Some Aspects of Christian Mystical Rhetoric, Philosophy, and Poetry

Abstract

This is an article about poets and poetic philosophers who make spirited arguments. My purpose in particular is to clarify the nature of mystical rhetoric, which needs to be distinguished from secular rhetoric (i.e., secu lar as nonspiritual). As ways of existing in language, they are ontologically incommensurable, and we should treat them as such. Mystical rhetoric is that into which Spirit enters, conveying to both writer and reader some aspect of providential kairos that cannot otherwise be attained. That is, God completes mystical inferences. God participates, illuminating the hearts of those who open themselves to grace through faith. Or, in other words, writ ers and readers who want to enter into numinous arguments must shelve the hermeneutics of suspicion. An overly critical stance actually diminishes the possibility of insight, even if it is well intended, much like nervous backseat driving, which?though aimed at producing safety?inevitably works against it. I am not suggesting, however, that skeptics are at a com plete loss when approaching mystical rhetorical situations. Rather, they simply do not grasp the metaphysical, enchanted, or occult dimensions of the discourses at work, because they have closed themselves off to Spirit or?more commonly?have attempted to transmogrify Spirit into secular concepts, which distorts spirited language and leads to mischaracteriza tions of religious experience.1 In contrast, I provide a Christian approach to