Adam and Eve: The spiritual symbolism of Genesis and Exodus

Adam and Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis and Exodus

Religion & Spirituality

Fohr, Samuel D.

Christian Books & Bibles

Univ Pr of Amer

Spiritual symbolism as it relates to the Grimm fairy tales.

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: Spiritual Symbolism in the Grimm's Tales

Quest Books

In his Confessions, St Augustine recounts the effect on him of hearing Bishop Ambrose explain various Old Testament passages figuratively: "These passages had been death to me when I took them literally, but once I had heard them explained in their spiritual meaning I began to blame myself for my despair, at least insofar as it had led me to suppose that it was quite impossible to counter people who hated and derided the law and the prophets." What was true of thoughtful people in St. Augustine's day is even more true today. For many in these 'enlightened' times, Bible stories present a stumbling-block to considering any of the great Western faiths as providing a way of spiritual growth: some narratives seem to condone immoral actions while others seem worthy of mockery or strain good sense. But there is an 'inside' to these narratives far more digestible than their outside, and this inside is explored in Adam and Eve. From the episodes in the Garden of Eden to the Exodus from Egypt and the battle for entry into the Promised Land, one story after another receives a penetrating treatment revealing a current of esoteric meaning. The interpretations given are traditional in the truest sense of the word, and the author's hope is that this book will have the kind of effect on the contemporary reader that Bishop Ambrose's explanations had on St Augustine so many years ago. The author received his B.A. in Philosophy from Brooklyn College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. His thesis was in the field of Philosophy of Religion. He began his career at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He is a member of both the American Philosophical Association and the American Academy of Religion. Becoming interested in Zen Buddhism while still an undergraduate, he proceeded to investigate most of the spiritual traditions of the East. Realizing that many Biblical verses could be interpreted as expressing what are normally considered Eastern ideas, he began systematic research into the question of whether Eastern and Western traditions really expressed the same basic truths. Adam and Eve is the first fruit of this endeavour, and this new edition greatly expands on this research.

Sophia Perennis

A study of fairy tales, not as children's stories, but as stories embodying deep spiritual truths. Many references to parallels with the world's great religious traditions

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: Spiritual Symbolism in the Grimms' Tales

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Samuel D. Fohr holds that the Grimms' tales are not just childish 'fairy tales', but are filled with spiritual symbolism, and as such have value for adults as well as children. Snow White, for example, is a story of creation and spiritual growth, and its message parallels Hindu and Judaic creation myths. Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella both portray the journey back to God. Fohr also looks at recurring themes in the stories, and answers such questions as: Why are giants always evil and dwarves always good? What is the symbolic significance of the hungry wolf who appears in many stories? Exactly what are genies, and why are they always trapped in bottles? A delightful but serious examination of cherished stories, this book reveals new meaning in familiar tales. Also included is an extensive bibliography and an Appendix on the authenticity of the Grimms' tales. The author is a professor of philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan and has taught courses in both Western and Eastern Philosophy. He is the author of Adam and Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis and Exodus, and editor of more than a dozen volumes of The Collected Works of René Guénon. To say that Fohr retrieves fairy tales from the nursery on the one hand, and retrieves them from mere entertainment for adults on the other, is only the start of the matter. Like Freud, Jung, and Levy-Strauss, he recognizes the wisdom folktales embody, but he goes beyond those students of myth in arguing that the authors knew what they were doing: they crafted their tales consciously. This is a courageous and cogent book that goes a long way toward revalidating a literary genre that modernity has irresponsibly trivialized. - Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions, etc.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

In his Confessions, St Augustine recounts the effect on him of hearing Bishop Ambrose explain various Old Testament passages figuratively: "These passages had been death to me when I took them literally, but once I had heard them explained in their spiritual meaning I began to blame myself for my despair, at least insofar as it had led me to suppose that it was quite impossible to counter people who hated and derided the law and the prophets." What was true of thoughtful people in St. Augustine's day is even more true today. For many in these 'enlightened' times, Bible stories present a stumbling-block to considering any of the great Western faiths as providing a way of spiritual growth: some narratives seem to condone immoral actions while others seem worthy of mockery or strain good sense. But there is an 'inside' to these narratives far more digestible than their outside, and this inside is explored in Adam and Eve. From the episodes in the Garden of Eden to the Exodus from Egypt and the battle for entry into the Promised Land, one story after another receives a penetrating treatment revealing a current of esoteric meaning. The interpretations given are traditional in the truest sense of the word, and the author's hope is that this book will have the kind of effect on the contemporary reader that Bishop Ambrose's explanations had on St Augustine so many years ago.

Adam And Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis And Exodus

Adam & Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis & Exodus

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Philosophia Perennis

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: The Spiritual Symbolism of Folk & Fairy Tales

Samuel D. Fohr holds that the tales collected by the Grimm brothers, and others, are not just childish “fairy tales,” but are filled with spiritual symbolism, and as such have value for adults as well as children. Snow White, for example, is a story of creation and spiritual growth, and its message parallels Hindu and Judaic creation myths. Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella both portray the journey back to God. Fohr also looks at recurring themes in the stories, and answers such questions as: Why are giants always evil and dwarves always good? What is the symbolic significance of the hungry wolf who appears in many stories? Exactly what are genies, and why are they always trapped in bottles? A delightful but serious examination of cherished stories, this book reveals new meaning in long familiar tales. Also included is an extensive bibliography and an Appendix on the authenticity of the Grimms’ tales. 
“To say that Fohr retrieves fairy tales from the nursery on the one hand, and retrieves them from mere entertainment for adults on the other, is only the start of the matter. Like Freud, Jung, and Lévi-Strauss, he recognizes the wisdom folktales embody, but he goes beyond those students of myth in arguing that the authors knew what they were doing: they crafted their tales consciously. This is a courageous and cogent book that goes a long way toward revalidating a literary genre that modernity has irresponsibly trivialized.”—HUSTON SMITH, author of The World’s Religions, etc.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fohr, Samuel D.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Fohr, Samuel D.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fohr, Samuel D.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Adam and Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis and Exodus

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: Spiritual Symbolism in the Grimm's Tales

Adam and Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis and Exodus

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: Spiritual Symbolism in the Grimms' Tales

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: Spiritual Symbolism in the Grimms' Tales

Adam And Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis And Exodus

Adam & Eve: The Spiritual Symbolism of Genesis & Exodus

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: The Spiritual Symbolism of Folk & Fairy Tales

Cinderella's Gold Slipper: The Spiritual Symbolism of Folk & Fairy Tales