James Sherman Cutsinger (May 4, 1953 – February 19, 2020)
was an author, editor, and professor of religious studies (emeritus) at the
University of South Carolina, whose works focused primarily on
comparative religion
Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...
, the modern
Traditionalist School
The Traditionalist or Perennialist School is a group of 20th- and 21st-century thinkers who believe in the existence of a perennial wisdom or perennial philosophy, primordial and universal truths which form the source for, and are shared by, al ...
of
perennial philosophy
The perennial philosophy ( la, philosophia perennis), also referred to as perennialism and perennial wisdom, is a perspective in philosophy and spirituality that views all of the world's religious traditions as sharing a single, metaphysical trut ...
,
Eastern Christian
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
spirituality, and the mystical tradition of the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
.
Early life
Cutsinger earned his bachelor's degree in Political Theory, Russian Language and Literature at
Cornell College
Cornell College is a private college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by George Bryant Bowman. Four years later, in 1857, the name was changed to Cornell College, in honor of iron ty ...
in 1975 and his doctorate in Theology and Religious Thought at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
in 1980.
[http://www.cutsinger.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/curriculum_vitae.pdf ]
Traditionalism
Cutsinger served as secretary to the
Foundation for Traditional Studies and was a widely recognized authority on the
Sophia Perennis, the
traditionalist school
The Traditionalist or Perennialist School is a group of 20th- and 21st-century thinkers who believe in the existence of a perennial wisdom or perennial philosophy, primordial and universal truths which form the source for, and are shared by, all ...
, and
comparative religion
Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...
– subjects on which he wrote extensively. His works also focused on the theology and spirituality of the
Christian East. He is perhaps best known however, for his work on Swiss philosopher and traditionalist,
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon (, , ; 18 June 1907 – 5 May 1998) was a Swiss metaphysician of German descent, belonging to the Perennialist or Traditionalist School of thought. He was the author of more than twenty works in French on metaphysics, spirituali ...
.
Teaching
Professor Cutsinger was a professor of
Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and Religious Thought at the
University of South Carolina and an advocate of Socratic Teaching. The recipient of three University of South Carolina
Mortar Board
Mortar Board is an American national honor society for college seniors. Mortar Board has 233 chartered collegiate chapters nationwide and 15 alumni chapters.
History
Mortar Board was the first national honor society for college senior women ...
Excellence in Teaching awards, he was also named a Distinguished Honors Professor and was selected as one of his university's Michael J. Mungo Teachers of the Year (2011). He also served as director of three National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminars.
Author Page
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Bibliography
Books
*''The Form of Transformed Vision: Coleridge and the Knowledge of God'', Foreword by Owen Barfield (Mercer University Press
Mercer University Press, established in 1979, is a university press operated by Mercer University. The press has published more than 1,600 books, releasing 35-40 titles annually with a 5-person staff.
Mercer is the only Baptist-related instit ...
, 1987)
*''Advice to the Serious Seeker: Meditations on the Teaching of Frithjof Schuon'' (State University of New York Press
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
, 1997)
*''Reclaiming the Great Tradition: Evangelicals, Catholics, and Orthodox in Dialogue'', ed. (InterVarsity Press
Founded in 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) is an American publisher of Christian books located in Westmont, Illinois. IVP focuses on publishing Christian books that speak to important cultural moments, provide tools for spiritual growth, and e ...
, 1997)
*''Not of This World: A Treasury of Christian Mysticism'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2003)
*''Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2004)
*''The Fullness of God: Frithjof Schuon on Christianity'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2004)
*''Prayer Fashions Man: Frithjof Schuon on the Spiritual Life'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2005)
Translations of works by Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon (, , ; 18 June 1907 – 5 May 1998) was a Swiss metaphysician of German descent, belonging to the Perennialist or Traditionalist School of thought. He was the author of more than twenty works in French on metaphysics, spirituali ...
*''Gnosis: Divine Wisdom'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2006)
*''Sufism: Veil and Quintessence'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2006)
*''Spiritual Perspectives and Human Facts'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2007)
*''Christianity/Islam: Perspectives on Esoteric Ecumenism'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2008)
*''Logic and Transcendence'' (World Wisdom
World Wisdom is an independent American publishing company established in 1980 in Bloomington, Indiana. World Wisdom publishes religious and philosophical texts, including the work of authors such as Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Titus Bu ...
, 2009)
Selected Articles
*''"Coleridgean Polarity and Theological Vision,"'' Harvard Theological Review
The ''Harvard Theological Review'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1908 and published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Harvard Divinity School. It covers a wide spectrum of fields in theological and rel ...
, 76:1 (1983)
*''"Toward a Method of Knowing Spirit,"'' Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, 14:2 (1985)
*''"Femininity, Hierarchy, and God,"'' Religion of the Heart: Essays Presented to Frithjof Schuon, ed. Nasr and Stoddart (Foundation for Traditional Studies, 1991)
*''"Listening More Closely to Schuon,"'' ARIES: Association pour la Recherche de l'Information sur l'Esoterisme, 14 (1992)
*''"A Knowledge that Wounds Our Nature: The Message of Frithjof Schuon,"'' Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 60:3 (1992)
*''"The Mystery of the Two Natures,"'' Sophia: Journal of Traditional Studies, 4:2 (1998) - also published as "Le Mystère des Deux Natures," Connaissance des Religions (Numero Hors Serie, 1999)
*''"On Earth as It Is in Heaven: A Metaphysical Cosmogony,"'' Sacred Web: A Journal of Tradition and Modernity," 1:1 (1998)
*''"The Virgin,"'' Sophia: Journal of Traditional Studies, 6:2 (2000)
See also
*Christianity and other religions
Christianity and other religions documents Christianity's relationship with other world religions, and the differences and similarities.
Christian groups
Christian views on religious pluralism
Western Christian views
Some Christians have argu ...
*Christian mysticism
Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity which "concerns the preparation f the personfor, the consciousness of, and the effect of ..a direct and transformative presence of God" ...
*Christian philosophy
Christian philosophy includes all philosophy carried out by Christians, or in relation to the religion of Christianity.
Christian philosophy emerged with the aim of reconciling science and faith, starting from natural rational explanations wit ...
*Ecumenism
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
and interfaith dialogue
Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...
*Esoteric Christianity
Esoteric Christianity is an approach to Christianity which features "secret traditions" that require an initiation to learn or understand.Guy G. Stroumsa (2005). Hidden Wisdom: Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of Christian Mysticism. Leiden: Br ...
*Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon (, , ; 18 June 1907 – 5 May 1998) was a Swiss metaphysician of German descent, belonging to the Perennialist or Traditionalist School of thought. He was the author of more than twenty works in French on metaphysics, spirituali ...
* Orthodox Christian theology
*Philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known texts concerning ph ...
*Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poe ...
* Sophia Perennis
*Traditionalist School
The Traditionalist or Perennialist School is a group of 20th- and 21st-century thinkers who believe in the existence of a perennial wisdom or perennial philosophy, primordial and universal truths which form the source for, and are shared by, al ...
Further reading
Real Audio clips of ''Hesychia: An Eastern Orthodox Opening to Esoteric Ecumenism'' (2001 Paths to the Heart Conference)
References
External links
Personal Webpage
James Cutsinger’s life and work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutsinger, James
1953 births
2020 deaths
Deaths from lung cancer
20th-century Eastern Orthodox theologians
21st-century Eastern Orthodox theologians
Harvard University alumni
American Christian theologians
Scholars in Eastern Orthodoxy
Traditionalist School
University of South Carolina faculty
Place of birth missing
Eastern Orthodox Christians from the United States
Western esotericism scholars