Kenneth Rose
Kenneth Rose, Ph.D., is a former Senior Research Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Christopher Newport University. His degrees include an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University. At Harvard, he was a Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions. He teaches and publishes in the areas of comparative religion, the theology of religions, comparative mysticism, religious pluralism, and the philosophy of meditation.
He developed and led the online course, “Wisdom from World Religions,” which was funded by a Templeton World Charity Foundation grant under the sponsorship of the Graduate Theological Union (https://youtu.be/GSqqG6g_7YA).
His books include Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), Pluralism: The Future of Religion (Bloomsbury Academic, 2013), and The Light of the Self: A Memoir of a Spiritual Awakening (AnahataRose books, 2019). He has also authored numerous academic articles, reviews, and popular publications.
His programs on Embodied Philosophy include:
"Virtual Reality, Māyā, and Yoga’s Virtual Bodies" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/22992/awF2LAkC
"The Universal Mystic: Meditation, the Brain, and Humanity’s Mystical Birthright" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/universal-mystic?_ga=2.117530511.709076725.1605818902-219820516.1605466519
"The Mystic’s Brain: The Biology of Contemplative Practice and Why It Matters to the Meditator,” a presentation in the online conference, The Embodied Brain: Yoga, Plasticity, and the New Science https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/11950/awF2LAkC
"The Reality of Illusion: The Simulation Hypothesis and Yoga’s Five Bodies" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/22057/awF2LAkC
Podcast and articles at Embodied Philosophy and Tarka: https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/?s=kenneth+rose and https://embodied-philosophy.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/on-illusion-tarka-issue-2-digital
He was interviewed by Sarah McConnell on “With Good Reason,” broadcast on NPR stations nationwide and available online, January 2013 (https://soundcloud.com/withgoodreason/start-the-year-off-right begin at 19:35).
His Audible Audiobooks are available at: https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_all_1?ie=UTF8
Supervisors: Gordon D. Kaufman and Hilary Putnam
He developed and led the online course, “Wisdom from World Religions,” which was funded by a Templeton World Charity Foundation grant under the sponsorship of the Graduate Theological Union (https://youtu.be/GSqqG6g_7YA).
His books include Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), Pluralism: The Future of Religion (Bloomsbury Academic, 2013), and The Light of the Self: A Memoir of a Spiritual Awakening (AnahataRose books, 2019). He has also authored numerous academic articles, reviews, and popular publications.
His programs on Embodied Philosophy include:
"Virtual Reality, Māyā, and Yoga’s Virtual Bodies" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/22992/awF2LAkC
"The Universal Mystic: Meditation, the Brain, and Humanity’s Mystical Birthright" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/universal-mystic?_ga=2.117530511.709076725.1605818902-219820516.1605466519
"The Mystic’s Brain: The Biology of Contemplative Practice and Why It Matters to the Meditator,” a presentation in the online conference, The Embodied Brain: Yoga, Plasticity, and the New Science https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/11950/awF2LAkC
"The Reality of Illusion: The Simulation Hypothesis and Yoga’s Five Bodies" https://www.embodiedphilosophy.org/a/22057/awF2LAkC
Podcast and articles at Embodied Philosophy and Tarka: https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/?s=kenneth+rose and https://embodied-philosophy.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/on-illusion-tarka-issue-2-digital
He was interviewed by Sarah McConnell on “With Good Reason,” broadcast on NPR stations nationwide and available online, January 2013 (https://soundcloud.com/withgoodreason/start-the-year-off-right begin at 19:35).
His Audible Audiobooks are available at: https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_all_1?ie=UTF8
Supervisors: Gordon D. Kaufman and Hilary Putnam
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https://www.wisdomfromworldreligions.com/
Books by Kenneth Rose
In Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism, Kenneth Rose shifts the dominant focus of contemporary religious studies away from tradition-specific studies of individual religious traditions, communities, and practices to examine the 'contemplative universals' that arise globally in meditative experience. Through a comparative exploration of the itineraries detailed in the contemplative manuals of Theravada Buddhism, Patañjalian Yoga, and Catholic mystical theology, Rose identifies in each tradition a moment of sharply focused awareness that marks the threshold between immersion in mundane consciousness and contemplative insight. As concentration deepens, the meditator steps through this threshold onto a globally shared contemplative itinerary, which leads through a series of virtually identical stages to mental stillness and insight. Rose argues that these contemplative universals, familiar to experienced contemplatives in multiple traditions, point to a common spiritual, mental, and biological heritage.
Pioneering the exploration of contemplative practice and experience with a comparative perspective that ranges over multiple religious traditions, religious studies, philosophy, neuroscience, and the cognitive science of religion, this book is a landmark contribution to the fields of contemplative practice and religious studies.
Table of contents
Table of Figures
Acknowledgments
Note on Transliteration, Spelling, and Translations
Prologue
Introduction
Part One
1. A New Comparative Religion and the Search for Contemplative Universals
2. Recovering the Mystical in the Reign of Constructivism
3. Biological Essentialism and the New Sciences of Religion
Part Two
Introduction to Part Two: Charting the Common Itinerary of the Contemplative Experience 153
4. The Concentrative Itinerary of the Buddhist Jhanas
5. The Concentrative Itinerary of Yogic Samadhi
6. The Concentrative Itinerary of Catholic Unio Mystica
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Endorsements
“Kenneth Rose rehabilitates interreligious comparison as a necessary and powerful tool of Religious Studies. Moreover, he shows how comparative work on religious experience benefits from the insights of cognitive science and neuro-physiology without falling into the trap of materialistic reductionism. Studies like his create a constructive and much needed link between Comparative Religion and Interreligious Theology.” – Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Professor of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology, University of Muenster, Germany
“Kenneth Rose's Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism breaks through the somewhat stagnant discussion between the impoverished arguments of the perennialist/essentialist proponents of mysticism and the by now predictable rebuttals to these from the constructionists. His project is to recover or rehabilitate religious essentialism, but not, like his perennialist predecessors, based on a search for shared underlying concepts or universal symbols, which are easy targets for constructivist deconstruction, but based on the trans-cultural commonalities of contemplative experiences themselves. Using deeply researched case studies from Buddhism, Yoga and the Christian traditions, Rose identifies five “contemplative universals' or shared landmarks of the meditative journey common to these traditions. In other words, he identifies an almost identical set of meditative experiences accompanying the deepening focus of consciousness in these traditions precisely because they are based in experience rather than preconditioned doctrine. Rose harnesses neurobiology to his cause here (ironically, given it is a field primarily inhabited by materialists convinced of a neurological correlate of consciousness), where meditative states show repeatable, observable neurological chemistry that is shared trans-culturally, and trans-doctrinally and therefore not socially constructed.
Part of Rose's stated purpose is to seek to loosen the all too often dogmatic materialistic presuppositions and reductionistic ideologies that hold sway over the production of much scholarship in the academic field of Religion, and secure a sui generis grounding for the religious life, at least in its contemplative forms, eschewing the pitfalls of previous efforts in this regard. Thus Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism will likely be welcomed by intellectually responsible meditation practitioners who seek a spirituality grounded in a trans-sectarian metaphysics of meditation that resonates with cutting edge research in the emerging field of contemplative neuroscience. And I envision it will certainly be a seminal text for the next generation in the academic study of mysticism.” – Edwin Bryant, Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy, Rutgers University, US and author of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Insights from the Traditional Commentators (2009).
See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/yoga-meditation-and-mysticism-9781472571694/#sthash.pfLWzlqf.dpuf
Table of Contents / 1. Impasse in Theology of Religions / 2. The Copernican Revolution and Counterrevolution in Theology of Religions / 3. The Prisoners' Parable / 4. Pluralism in the Upani?ads / 5. Pluralism in the New Testament / 6. Charting an Apophatic Pluralism / Bibliography / Index
Endorsements:
“Professor Kenneth Rose’s Pluralism: The Future of Religion is the most thorough and up-to-date study of one of the most hotly debated issues in Religious Studies today. Rose deals fairly and squarely with the large amount of recent writings presenting either inclusivist or exclusivist positions and convincingly argues for a pluralistic approach to world religions. It will be an ideal text for graduate seminars for advanced students of religion and is certain to generate a lively debate among scholars.” – Klaus Klostermaier, FRSC, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba, Canada,
“Pluralism is a rigorous and nuanced study that is exceptionally well written, illuminating, and contains impeccable scholarship. It elevates the conversation on the vital theme of religious pluralism to a new level with exciting possibilities. It has the special feature of drawing from the depths of the classical Hindu texts of the Upanishads in his powerful constructive vision for a genuine religious pluralism. I applaud Rose especially for engaging Eastern textual sources and conceptions for his vision of pluralism.” – Graham M. Schweig, Author-Translator, Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song and Dance of Divine Love: The Rasa Lila of Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana,
“Kenneth Rose in this penetrating study brilliantly clarifies the dialogue among religious advocates of the now “classical” exclusivist, inclusivist, pluralist understandings of religion. Exclusivism—my religion is the only true one—is in 2012 limited to a shrinking body of hyper-conservative religionists. Inclusivism—other religions may have some truth, but mine alone has it all—has increasingly become the default position for most religionists. However, Rose persuasively shows that pluralism—many religions are equally valid ways of life—is the inevitable religious position virtually all will eventually necessarily take. This tour de force should be read and reflected on by everyone interested in religion.” – Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought & Interreligious Dialogue, Temple University, US.
Reviews:
D’Costa, Gavin, Review of Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion, in Reviews in Religion and Theology 21.1 (January 2014): 124-126. doi: 10.111/rirt.12290.
Dallh, Minlib, Review of Kenneth Rose Pluralism: The Future of Religion, in Journal of Ecumenical Studies 49.2 (Spring 2014): 359. https://read.cnu.edu/validate?url=http://0-search.ebscohost.com.read.cnu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rlh&AN=97224391&site=ehost-live
Schilbrack, Kevin, “Religious Pluralism: A Check-Up,” Religious Studies Review 40.1 (March 2014): 1–7 (a review essay of, among other books, Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion, pp. 4-7), doi: 10.1111/rsr.12096
Knitter, Paul, review of Kenneth Rose Pluralism: The Future of Religion in Horizons 42 (2015): 211-212, doi:10.1017/hor.2015.34, http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0360966915000341
Clooney, Francis X., SJ, review of Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion in The Journal of Religion, 95, No. 3 (July 2015):. 410-412, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/681114
Toronto Studies in Religion. Vol. 20
General Editor: Donald Wiebe
Reviews:
C. Robert Mesle, Review of Knowing the Real: John Hick on the Cognitivity of Religions and Religious Pluralism, in The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 44 (December 1998): 185-187.
Review of Knowing the Real in Chronicle of Higher Education, February 1997, Issue 1.
M. Kerlin, Review of Knowing the Real: John Hick on the Cognitivity of Religions and Religious Pluralism in Journal of Ecumenical Studies 35.3-4 (Summer 1998): 510-511.
Papers by Kenneth Rose
a seminar taught by Fredric Jameson.
Talks by Kenneth Rose
Since the dawn of civilization, religion has shaped the human mind and experience. But until recently, the world’s religious traditions existed in different spheres, separated by barriers of culture and geography.
Now, Wisdom from the World’s Religions folds the teachings of the great faith traditions into one easy and illuminating educational experience. Grounded in a comparative religionist approach, this audio series introduces you to the principles and practices of 11 major religions:
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism
Jainism
Zoroastrianism
Shinto
Taoism
Bahá'í
As you take in this beautiful tapestry of wisdom, you will gain insights into science, history, human existence, spirituality, and more specifically the work of Sir John Templeton.
A noted financier and investor, Sir John was also deeply interested in the spiritual life. His foundation and his Templeton Prize have been instrumental in bringing about a revolution in science and religion - two great bodies of human experimentation and human experience that, together, deepen our understanding of life.
Taking your cues from Sir John’s book Wisdom from World Religions: Pathways Toward Heaven on Earth, you’ll probe life’s most profound questions. Does life have an ultimate meaning? Is science the key to the deepest truth of life? Is death the end?
Embark on this adventure of the spirit today.
This course was made possible through the support of a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc.
©2019 Now You Know Media, Inc. (P)2019 Now You Know Media, Inc.
Commonality between mystical experiences
Expressing difference vs. unity and our ability to communicate with each other; difference doesn’t exist without sameness
New essentialism – what are the general ideas that allow us to speak from our various silos and communicate with each other
Practitioner hat and the scholar hat (fetishization of the particular)
Mysticism and neuroscience
Spiritual basis of life expresses itself in multiple registers – physical, psychological, and metaphysical levels
Meditation as the fundamental tool to discover these realms and experience
This course will inspire you and enrich your understanding of the greatest spiritual masters that have ever lived. Your guide is Dr. Kenneth Rose (PhD, Harvard University), an acclaimed expert in comparative religion. Under his tutelage, you’ll discover the lives and teachings of 11 holy persons throughout the ages and from around the world. Each of these legendary men and women helped bridge Eastern and Western spirituality. By examining their respective religious traditions, you will gain a deeper appreciation of world religions and interfaith dialogue.
Dr. Rose will help you place these paragons of faith in their historical contexts, showing you how they came to be such extraordinary channels of spiritual power and wisdom. But this brilliantly taught course goes beyond merely identifying a collection of figures of historic and religious import. Through their individual stories, you’ll also do the following:
Grasp the lifeblood of religions like Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism
Examine the wisdom of both foundational figures (Aquinas, the Buddha) and modern spiritual masters (the Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton)
Meet lesser-known men and women whose thought was ahead of their time
The wisdom of each of these men and women is not only influential but also profound, moving, and beautiful. Through their words and actions, you will discover new ways to deepen your spiritual wisdom and knowledge of world religions.Orient yourself within the sublime tradition of mysticism as you take inspiration from the lives of Dr. Rose’s hand-picked Mystics, Sages, and Saints.
©2018 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2018 Now You Know Media Inc.
What is mindfulness and how does meditation work?
As a person of faith, you understand the spiritual importance of contemplation, prayer, and reflection. But, if you are like most thoughtful people, your life is full of responsibilities, concerns, and distractions. This introspective course invites you to explore ancient traditions of meditation and mindfulness and their connections to joy and happiness.
In Mindfulness, Meditation, and Happiness, Professor Kenneth Rose (Ph.D., Harvard University), introduces you to the basic practices of meditation. In 24 informational and inspiring audio lectures, you’ll explore the spiritual roots of mindfulness alongside the burgeoning academic and scientific study of mindfulness in connection to human flourishing. Throughout, Dr. Rose counsels you on how to avail yourself of mindfulness practices en route to cultivating happiness.
Dr. Rose calls the ancient practice of mindfulness meditation “a magic bullet that brings waves of happiness flooding into our everyday lives by helping us turn unhelpful thought patterns and habits into positive responses promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, or happiness.” New research on meditation and mindfulness continually finds that their benefits to you are manifold. Happiness has been proven to:
Curtail procrastination;
Defeat addiction(s);
Decrease sensitivity to pain;
Reduce stress; and
Increase your ability to learn.
A leading scholar, Dr. Rose is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, California). As your Mindfulness, Meditation, and Happiness guide, you’ll find that he strikes the perfect balance between esteeming scientific inquiry on the one hand and fanning the flames of spiritual yearning on the other.
https://www.wisdomfromworldreligions.com/
In Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism, Kenneth Rose shifts the dominant focus of contemporary religious studies away from tradition-specific studies of individual religious traditions, communities, and practices to examine the 'contemplative universals' that arise globally in meditative experience. Through a comparative exploration of the itineraries detailed in the contemplative manuals of Theravada Buddhism, Patañjalian Yoga, and Catholic mystical theology, Rose identifies in each tradition a moment of sharply focused awareness that marks the threshold between immersion in mundane consciousness and contemplative insight. As concentration deepens, the meditator steps through this threshold onto a globally shared contemplative itinerary, which leads through a series of virtually identical stages to mental stillness and insight. Rose argues that these contemplative universals, familiar to experienced contemplatives in multiple traditions, point to a common spiritual, mental, and biological heritage.
Pioneering the exploration of contemplative practice and experience with a comparative perspective that ranges over multiple religious traditions, religious studies, philosophy, neuroscience, and the cognitive science of religion, this book is a landmark contribution to the fields of contemplative practice and religious studies.
Table of contents
Table of Figures
Acknowledgments
Note on Transliteration, Spelling, and Translations
Prologue
Introduction
Part One
1. A New Comparative Religion and the Search for Contemplative Universals
2. Recovering the Mystical in the Reign of Constructivism
3. Biological Essentialism and the New Sciences of Religion
Part Two
Introduction to Part Two: Charting the Common Itinerary of the Contemplative Experience 153
4. The Concentrative Itinerary of the Buddhist Jhanas
5. The Concentrative Itinerary of Yogic Samadhi
6. The Concentrative Itinerary of Catholic Unio Mystica
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Endorsements
“Kenneth Rose rehabilitates interreligious comparison as a necessary and powerful tool of Religious Studies. Moreover, he shows how comparative work on religious experience benefits from the insights of cognitive science and neuro-physiology without falling into the trap of materialistic reductionism. Studies like his create a constructive and much needed link between Comparative Religion and Interreligious Theology.” – Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Professor of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology, University of Muenster, Germany
“Kenneth Rose's Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism breaks through the somewhat stagnant discussion between the impoverished arguments of the perennialist/essentialist proponents of mysticism and the by now predictable rebuttals to these from the constructionists. His project is to recover or rehabilitate religious essentialism, but not, like his perennialist predecessors, based on a search for shared underlying concepts or universal symbols, which are easy targets for constructivist deconstruction, but based on the trans-cultural commonalities of contemplative experiences themselves. Using deeply researched case studies from Buddhism, Yoga and the Christian traditions, Rose identifies five “contemplative universals' or shared landmarks of the meditative journey common to these traditions. In other words, he identifies an almost identical set of meditative experiences accompanying the deepening focus of consciousness in these traditions precisely because they are based in experience rather than preconditioned doctrine. Rose harnesses neurobiology to his cause here (ironically, given it is a field primarily inhabited by materialists convinced of a neurological correlate of consciousness), where meditative states show repeatable, observable neurological chemistry that is shared trans-culturally, and trans-doctrinally and therefore not socially constructed.
Part of Rose's stated purpose is to seek to loosen the all too often dogmatic materialistic presuppositions and reductionistic ideologies that hold sway over the production of much scholarship in the academic field of Religion, and secure a sui generis grounding for the religious life, at least in its contemplative forms, eschewing the pitfalls of previous efforts in this regard. Thus Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism will likely be welcomed by intellectually responsible meditation practitioners who seek a spirituality grounded in a trans-sectarian metaphysics of meditation that resonates with cutting edge research in the emerging field of contemplative neuroscience. And I envision it will certainly be a seminal text for the next generation in the academic study of mysticism.” – Edwin Bryant, Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy, Rutgers University, US and author of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Insights from the Traditional Commentators (2009).
See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/yoga-meditation-and-mysticism-9781472571694/#sthash.pfLWzlqf.dpuf
Table of Contents / 1. Impasse in Theology of Religions / 2. The Copernican Revolution and Counterrevolution in Theology of Religions / 3. The Prisoners' Parable / 4. Pluralism in the Upani?ads / 5. Pluralism in the New Testament / 6. Charting an Apophatic Pluralism / Bibliography / Index
Endorsements:
“Professor Kenneth Rose’s Pluralism: The Future of Religion is the most thorough and up-to-date study of one of the most hotly debated issues in Religious Studies today. Rose deals fairly and squarely with the large amount of recent writings presenting either inclusivist or exclusivist positions and convincingly argues for a pluralistic approach to world religions. It will be an ideal text for graduate seminars for advanced students of religion and is certain to generate a lively debate among scholars.” – Klaus Klostermaier, FRSC, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba, Canada,
“Pluralism is a rigorous and nuanced study that is exceptionally well written, illuminating, and contains impeccable scholarship. It elevates the conversation on the vital theme of religious pluralism to a new level with exciting possibilities. It has the special feature of drawing from the depths of the classical Hindu texts of the Upanishads in his powerful constructive vision for a genuine religious pluralism. I applaud Rose especially for engaging Eastern textual sources and conceptions for his vision of pluralism.” – Graham M. Schweig, Author-Translator, Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song and Dance of Divine Love: The Rasa Lila of Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana,
“Kenneth Rose in this penetrating study brilliantly clarifies the dialogue among religious advocates of the now “classical” exclusivist, inclusivist, pluralist understandings of religion. Exclusivism—my religion is the only true one—is in 2012 limited to a shrinking body of hyper-conservative religionists. Inclusivism—other religions may have some truth, but mine alone has it all—has increasingly become the default position for most religionists. However, Rose persuasively shows that pluralism—many religions are equally valid ways of life—is the inevitable religious position virtually all will eventually necessarily take. This tour de force should be read and reflected on by everyone interested in religion.” – Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought & Interreligious Dialogue, Temple University, US.
Reviews:
D’Costa, Gavin, Review of Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion, in Reviews in Religion and Theology 21.1 (January 2014): 124-126. doi: 10.111/rirt.12290.
Dallh, Minlib, Review of Kenneth Rose Pluralism: The Future of Religion, in Journal of Ecumenical Studies 49.2 (Spring 2014): 359. https://read.cnu.edu/validate?url=http://0-search.ebscohost.com.read.cnu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rlh&AN=97224391&site=ehost-live
Schilbrack, Kevin, “Religious Pluralism: A Check-Up,” Religious Studies Review 40.1 (March 2014): 1–7 (a review essay of, among other books, Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion, pp. 4-7), doi: 10.1111/rsr.12096
Knitter, Paul, review of Kenneth Rose Pluralism: The Future of Religion in Horizons 42 (2015): 211-212, doi:10.1017/hor.2015.34, http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0360966915000341
Clooney, Francis X., SJ, review of Kenneth Rose, Pluralism: The Future of Religion in The Journal of Religion, 95, No. 3 (July 2015):. 410-412, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/681114
Toronto Studies in Religion. Vol. 20
General Editor: Donald Wiebe
Reviews:
C. Robert Mesle, Review of Knowing the Real: John Hick on the Cognitivity of Religions and Religious Pluralism, in The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 44 (December 1998): 185-187.
Review of Knowing the Real in Chronicle of Higher Education, February 1997, Issue 1.
M. Kerlin, Review of Knowing the Real: John Hick on the Cognitivity of Religions and Religious Pluralism in Journal of Ecumenical Studies 35.3-4 (Summer 1998): 510-511.
a seminar taught by Fredric Jameson.
Since the dawn of civilization, religion has shaped the human mind and experience. But until recently, the world’s religious traditions existed in different spheres, separated by barriers of culture and geography.
Now, Wisdom from the World’s Religions folds the teachings of the great faith traditions into one easy and illuminating educational experience. Grounded in a comparative religionist approach, this audio series introduces you to the principles and practices of 11 major religions:
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism
Jainism
Zoroastrianism
Shinto
Taoism
Bahá'í
As you take in this beautiful tapestry of wisdom, you will gain insights into science, history, human existence, spirituality, and more specifically the work of Sir John Templeton.
A noted financier and investor, Sir John was also deeply interested in the spiritual life. His foundation and his Templeton Prize have been instrumental in bringing about a revolution in science and religion - two great bodies of human experimentation and human experience that, together, deepen our understanding of life.
Taking your cues from Sir John’s book Wisdom from World Religions: Pathways Toward Heaven on Earth, you’ll probe life’s most profound questions. Does life have an ultimate meaning? Is science the key to the deepest truth of life? Is death the end?
Embark on this adventure of the spirit today.
This course was made possible through the support of a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc.
©2019 Now You Know Media, Inc. (P)2019 Now You Know Media, Inc.
Commonality between mystical experiences
Expressing difference vs. unity and our ability to communicate with each other; difference doesn’t exist without sameness
New essentialism – what are the general ideas that allow us to speak from our various silos and communicate with each other
Practitioner hat and the scholar hat (fetishization of the particular)
Mysticism and neuroscience
Spiritual basis of life expresses itself in multiple registers – physical, psychological, and metaphysical levels
Meditation as the fundamental tool to discover these realms and experience
This course will inspire you and enrich your understanding of the greatest spiritual masters that have ever lived. Your guide is Dr. Kenneth Rose (PhD, Harvard University), an acclaimed expert in comparative religion. Under his tutelage, you’ll discover the lives and teachings of 11 holy persons throughout the ages and from around the world. Each of these legendary men and women helped bridge Eastern and Western spirituality. By examining their respective religious traditions, you will gain a deeper appreciation of world religions and interfaith dialogue.
Dr. Rose will help you place these paragons of faith in their historical contexts, showing you how they came to be such extraordinary channels of spiritual power and wisdom. But this brilliantly taught course goes beyond merely identifying a collection of figures of historic and religious import. Through their individual stories, you’ll also do the following:
Grasp the lifeblood of religions like Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism
Examine the wisdom of both foundational figures (Aquinas, the Buddha) and modern spiritual masters (the Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton)
Meet lesser-known men and women whose thought was ahead of their time
The wisdom of each of these men and women is not only influential but also profound, moving, and beautiful. Through their words and actions, you will discover new ways to deepen your spiritual wisdom and knowledge of world religions.Orient yourself within the sublime tradition of mysticism as you take inspiration from the lives of Dr. Rose’s hand-picked Mystics, Sages, and Saints.
©2018 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2018 Now You Know Media Inc.
What is mindfulness and how does meditation work?
As a person of faith, you understand the spiritual importance of contemplation, prayer, and reflection. But, if you are like most thoughtful people, your life is full of responsibilities, concerns, and distractions. This introspective course invites you to explore ancient traditions of meditation and mindfulness and their connections to joy and happiness.
In Mindfulness, Meditation, and Happiness, Professor Kenneth Rose (Ph.D., Harvard University), introduces you to the basic practices of meditation. In 24 informational and inspiring audio lectures, you’ll explore the spiritual roots of mindfulness alongside the burgeoning academic and scientific study of mindfulness in connection to human flourishing. Throughout, Dr. Rose counsels you on how to avail yourself of mindfulness practices en route to cultivating happiness.
Dr. Rose calls the ancient practice of mindfulness meditation “a magic bullet that brings waves of happiness flooding into our everyday lives by helping us turn unhelpful thought patterns and habits into positive responses promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, or happiness.” New research on meditation and mindfulness continually finds that their benefits to you are manifold. Happiness has been proven to:
Curtail procrastination;
Defeat addiction(s);
Decrease sensitivity to pain;
Reduce stress; and
Increase your ability to learn.
A leading scholar, Dr. Rose is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, California). As your Mindfulness, Meditation, and Happiness guide, you’ll find that he strikes the perfect balance between esteeming scientific inquiry on the one hand and fanning the flames of spiritual yearning on the other.
Interview by Sarah McConnell on “With Good Reason,” a production of the Virginia for the Humanities, Charlottesville, Virginia, broadcast on NPR stations nationwide and available online, January 2013. https://soundcloud.com/withgoodreason/start-the-year-off-right )(begin at 19:35, end at 27:30.
Summoned by intuition, the shapeshifting spiritual adept Dona Poireau arrives at the cave to show Armin how to practice these visionary teachings. Through startling changes of perspective initiated by Dona and the saints, Armin overcomes his doubts and enters into the ancient spiritual wisdom of humanity.
Join Armin Thoms and his guide Dona Poireau on a journey to self-awakening in the presence of the saints and deities who teach timeless spiritual practices in the Cave of the Saints.
In a book that is both a compelling memoir playing out on three continents and a skillful guide to mind-altering mystical teachings in Hinduism, Buddhism, and mystical Christianity, Kenneth Rose traces his personal spiritual pilgrimage and shares the teachings that transformed his life—and that can transform yours as well.
The Light of the Self describes in language infused with meditative insights the radiant unitive consciousness, free from death and suffering, that is the common goal of the world’s many mystical traditions.
Kenneth Rose, Ph.D., has been a professor of philosophy and religion for nearly three decades. His degrees include an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and an M.A. and Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University. His books include Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks and Pluralism: The Future of Religion.
The Kindle edition is available in the US market at:
https://smile.amazon.com/Light-Self-Memoir-Spiritual-Awakening-ebook-dp-B07MZJ3KSS/dp/B07MZJ3KSS/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=
It is also available in other Amazon markets as well.
[email protected]
amazon.com/author/kennethrose
(This review was written for a publication, which never published it.)
This is an unpublished paper originally written in January 1985 for a course at Harvard Divinity School taught by Arthur J. Dyck. Posted on Academia November 2021.
a seminar taught by Fredric Jameson.