A New Day for Perennialism

The Case for a Perennial Phenomenology, or ‘Soft’ Perennialism

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21394727
AutoresSteve Taylor (0009-0007-4684-5956, Leeds Beckett University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen63
Número4
Páginas675-697
Fecha de publicación2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSophia (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0038-1527 • E-ISSN: 1873-930X
EditorialSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s11841-023-00985-w
OpenAlexW4387779222
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas37

This paper argues for a ‘perennial phenomenology’ (or ‘soft’ perennialism) varying from the traditionalist notion of a ‘perennial philosophy.’ Perennial phenomenology offers a more nuanced form of perennialism that focuses on spiritual/mystical experiences rather than the teachings and beliefs of different religions. While teachings and beliefs vary greatly, the mystical experiences associated with different mystical traditions have striking commonalities. I suggest four experiential aspects that support a perennial phenomenology. These aspects also necessitate a reconsideration of the debate between perennialism and constructivism. Significantly, these experiential elements are present when mystical experiences occur outside the context of spiritual traditions, to people who know little or nothing about spirituality and consider themselves non-religious. Treating mystical experiences exclusively in the context or religion and spiritual traditions has been a major failing in debates between constructivists (or contextualists) and perennialists. There is a common landscape of mystical experience that precedes interpretation and conceptualization by spiritual traditions. This paper contributes to a reopening of discussion about perennialism that has been underway in recent years

Aesthetics · Archaeology · Conceptualization · Context (archaeology) · Epistemology · Experiential learning · Mysticism · Nothing · Pedagogy · Phenomenology (philosophy) · Religious experience · Sociology · Spirituality · Theology · History · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Religious studies · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices