Perennial Wisdom with Huston Smith, Ph.D.

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"A new wind is blowing ... and the future is radically open," says the eminent philosopher, professor and author of the now-classic Religions of Man (republished as The World's Religions, HarperSanFrancisco 1992), as he recalls his spiritual roots and points to a new balance between the worlds of science and mysticism. Smith is both eloquent and captivating as he speaks of memorable times with Robert Hutchins, Aldous Huxley, Gerald Heard and Alan Watts, and recounts his long-term apprenticeship with Vedanta Swami Prakashananda and Zen master and scholar D.T. Suzuki. He describes the pitfalls of the "Modern Western Mindset" and suggests that true wisdom is "profoundly shocking." (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Former professor at Washington University, M.I.T., and U.C. Berkeley, Smith was also the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion, Emeritus, at Syracuse University. His compelling classic, The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, has been the preeminent text for introducing the world of religious wisdom to millions, and its subject and author were the focus of a highly acclaimed 1996 series of interviews with Bill Moyers on PBS.

He is the author of many books, including:

• The World's Religions, Revised and Updated (HarperSanFrancisco 1992)
• Cleansing the Doors of Perception: The Religious Significance of Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals (Putnam 2000)
• Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief (HarperOne 2001)
• Beyond the Postmodern Mind: The Place of Meaning in a Global Civilization (Quest Books 2003)
• The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition (HarperOne 2005)

To learn more about the work of Huston Smith go to www.hustonsmith.com.

Host: Michael Toms      Interview Date: 2/9/1990      Program Number: 2176