A distinguished list of contributors explores a variety of perspectives on the artistic culture of France and surrounding countries during the period 1870 to 1914. Aspects of dance, cinema, theater, poetry, prose, painting, social and political science, history, and medicine are covered in interdisciplinary essays that are both useful to researchers and accessible to students.

The first part of the book, which concentrates on France, assembles essays on the prose, poetry, and painting of Symbolism and Decadence, in particular Mallarme and Moreau; on avant-garde dance and performance; on women's writing; and on early cinema from Lumiere, Villiers, and Verne.

The second part explores the relations between France and several cultures. These cross-cultural investigations range from studies of the Anglo-Celtic "Rhymers' Club" to the Italian Crepusculari and include discussions of Belgian Symbolism and the Franco-Anglo-American Axis. The essays consistently point beyond the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth as they explore the multiple beginnings -- as well as the false starts -- that characterize the period.

The Indian sage Ramana Maharshi (1879- 1950) is perhaps the most widely known Indian spiritual figure of the last century, second only to Gandhi. This new book offers a fresh introduction to the Maharshi's life and teachings, intending to situate him within the non-dualistic traditions of Hinduism. It also delves into themes and questions particularly relevant to the spiritual crisis and search for meaning that have characterised, in various ways, both the modern and postmodern outlooks. While the Maharshi's background and frames of reference were traditional, the spiritual resonance of his teachings in today's world must also be recognised. The sage's message lies at the intersection of the contemporary search for Self-knowledge, and today's critical reflections on the foundations and limits of religion. Thus, the book comprises seven chapters that touch upon such central issues as the role of religion in Self-inquiry; the relationship between devotion and knowledge; the role and limitations of traditional forms; and the implications in our postmodern era of both the Maharshi's emphasis on surrender, and his basic question: 'Who am I?' Published in collaboration with GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Center for International and Regional Studies, School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

Islam's acceptance of other religions remains an enigma for many Westerners. Yet it is Islam's doctrine of Unity, which affirms one supreme God, as well as its acceptance of multiple prophets, which explains its acceptance of other faiths. The sixteen articles in this volume discuss the fundamental universality of Islam and make the case for it as a religion and civilization intrinsically equipped to address all aspects of the human experience, including the priority of Divine Mercy over Justice, the inclusive nature of prophecy, the emphasis on virtue and beauty, the Islamic ability to assimilate various cultural and ethnic languages, and the capacity of Islamic mysticism or Sufism to serve as a spiritual bridge for interfaith dialogue between diverse religions. Contributors include Frithjof Schuon, René Guénon, Titus Burckhardt, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr and other experts in Islam and Sufism. This is another book in World Wisdom's series of Studies in Comparative Religion.

In-depth exploration of the life and thought of Louis Massignon (1883-1962), a very influential French Islamic scholar and Christian mystic. This is a translation of an original French by an expert on Massignon's life and works, revised and augmented.

The first book in English devoted to the religious philosopher Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998) to appear since his death, this biography also provides an analysis of his work and spiritual teachings. Relying on Schuon's published works as well as unpublished correspondence and other documents, the authors highlight the originality of Schuon's life and teachings in terms of his consistent focus on esoterism, defined as the inner penetration of sacred forms and spiritual practices vis-a-vis the religio perennis, the eternal wisdom that lies at the core of all sacred paths. Schuon's life, they argue, is a quest for the inner meaning of religious experience, as is indicated by his connections to Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Native American Shamanism. Spiritual seekers from all backgrounds will appreciate this comprehensive study of this towering figure of comparative religion.