James Cutsinger
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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 The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
, 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 human migration, migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study ...
, the modern
Traditionalist School Traditionalism, also known as the Traditionalist School, is a school of thought within perennial philosophy. Originating in the thought of René Guénon in the 20th century, it proposes that a single primordial, metaphysical truth forms the so ...
of
perennial philosophy The perennial philosophy (), also referred to as perennialism and perennial wisdom, is a school of thought in philosophy and spirituality that posits that the recurrence of common themes across world religions illuminates universal truths about ...
,
Eastern Christian Eastern Christianity comprises Christianity, Christian traditions and Christian denomination, church families that originally developed during Classical antiquity, classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations fu ...
spirituality, and the mystical tradition of the
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
.


Early life

Cutsinger earned his bachelor's degree in Political Theory, Russian Language and Literature at
Cornell College Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally the Iowa Conference Seminary (Methodist), the school was founded in 1853 by George Bryant Bowman. Four years later, in 1857, the name was changed to Cornell Co ...
in 1975 and his doctorate in Theology and Religious Thought at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
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 Traditionalism, also known as the Traditionalist School, is a school of thought within perennial philosophy. Originating in the thought of René Guénon in the 20th century, it proposes that a single primordial, metaphysical truth forms the so ...
, 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 human migration, migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study ...
– 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 philosopher and spiritual leader, belonging to the Traditionalist School of Perennial philosophy, Perennialism. He was the author of more than twenty works in French on metaphys ...
.


Teaching

Professor Cutsinger was a professor of
Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
and Religious Thought at the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
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 juniors and seniors. It was established in 1918 in Syracuse, New York through the merger of four local women's organizations from four institutions. It started admitting men in 1975 ...
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.


Bibliography

Books *''The Form of Transformed Vision: Coleridge and the Knowledge of God'', Foreword by Owen Barfield ( Mercer University Press, 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 Press (more commonly referred to as the SUNY Press) is a university press affiliated with the State University of New York system. The press, which was founded in 1966, is located in Albany, New York and publishe ...
, 1997) *''Reclaiming the Great Tradition: Evangelicals, Catholics, and Orthodox in Dialogue'', ed. (
InterVarsity Press Founded in 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) is a Christian publisher located in Lisle, Illinois. IVP focuses on publishing Christian books and digital resources that discuss influential cultural moments, provide tools for mental growth through a ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 2005) Translations of works by
Frithjof Schuon Frithjof Schuon ( ; ; 18 June 1907 – 5 May 1998) was a Swiss philosopher and spiritual leader, belonging to the Traditionalist School of Perennial philosophy, Perennialism. He was the author of more than twenty works in French on metaphys ...
*''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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ...
, 2009) Selected articles *"Coleridgean Polarity and Theological Vision". '' Harvard Theological Review'', 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 ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...
and
interfaith dialogue Interfaith dialogue, also known as interreligious dialogue, refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religion, religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spirituality, spiritual or humanism, hum ...
*
Esoteric Christianity Esoteric Christianity is a mystical approach to Christianity which features "secret traditions" that require an initiation to learn or understand. The term ''esoteric'' was coined in the 17th century and derives from the Greek (, "inner"). Th ...
* 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 Text (literary theo ...
*
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...


References


Further reading


Real Audio clips of ''Hesychia: An Eastern Orthodox Opening to Esoteric Ecumenism'' (2001 Paths to the Heart Conference)


External links


Personal WebpageJames 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