The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy [Paperback]

Henry Corbin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1998

This work, incorporating previously unpublished interviews and articles, retraces the quest of Henry Corbin into the imaginal realm of the unseen self, the domains of angels and numinous beings. A study of religious philosophy, exploration of visionary faith, these pages offer a superb meditation of the great themes of Perso-Islamic mysticism—the Sufi theory of knowledge, the voyage within the soul, le rituel de la coupe—and an illuminating glimpse into the philosophic universes of Sohravardi, Ibn Arabi, and Molla Sarda Shirazi.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To read Corbin is to learn what it means, at the level of thought, to take the wisdom of the east and the knowledge of the west as the basis of the search for truth."
—Jacob Needleman, author of Time and the Soul

"Henry Corbin is the best guide our culture has to the metaphsyics of the imagination. The publication of these new translations will expand tremendously our access to the treasure house of Corbin’s dazzling visionary scholarship."
—David Ulansey, M.D., author of the The Origins of the Mitraic Mysteries

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (September 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556432690
• ISBN-13: 978-1556432699
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Introduction to a Brand New World, October 6, 2003

By 

Thomas F. Ogara (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy (Paperback)

Even Henry Corbin's greatest admirers have to admit that he is not an easy read. There are two reasons for this, as I see it. One of them is his adherence to that peculiar French literary convention in non-fiction of assuming that the reader understands more than he or she actually does (the French have a name for this style, although at the moment I can't recall what it is).

The other, more important reason is that it requires a considerable amount of unusual intellectual baggage to reach the point where you can begin to understand what Corbin is trying to say. In order to even consider embarking on Corbin's spiritual journey, it is extremely helpful to be familiar with Medieval Scholasticism, Islamic philosophy, Sufism, Shiite theology and Zoroastrianism. It also doesn't hurt to have a nodding acquaintance with Luther, the seventeenth century German mystics and Swedenborg. I don't know anybody who feels completely at home with all those topics; I know that I don't.

Which is what makes this book so important for an understanding of Corbin. In fact, Corbin didn't put this book together; it is a compilation of various pieces of his writing. The book starts out with a lengthy intellectual biography of Corbin by Christopher Bamford, which helps considerably to set the stage. This is followed by two essays by Corbin on the development of Iranian studies and the history of Iranian philosophy. Both of these are rather long, and to me at least while I was reading them, they were rather boring. However, in retrospect I must admit that these essays probably do more to introduce Corbin's mindset than anything else that could have been selected. Following this are various, mostly short essays dealing with features of Iranian philosophy and mysticism. The whole scheme of the book it to lead the reader into an appreciation of Corbin's endeavors and an understanding of what he was trying to achieve.

I first encountered Corbin about four years ago, when I attempted to read "Man of Light." I gave up after about twelve pages; the material presented was too abstruse for me. After reading this book I realize that Corbin is pure gold, and I'm ready to tackle his work in earnest.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction to Corbin's Work, December 27, 2000

By 

Scott Snyder (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy (Paperback)

Corbin is one of the foremost interpreters of Iranian, Sufi and Persian gnosticism in the west. This volume is a terrific introduction to his other works as it is a collection of short essays in which he discusses how he grew from being a student of Heidegger to a scholar of Persian mysticism. I would highly encourage those interested in the imaginal realm to begin their quest here and then take on his other works, especially "Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth" afterward. More people should know of Corbin's work, but unfortunately its audience is largely limited to students of Islam and Sufism. Highly recommended.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a book for someone who wants to learn, May 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Vancouver, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy (Paperback)

This brings into English the insights of one of the great scholars of religious studies. If you are interested in mysticism in general or Sufi in particular then you will find this book an important adjunct to your studies.