IT is important to ensure that Frithjof Schuon’s references to “Christian exotericism” are not misconstrued. Indeed, whilst its Islamic and Judaic counterparts may be said to have adopted outer, exoteric forms during their inception, it is rather different in the case of Christianity and its accompanying Revelations barely took stock of this dimension:

It is true that in the oldest texts, particularly in the Epistles of Saint Paul, there are suggestions of a point of view that may be called exoteric. Such is the case, for example, when the principial hierarchic connection existing between esoterism and exoterism is represented in the guise of a sort of historical relationship between the New Covenant and the Old, the former being identified with the “spirit that giveth life” and the latter with the “letter that killeth,” a comparison that leaves out of account the integral reality inherent in the Old Covenant itself, namely, that element in it that is identified principially with the New Covenant, and of which the latter is simply a new form or adaptation. This is a good example of how the exoteric or theological point of view, instead of embracing a truth in its entirety, selects one aspect only as a matter of expediency and gives it an exclusive and absolute value; it should not be forgotten, however, that but for this dogmatic character religious truth would be inefficacious with regard to the particular end imposed upon it by the motives of expediency already mentioned. (pp.126-127)

Schuon is referring to the limitations on truth that arise in relation to religious practicality. However, although this might unsettle the purist it is a purely functional process that operates in accordance with two principles: (a) an aspect of truth that is given the character of integral truth, and (b) that which is relative to it is provided with an absolute character for the purposes of the expediency to which Schuon refers in our previous quotation. As he explains:

Furthermore, this standpoint of expediency carries with it the negation of all those things that, being neither accessible nor indispensable to everyone indiscriminately, lie for that reason beyond the aim of the theological perspective and must be left outside it— hence the simplifications and symbolical syntheses peculiar to every exoterism. (p.127)

This, the author points out, accounts for why the three great Semitic religions choose to exclude certain doctrinal trappings such as the transmigration of souls, the presence of the soul within the animal kingdom or the cyclical destruction of the cosmos that one finds in Hinduism. According to Schuon, none of these external tenets are absolutely crucial for human salvation and this is why Judaism, Christianity and Islam are able to either overlook or contradict them. This is what is meant by the limitation or suspension of truth for utility and convenience.

There is often confusion between the exoteric features of the Semitic religions in the sense that it can appear as though they are arguing over trivialities. One example can be found in the different views both Christianity and Islam have about the death of Christ. Schuon notes that

apart from the fact that the Koran, by its apparent denial of Christ’s death, is simply affirming that Christ was not killed in reality—which is obvious not only as regards the Divine nature of the God-man, but also as regards His human nature, since it was resurrected—the refusal of Moslems to admit the historical Redemption, and consequently the facts that are the unique terrestrial expression of Universal Redemption as far as Christian humanity is concerned, simply denotes that in the final analysis Christ did not die for those who are “whole,” who in this case are the Moslems insofar as they benefit from another terrestrial form of the One and Eternal Redemption. In other words, if it be true in principle that Christ died for all men—in the same way that the Islamic Revelation is principially addressed to everyone—in fact He died only for those who must and do benefit from the means of grace that perpetuate His work of Redemption; hence the traditional distance separating Islam from the Christian Mystery is bound, outwardly at least, to appear in the form of a denial, exactly in the same way that Christian exoterism must deny the possibility of salvation outside the Redemption wrought by Jesus. (pp.128-129)

Needless to say, this observation has consistently failed to help Christians and Muslims arrive at some kind of mutual understanding and yet – as we saw in the previous chapter – it is an important way for respective worshippers to harness the revelatory potential of their own religion and thus implement the realisation of the Divine Will as they see fit. When contradictions of this nature arise, such as when they appear to run counter to the Mosaic Law or the words of Christ, it merely reflects the ultimate superiority of the esoteric over the exoteric.

Contesting the outer aspects of a rival form of spirituality, therefore, is simply not on the same level as undermining the Ten Commandments or seeking to deny the divinity of Christ:

It is perfectly obvious that the main teachings of Christ transcend the exoteric viewpoint and that is indeed the reason for their existence. They therefore likewise transcend the Law; in no other way could one explain the attitude of Christ with respect to the lex talionis, or with regard to the woman taken in adultery, or to divorce. In fact the turning of the other cheek is not a thing that any social collectivity could put into practice with a view to maintaining its equilibrium, and it has no meaning except as a spiritual attitude; the spiritual man alone firmly takes his stand outside the logical chain of individual reactions, since for him a participation in the current of these reactions is tantamount to a fall from grace, at least when such participation involves the centre or the soul of the individual, though not when it remains purely an outward and impersonal act of justice such as that envisaged by the Mosaic Law. (p.131)

In the case of Christ Himself, it was necessary to bring the Word of God to those who had developed a far more emotional understanding of existence and this involved taking into consideration their “inward, suprasocial and spiritual realities”.

As a consequence, Christian exotericism – such as it is – is rather different to that found in Judaism or Islam and is expressed as a fact when, in reality, it can be said to exist in principle alone:

Moreover, even without referring to Scriptural passages, the essentially initiatory character of Christianity is apparent from certain features of the first importance, such as the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Sacrament of the Eucharist and more particularly, the use of wine in this rite, or again, from the use of purely esoteric expressions such as “Son of God” and especially “Mother of God.” If exoterism is “”something that is at the same time indispensable and accessible to all,” Christianity cannot be exoteric in the usual sense of the word, since it is in reality by no means accessible to everyone, although in fact, by virtue of its outward application, it is binding upon everyone. (p.132)

Schuon even suggests that the Christian “mysteries” themselves – through which the Church will regularly insist that something is beyond the capabilities of human wisdom and only accessible by God – are a device to reinforce Christian dogmas that lack intellectual proof. Not to diminish their sacred character, of course, but purely because their supernatural character may otherwise seem contradictory:

When Saint Augustine said that the Trinity was incomprehensible, he was necessarily speaking—doubtless in conformity with the tendencies of the Roman world—from the rational point of view of the individual, a point of view that, when applied to transcendent truths, can but reveal its own inadequacy. The only thing that is completely incomprehensible, from the standpoint of pure intellectuality, is that which is totally unreal in other words, pure nothingness, which is the same thing as impossibility, and which, being nothing, cannot become an object of understanding. (p.133)

It may also be said, and with some certainty, that the attitude of Islam towards Christianity is a direct reaction to the esoteric nature of its dogma and sacraments:

Because the latter had mixed together the haqīqah (the esoteric Truth) and the sharīʿah (the exoteric Law), it carried with it certain dangers of disequilibrium that have in fact manifested themselves during the course of the centuries, indirectly contributing to the terrible subversion represented by the modern world, in conformity with the words of Christ: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (p.134)

Lest readers of The Transcendent Unity of Religions assume that Christianity has a strange tendency to confuse the exoteric and esoteric spheres, or that this is somehow the result of human error, Schuon is quick to point out that

the inward and esoteric truth must of necessity sometimes manifest itself in broad daylight, this being by virtue of a definite possibility of spiritual manifestation and without regard to the shortcomings of a particular human environment; in other words, the confusion in question is but the negative consequence of something that in itself is positive, namely, the manifestation of Christ as such. It is to this manifestation as well as to all other analogous manifestations of the Word, whatever their degree of universality, that the following inspired words relate: “And the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not”. (pp.134-135)

Paradoxically, therefore, the appearance of Jesus meant that the Mosaic Law seemed to be overcome and yet at the same time He became the living embodiment of that same Law. It is worth remembering that Christ, as God, was already in existence prior to the events that took place during Moses’ lifetime.

The fact that Christianity found it necessary to present esotericism so openly, within its ordinarily exoteric field of operations, is purely in accordance with the Divine Will. It is not the result of human agency, but the result of a Deity that found it necessary to manifest Judaism and Islam in different ways:

These considerations must not lead us to overlook a complementary though more contingent aspect of the question. There must also exist on the human side, that is to say, in the environment in which such a Divine manifestation takes place, a sufficient reason for its occurrence; so, for the world to which Christ’s mission was addressed, this open manifest-ation of truths that should normally remain hidden—under certain conditions of time and place at least—was the only possible means of bringing about the reorientation of which that world had need. This is sufficient to justify that element in the spiritual radiation of Christ that would be abnormal and illegitimate under ordinary circumstances. (p.135)

When the “letter” became the “spirit” in the form of Christ, however, the esoteric features of the Mosaic Law did not suddenly evaporate into the firmament but were retained in the way that Christ spoke to his disciples in parables.

We must also consider the fact that God, through Christianity, bestows upon its worshippers the quality of Grace. This, Schuon compares to the Indian “bhakti” that involves participation, faith, love, devotion, worship and purity. As for Grace itself, he says, in examples such as these

the distinction between an outer and an inner aspect is attenuated, in the sense that Grace, which is initiatory in its kernel or essence, tends to bestow itself in the largest measure possible, which it is enabled to do by virtue of the simplicity and universality of the symbolism and means proper to it. It may also be said that while the difference separating the way of merit from the way of Knowledge is of necessity very great, in view of the fact that these two ways refer respectively to meritorious action and intellectual contemplation, the way of Grace occupies in a certain sense a position midway between the two. Thus, in the way of Grace the inward and outward applications go hand in hand in the same radiation of Mercy, while in the sphere of spiritual realization the differences will be of degree rather than of principle; every intelligence and every will is able to participate in one and the same Grace according to the measure of its possibilities, and this recalls the image of the sun illuminating everything without distinction, while acting differently on different substances. (p.136)

This is not the only reason that the veil is lifted and the exoteric realm sheds light on the hidden mysteries. It all serves a wider, eschatological purpose that involves the ultimate destiny of humankind.

Furthermore, that Christ chose to reveal His spiritual qualities in the midst of an environment that is so incredibly diverse, is perceived by Schuon as an act of Divine Mercy. Especially, of course, when you consider that God becomes manifest within a decidedly hostile, secular domain:

God consents to be profaned; but on the other hand—and this is a manifestation of His Impersonality, which by definition lies beyond the exoteric point of view—He makes use of this profanation, since “it must needs be that offences come” in order to bring about the final decadence of the present cycle of humanity, this decadence being necessary for the exhausting of all the possibilities included in this cycle necessary therefore for the equilibrium of the cycle as a whole and the fulfilment of the glorious and universal radiation of God. (p.137)

In other words, Christianity has no other choice than to account for its own seemingly contradictory behaviour. At the same time, if one thinks of the early Apostles – even prior to the appearance of the New Testament – much of what they said was expressed in terms of symbolism and this immaterial form of communication was the result of interaction taking place between religious initiates of a more supreme nature.

* * *

Schuon believes that whilst the Old Testament is dominated by a Divine “Act of Justice,” the New Testament is characterised by the “Aspect of Mercy”. The latter, being a special gift of Grace, amounts to a “justification by Faith” that appears to make the Mosaic Law superfluous to requirements. This implies that Faith itself is tantamount to a “liberation of Knowledge” that provides a sense of certainty. Truth is therefore symbolic, rather than actual:

This symbol will yield up its secrets in proportion to the greatness of the Faith, which in its turn will be determined by an attitude of confidence or of emotional certainty, that is to say, by an element of bhakti, or Love. Insofar as Faith is a contemplative attitude, its subject is the intelligence; it can therefore be said to constitute a virtual Knowledge; but since its mode is passive, it must compensate this passivity by a complementary active attitude,, that is to say, by an attitude of the will the substance of which is precisely confidence and fervour, by virtue of which the intelligence will receive spiritual certainties. (p.139)

Faith allows us to grapple with the supernatural, but intellectual certitude of this kind only comes about through Grace. Consequently, this process results in a deep and profound love for the God that has revealed to His creatures the higher realities of human existence by way of the holy mysteries. Within Christianity, these spiritual enigmas or conundrums are absolutely fundamental:

Miracles would in fact be inexplicable apart from the role they play in Faith; possessing no persuasive value in themselves—for otherwise satanic miracles would be a criterion of truth—they nevertheless possess this value to an extreme degree in association with all the other factors that enter into the Christian Revelation. In other words, if the miracles of Christ the Apostles, and the Saints are precious and venerable, this is solely because they are associated with other criteria that a priori permit of their being invested with the value of Divine signs. The essential and primordial function of a miracle is either to awaken the grace of Faith—which assumes on the part of the person affected by this grace a natural disposition to admit the supernatural, whether this disposition be conscious or not—or to make perfect a Faith already acquired. (p.140)

Schuon believes that the situation can also work in reverse, with Faith leading to the potential revelation of further miracles. Each miracle continues to provide a connection between Heaven and Earth, whilst Faith concomitantly strengthens the link between man and God.

Bringing a third component into play, that of Charity, Schuon demonstrates how this particular virtue contains both passive and active dimensions:

Spiritual Love is a passive participation in God who is Infinite Love; but merely natural love is, on the contrary, active in relation to created things. Love of one’s neighbour, insofar as it is a necessary expression of the Love of God, is an indispensable complement to Faith. These two modes of Charity are affirmed by the Gospel teaching regarding the Supreme Law, the first mode implying consciousness of the fact that God alone is Beatitude and Reality, and the second, consciousness of the fact that the ego is only illusory, the “me” of others being identified in reality with “myself”; if I must love my neighbour because he is “me,” this implies that I must love myself a priori, not being other than my neighbour, and if I must love myself, whether in myself or in my neighbour, it is because God loves me and I ought to love what He loves; and if He loves me it is because He loves His creation, or in other words, because Existence itself is Love and Love is as it were the perfume of the Creator inherent in every creature. (pp.141-142)

Charity is a form of selflessness which, by directing the Christian towards what Schuon calls the “Divine Perfections,” allows the soul to become identified with God to the extent that all differences are eradicated. Love for one’s neighbour essentially acts as a stepping stone towards obtaining such knowledge and yet is only an initial realisation that is designed to help the individual transcend the mundane confines of his or her immediate surroundings and rise to a new level.

Furthermore, such Charity is not simply a question of good morals or ethical behaviour but removes the illusory barrier which is assumed to lie between the benefactor and those in need. Not only is a man’s soul identified with God through acts of this nature, but also with the soul of his neighbour. On the other hand, this form of Charity must be distinguished from everyday acts of goodwill because when kindness is

exercised neither from love of God nor by virtue of the aforesaid knowledge, but solely with a view to human well-being considered as an end in itself, the benediction inherent in true charity does not accompany the apparent well-doing, either for the giver or for the receiver. (p.143)

* * *

If human kindness is more profound when it is done in accordance with the “Divine Perfections” that bring us closer to God, it is simply because all true manifestations of Christianity are necessarily hierarchical and this involves the use of initiatory orders. As Schuon notes, the age-old existence of monasticism

can be explained only by the presence, in the Western as well as the Eastern Church, of an initiatory tradition going back—as St. Benedict and the Hesychasts alike testify—to the Desert Fathers and so to the Apostles and to Christ. The fact that the cenobitism of the Latin Church can be traced back to the same origins as that of the Greek Church—the latter, however, consisting of a single community and not different orders—clearly proves that the first is esoteric in essence like the second; moreover, the eremetical life is considered by both to mark the summit of spiritual perfection—St. Benedict said so expressly in his Rule. (p.143)

It was the spiritual nature of the monastic community’s adherence to the Benedictine rule which came to inspire many others with its strict observance of chastity, obedience and a committed devotion to both study and prayer. The Rule of Benedict was based on the careful division of the cloistered day into prayer, manual labour and reading, with the abbot being the representative of Christ in the monastery.

Schuon is particularly interested in Hesychasm, which, within the field of Eastern Christianity, is a form of monastic life in which practitioners seek divine quietude or tranquillity (hēsychia) through the contemplation of God in uninterrupted prayer. Religious contemplation of this kind involves utilising the threefold qualities of body, mind and soul as a profoundly intellectual engagement with what is known as the Prayer of Jesus:

This Prayer surpasses all the virtues in excellence, for it is a Divine act in us and hence the best of all possible acts. It is only by means of this Prayer that the creature can be really united with his Creator, the goal of the Prayer of Jesus is consequently the supreme spiritual state, in which man is detached from everything pertaining to the creature and, being directly united with the Divinity, is illuminated by the Divine Light. This supreme state is “Holy Silence” (ἡσυχία), symbolized by the black colour of the Virgin in certain icons and images. (p.144)

Whilst the words of the Prayer are very simple (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”), not to mention repetitious, it is the powerful combination of body, mind and soul which has the desired effect. Compared to the purely mechanical actions that accompany those forms of prayer which are offered up simply as a consequence of daily routine, or moral coercion, the Prayer of Jesus brings one into accordance with Divine Will.

Similarly, the invocation of Divine names – which, in the case of Christianity, is that of Jesus – pertains to the manifested Word of God:

It is in the Divine Name that there takes place the mysterious meeting of the created and the Uncreate, the contingent and the Absolute, the finite and the Infinite. The Divine Name is thus a manifestation of the Supreme Principle, or to speak still more plainly, it is the Supreme Principle manifesting Itself; it is not therefore in the first place a manifestation, but the Principle Itself. (p.145)

Schuon provides further examples from the Hesychast tradition, too, most notably the idea that when Jesus reappeared among His disciples in the wake of the Resurrection he included among the gifts of Love and Peace the invocation of His Name. For the Hesychasts, the use of the Messiah’s Name is a “Divine Wellspring” that never runs dry and it is through the constant usage of this godly appellation that one gains access to both Mercy and Infinity.