Algis Uždavinys
Encyclopedia
Algis Uždavinys was a prolific Lithuanian
philosopher and scholar. His work pioneered the hermeneutical comparative study
of Egyptian and Greek religions, especially their esoteric relations to Semitic religions, and in particular the inner aspect of Islam
. His books have been published in Lithuanian, Russian, English and French, including translations of Plotinus
, Frithjof Schuon
and Ananda Coomaraswamy
into Russian and Lithuanian.
, by the Nemunas River
in southern Lithuania
, Uždavinys moved to Vilnius
to pursue studies at the former State Art Institute of Lithuania, now Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts
. Upon graduation he came in contact with the writings and authors of the Traditionalist or Perennialist
school, and this influenced his comparative exegesis, notably his studies on Sufism
, the Ancient Egyptian religion, and his assertion of the substantial continuity of Greek philosophical tradition from Pythagoras
down to the latest Neoplatonic
authors. In this last claim he was expressly indebted to Pierre Hadot
.
Uždavinys was an active member of the editorial board of the journal Acta Orientalia Vilnensia and head of the Department of Humanities at the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts
, Kaunas
Faculty; as an art critic, philosopher and intellectual he was a prominent figure in Lithuanian cultural life. In 2008 he spent time as a research fellow at La Trobe University
in Bendigo, Australia
. He died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on 25 July 2010 in his native village of Kabeliai
.
He was a member of The International Society for Neoplatonic Studies and The Lithuanian Artists' Association
, and a regular contributor to journals such as Sacred Web, Vancouver
, and Sophia, Washington DC.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
philosopher and scholar. His work pioneered the hermeneutical comparative study
Comparative religion
Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...
of Egyptian and Greek religions, especially their esoteric relations to Semitic religions, and in particular the inner aspect of Islam
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. His books have been published in Lithuanian, Russian, English and French, including translations of Plotinus
Plotinus
Plotinus was a major philosopher of the ancient world. In his system of theory there are the three principles: the One, the Intellect, and the Soul. His teacher was Ammonius Saccas and he is of the Platonic tradition...
, Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
and Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West...
into Russian and Lithuanian.
Life
Brought up in DruskininkaiDruskininkai
Druskininkai is a spa town on the Neman River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai has a population of 18,233 and dates back as a spa resort to the 19th century.-Names:...
, by the Nemunas River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
in southern Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Uždavinys moved to Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
to pursue studies at the former State Art Institute of Lithuania, now Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts
Vilnius Academy of Art
The Vilnius Academy of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania, grants a variety of degrees in the arts.The academy was created as a separate entity in 1940; it had previously been part of Vilnius University. It was closed during the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, and re-opened in 1944...
. Upon graduation he came in contact with the writings and authors of the Traditionalist or Perennialist
Perennial philosophy
Perennial philosophy is the notion of the universal recurrence of philosophical insight independent of epoch or culture, including universal truths on the nature of reality, humanity or consciousness .-History:The idea of a perennial philosophy has great...
school, and this influenced his comparative exegesis, notably his studies on Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, the Ancient Egyptian religion, and his assertion of the substantial continuity of Greek philosophical tradition from Pythagoras
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
down to the latest Neoplatonic
Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism , is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists, with its earliest contributor believed to be Plotinus, and his teacher Ammonius Saccas...
authors. In this last claim he was expressly indebted to Pierre Hadot
Pierre Hadot
Pierre Hadot was a French philosopher and historian of philosophy specializing in ancient philosophy, particularly Neoplatonism. Hadot was ordained in 1944 but following Pope Pius XII's Encyclical "Humani Generis" left the priesthood...
.
Uždavinys was an active member of the editorial board of the journal Acta Orientalia Vilnensia and head of the Department of Humanities at the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts
Vilnius Academy of Art
The Vilnius Academy of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania, grants a variety of degrees in the arts.The academy was created as a separate entity in 1940; it had previously been part of Vilnius University. It was closed during the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, and re-opened in 1944...
, Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
Faculty; as an art critic, philosopher and intellectual he was a prominent figure in Lithuanian cultural life. In 2008 he spent time as a research fellow at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
in Bendigo, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on 25 July 2010 in his native village of Kabeliai
Kabeliai
Kabeliai is a village in Varėna district municipality, in Alytus County, in southeastern Lithuania. According to the 2001 census, the village has a population of 229 people....
.
He was a member of The International Society for Neoplatonic Studies and The Lithuanian Artists' Association
Lithuanian Artists' Association
The Lithuanian Artists' Association is a creative voluntary artistic organization in Lithuania, uniting professional painters and artists. It is the official association for artists in the country...
, and a regular contributor to journals such as Sacred Web, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and Sophia, Washington DC.
Books
- The Golden Chain: An Anthology of Platonic and Pythagorean Philosophy (World WisdomWorld WisdomWorld Wisdom is an independent 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 Burckhardt, Ananda K...
, 2004) ISBN 978-0-941532-61-7. Introduction. - Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism (The Matheson TrustThe Matheson TrustThe Matheson Trust is an educational charity based in London dedicated to further and disseminate the study of comparative religion, especially from the point of view of the underlying harmony of the major religious and philosophical traditions of the world....
and Prometheus Trust, 2004) ISBN 978-1-898910-35-0. A free sizeable excerpt. - The Heart of Plotinus: The Essential Enneads (World WisdomWorld WisdomWorld Wisdom is an independent 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 Burckhardt, Ananda K...
, 2009) ISBN 978-1-935493-03-7. - Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity (Sophia PerennisSophia PerennisSophia Perennis may refer to:*Perennial philosophy*Sanatana dharma...
, 2010) ISBN 978-1-597310-86-4 - Ascent to Heaven in Islamic and Jewish Mysticism (The Matheson TrustThe Matheson TrustThe Matheson Trust is an educational charity based in London dedicated to further and disseminate the study of comparative religion, especially from the point of view of the underlying harmony of the major religious and philosophical traditions of the world....
, 2011) ISBN 978-1-908092-02-1. PDF excerpt - Orpheus and the Roots of Platonism (The Matheson TrustThe Matheson TrustThe Matheson Trust is an educational charity based in London dedicated to further and disseminate the study of comparative religion, especially from the point of view of the underlying harmony of the major religious and philosophical traditions of the world....
, 2011) ISBN 978-1-908092-07-6. PDF excerpt
Academic Monographs in Lithuanian
- Labyrinth of Sources. Hermeneutical Philosophy and Mystagogy of Proclus, Vilnius: Lithuanian State Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Eurigmas, 2002. (ISBN 9986-523-88-5).
- Hellenic Philosophy from Numenius to Syrianus, Vilnius: Lithuanian State Institute of Culture, Philosophy, and Arts, 2003. (ISBN 9986-638-40-2).
- The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Kaunas: Ramduva. (ISBN 9995-524-06-05).
- Hermes Trismegistus: The Way of Wisdom, Vilnius: Sophia, 2005. (ISBN 9986-9351-3X).
Chapters
- "From Homer to the Glorious Qur’an: Hermeneutical Strategies in the Hellenistic and Islamic Traditions," Sacred Web, vol. 11, 2003.
- "The Egyptian Book of the Dead and Neoplatonic Philosophy," History of Platonism, Plato Redivivus, eds. Robert Berchman and John Finamore. New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2005.
- "Chaldean Divination and the Ascent to Heaven," in Seeing with Different Eyes: Essays in Astrology and Divination, eds. Patrick Curry and Angela Voss, Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007.
Articles
- "Putting on the Form of the Gods: Sacramental Theurgy in Neoplatonism", Sacred Web vol. 5, 2000, pp.107-120.
- "Sufism in the Light of Orientalism", Research Institute of Culture, Philosophy, and Arts, 2007.
- "Voices of Fire: Understanding Theurgy", Eye of the Heart, Vol 1, 2008.
- "Metaphysical symbols and their function in theurgy", Eye of the Heart, Vol 2, 2008.
See also
- SufismSufismSufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
- Perennial PhilosophyPerennial philosophyPerennial philosophy is the notion of the universal recurrence of philosophical insight independent of epoch or culture, including universal truths on the nature of reality, humanity or consciousness .-History:The idea of a perennial philosophy has great...
- Frithjof SchuonFrithjof SchuonFrithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
- Titus BurckhardtTitus BurckhardtTitus Burckhardt , a German Swiss, was born in Florence, Italy in 1908 and died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1984. He devoted all his life to the study and exposition of the different aspects of Wisdom and Tradition.He was an eminent member of the "traditionalist school" of twentieth-century authors...
- Martin LingsMartin LingsMartin Lings was an English Muslim writer and scholar, a student and follower of Frithjof Schuon, and Shakespearean scholar...
- Seyyed Hossein NasrSeyyed Hossein NasrSeyyed Hossein Nasr is an Iranian University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, and a prominent Islamic philosopher...
External links
- Kazimieras Seibutis, "In memoriam Algis Uždavinys", Acta Orientalia Vilnensia 9.2: 185–187.
- World Wisdom author bio
- La Trobe University staff information