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The Leaven of the Ancients: Suhrawardi and the Heritage of the Greeks (SUNY series in Islam) : Walbridge, John: desertcart.co.uk: Books Review: The research and scholarship in these works are important. However, I find a difficulty with most western scholars on the Islamic world. They have a tendency to insist - overemphasize - on the ancients like Avicenna and Suhrawardi, as having received much of their wisdom from the Greeks. This is clearly false for one who has been born in that culture, like myself; especially, for one who has also lived in it. It reduces the treasures of one's own ancestry into less, and that is not right. Although many scholars do this due to misunderstandings and their own unconscious whims - such as, when Coleman Barks first published "The Essential Rumi" with deliberately including many translation passages that involved sexual connotations, then having to publicly apologize for it (since Rumi has no such intentions in the larger context) - and I am glad Barks did apologize, as it showed his aptness to growth. Still many western scholars are still learning this lesson. As a result, whilst this is a helpful rendition of scholarly sourcebook, one should look-up scholars like S. H. Nasr and M. Fakhry on this subject with deeper interest, as they are speak of their own homelands in the English language, in greater depth and breadth.
| Best Sellers Rank | 3,139,130 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 3,447 in Eastern Mystical Philosophy (Books) 5,605 in Religious History of Islam 7,668 in Religious Philosophy (Books) |
| Customer reviews | 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) |
| Dimensions | 15.24 x 2.06 x 22.86 cm |
| ISBN-10 | 0791443604 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0791443606 |
| Item weight | 431 g |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 324 pages |
| Publication date | 4 Nov. 1999 |
| Publisher | State University of New York Press |
A**D
The research and scholarship in these works are important. However, I find a difficulty with most western scholars on the Islamic world. They have a tendency to insist - overemphasize - on the ancients like Avicenna and Suhrawardi, as having received much of their wisdom from the Greeks. This is clearly false for one who has been born in that culture, like myself; especially, for one who has also lived in it. It reduces the treasures of one's own ancestry into less, and that is not right. Although many scholars do this due to misunderstandings and their own unconscious whims - such as, when Coleman Barks first published "The Essential Rumi" with deliberately including many translation passages that involved sexual connotations, then having to publicly apologize for it (since Rumi has no such intentions in the larger context) - and I am glad Barks did apologize, as it showed his aptness to growth. Still many western scholars are still learning this lesson. As a result, whilst this is a helpful rendition of scholarly sourcebook, one should look-up scholars like S. H. Nasr and M. Fakhry on this subject with deeper interest, as they are speak of their own homelands in the English language, in greater depth and breadth.
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