Edited
by Alessandro Grossato, this book is dedicated to the figure of Elijah
(Elias) as the invisible master, studied through his various
metamorphoses in the spiritual traditions which have adopted him:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The essays in
the book cast light from various points of view on the aspect shared
most by the convergent prophetic figures forming a fundamental but
hitherto little explored theme in the history of religions: the theme
of the “invisible master”. The
earliest form of this figure is found in Hinduism, going back to
Central Asian and Siberian shamanism. Giuseppe Laras illustrates the
crucial prophetic role Elijah plays in Judaism, while Giancarlo
Lacerenza explores the initiatory function of the figure in the Kabbalah.
Celestino Corsato provides an introduction to the Christian theological
re-elaboration of the figure of Elijah by the first Fathers of the
Church. Flavio Cuniberto dwells on the Elijah motifs in the Carmelite
tradition and their permanence in Christian theosophy since the 17th
century. Carlo Saccone examines the twofold ambivalent figure of Elijah
and al Khidr in Islam, in
which the latter is at times only Elijah’s alter ego, whereas in other
cases he is an independent prophetic figure. He also plays an extremely
important role in the Tasawwuf, Islamic esotericism, as the initiator outside the turuq – the regular confraternities. Lastly, Alessandro Grossato tackles the
final link in this long historical and spiritual chain which at its
extremes can join up the two apparently very remote traditions of
Judaism and Hinduism.

CONTENTS

Introduction
Alessandro Grossato
L’Archetipo dell’uomo invisibile

Rav. Giuseppe Laras
Il profeta Elia

Giancarlo Lacerenza
Il divenire di Elia nella Qabbalah

Celestino Corsato
Elia nella tradizione patristica prenicena

Flavio Cuniberto
L’Ordine di Elia, “Disciplina profetica” e tradizione carmelitana

Carlo Saccone
Un profeta e santo-iniziatore: Elia-al Khidr nella tradizione musulmana

Alessandro Grossato
Elia-al Khidr al crocevia fra Islam e Induismo

Appendice iconografica a cura di Alessandro Grossato e Flavio Cuniberto.

Information
e-mail: ufficio.editoriale@cini.it