further understand the mind/body aspects of Muslim salat and dhikr.

Understanding Mind/Body Medicine from Muslim Religious Practices of Salat and Dhikr

This article examines Seyyed Hossein Nasr's teaching on Sufism and its relevance to modern society. The fact is that the paradigm and lifestyle of modern humans are materialism-oriented. Therefore, they experience a spiritual emptiness that causes anxiety. This study applies the literature approach by collecting various related sources. This study found that Seyyed Hossein Nasr's idea of neo-Sufism can be an alternative paradigm for modern people to free themselves from the threat of materialism and hedonism. The Divine spirit of humans will form spiritual power in the human soul to keep the connectivity between the servant and God. Nasr's teaching on Sufism puts forward the concept of balance and moderation between the life in this world and hereafter, between shari'ah and haqeqat , and between individual and social life.

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Seyyed Hossein Nasr's Teaching on Sufism and Its Relevance to Modern Society

Mysticism and Everyday Life in Contemporary Java: Cultural Persistence and Change . By Niels Mulder. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1978. xix, 150 pp. Appendix, Glossary, Bibliography, Index. N.p.l.

Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has become global pandemic, which affects all countries in the world including Indonesia The mitigation of covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia cannot neglect the role of religion, since religion constitutes the main identity of most people Hence, religion becomes value reference and â€˜system of knowingâ€™, including in addressing the covid-19 pandemic By employing comparative and content analysis, it is hoped that this paper will constitute a significant contribution in unravelling the complex role of religion in dealing with covid-19 pandemic, most particularly in the context of post-truth There are three concerns of this paper First, it examines the challenges of religious conservatism towards covid-19 mitigation among Indonesian Muslims, most particularly in the context of post-truth which in some ways intensifies the emergence of conservativism in the public space Second, it explores the possibility of â€˜new spiritualityâ€™ which is pertinent for the mitigation of Covid-19 Third, it explores the contribution of Indonesian Muslim knowledge culture to the fight against covid-19 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Islamic Thought is the property of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Department of Theology & Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

Religion and Covid-19 in the Era of Post-Truth: The Case of Indonesia

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, an Iranian philosopher and an exponent of traditional Islam, is considered one of the most important scholars of Islamic and religious studies in the world today. His conception of science is interesting in the sense that he strives to rejuvenate the notion of traditional science and scientia sacra (sacred knowledge), which lie at the heart of traditional civilization. He considers these two notions (traditional science and scientia sacra) as antithesis to modern science. Nasr’s elaboration of traditional science and scientia sacra serves as an alternative to discourses of Islamization of science which have been put forward by some scholars. This paper tries to examine the core ideas of Nasr’s construct of science, to highlight their ontological, epistemological, and axiological bases, and to trace the root of Nasr’s conception of science to living Islamic philosophical tradition.

Traditional science and scientia sacra: Origin and dimensions of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s concept of science

The dynamics of encounter between Shiism and Sunnism have been investigated by some scholars, nevertheless the detailed study on the ventures of Sunni-Shia convergence which takes place in Austria is still underdeveloped. Such a picture is significance in revealing the features of Sunni-Shia ecumenism and its relationship with ‘European Islam’. This paper investigates the problems and the prospects for Sunni-Shia rapprochement in Austria, as well as the extent to which ecumenism in this country could serve as a model for Western Europe. The conflicts between Sunnites and Shiites are in some ways grounded in the misunderstandings between these two main sects of Islam. The recognition of faith community plays a part in figuring the fate of rapprochement between Sunnites and Shiites in the country. The prospects for Sunni-Shia ecumenism in Austria lie in the hands of authoritative personages and organisations, and in the ability of various elements of the society to enter into a dialogue to eradicate misunderstandings and prejudices. The authentic elaboration of ‘European Islam’ will also mould the future of Sunni-Shia ecumenism in Austria. There are possibilities and limits of applying Austrian model of Sunni-Shia ecumenism to other countries in Western Europe. [Dinamika perjumpaan antara Sunni dengan Syiah telah diteliti oleh banyak ahli, meskipun demikian kajian khusus tentang hubungan Sunni – Shiah  dengan studi kasus di Austria masih belum banyak diteliti. Gambarannya terletak pada arti penting pemahaman prinsipil antara Sunni – Syiah dan keterhubungan mereka dengan Islam Eropa. Tulisan ini menjelaskan berbagai persoalan dan prospek dalam membangun kedekatan keduanya di Austria sebagaimana kelanjutan perihal keyakinan di Negara tersebut sebagai model untuk Eropa Barat. Konflik antar pengikut Sunni - Syiah diantaranya mengakar karena ketidaksepahaman antar dua kelompok ini. Pengakuan komunitas agama berperan dalam penentuan pemulihan hubungan antara Sunni dan Syiah di negara ini. Prospek ekumenisme Sunni-Syiah di Austria ada di tangan tokoh dan organisasi kompeten, dan kemampuan beberapa pihak masyarakat untuk berdialog sehingga dapat menghilangkan kesalahpahaman dan prasangka. Elaborasi otentik ‘Islam Eropa’ juga akan membentuk masa depan ekumenisme Sunni-Syiah di Austria. Termasuk adanya kemungkinan dan batasan penerapan model ekumenisme Sunni-Syiah Austria ke negara-negara lain di Eropa Barat.]

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Sunni-Shia Ecumenism in Austria: A Model for Western Europe?

This paper examines the appreciation and acceptance of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s (b. 1933) ideas in the context of intellectual discourse in Indonesia. To do so, it investigates the translation of Nasr’s works into Indonesian, studies on Nasr’s thought, and quotations from Nasr’s works that emerge in the writings of some Indonesian intellectuals. It is especially the notions of Perennialism, “traditional Islam” and scientia sacra that throw light on the process by which his ideas have taken root and gained influence and acceptance in Indonesia. To be more specific, the article scrutinizes the impact of Nasr’s ideas and perspectives on the structure of thought of two Indonesian intellectuals, namely Nurcholish Madjid (1939-2005) and Komaruddin Hidayat (b. 1953). This paper also traces the roots of Nasr’s and Hidayat’s thought in the classical-medieval Islamic tradition, most specifically in Suhrawardi’s School of Illumination, and compares these with those of Madjid and Hidayat. DOI:  10.15408/sdi.v23i2.3002

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The Reception of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Ideas within the Indonesian Intellectual Landscape

This article discusses the conception of science and its significance for the reconstruction of Islamic educat-ion, by analyzing and contextualizing the thoughts of Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Nasr is considered a figure who has compe-tence in history of science and philosophy with special emphasis on Islamic science and philosophy. In the earlier phase of his life, he acquainted himself with the thoughts of prominent thinkers both from East and West, and with the very issue of the encounter between East and West. This position makes the thoughts of Nasr on science having their distinctive character. The first part of this paper investigates the construct and characteristics of Islamic science as well as the hierarchy and the idea of unity in Islamic science. The second part of this paper is dealing with the reformulation of philosophical basis of Islamic education, most specifically in the domain of ontology, epistemology and axiology. The third is dealing with the attempts of reconstructing the system of Islamic education, most notably pertaining to the aim of education, educator, student, means of education, and milieu of education.

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Asfa Widiyanto

Papers

Religion and Covid-19 in the Era of Post-Truth: The Case of Indonesia

Traditional science and scientia sacra: Origin and dimensions of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s concept of science

Sunni-Shia Ecumenism in Austria: A Model for Western Europe?

The Reception of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Ideas within the Indonesian Intellectual Landscape

Rekontekstualisasi Pemikiran Seyyed Hossein Nasr tentang Bangunan Ilmu Pengetahuan dan Pendidikan Islam