The Relevance of Mystical Spirituality in the Context of Today’s “Spirituality Phenomenon”

Abstract

THERE IS AN AWAKENING OF SPIRITUALITY in our times. We not only witness but also find ourselves being implicated in a phenomenon, that is, a significant increase of interest in pursuit of even while concept itself remains inadequately understood. (1) One commentator was even prompted to put forward this bold statement: turn to informs contemporary religious consciousness as turn to subject marked Enlightenment thought. (2) This describes a virtually global fact of human life today. The notion of spirituality provides people of our times with a comprehensive name for designating whatever they seek consciously in an awareness of reality of spirit. The world seems to be experiencing a return of human spiritual impulse. It manifests itself today in people's growing awareness of necessity of restoring and renewing one's life through greater interiority. However, there is a real sense of disorientation as well as excitement. People feel lost and do not know how to respond to spiritual impulses. Hence, now more than ever, people are coming to realize need for spiritual guidance. This calls for a mediating role of theology in a twofold task: historical and critical. On one hand, a turn to history is desired for sake of consulting well-tested and creative ways in which people in past lived their in particular historical, social, and religious contexts. This will help us understand better present situation with more clarity and offer us insights into authentic spiritual life. On other hand, a critical and theological consideration of is needed so as to channel people's spiritual impulses into a life project that would make genuine human flourishing possible. This article will make a contribution to this twofold theological response to exciting yet ambiguous situation of today's renewed interest in First, relying on several scholars of spirituality, I will sketch out meaning of phenomenon of and refer to some issues highlighted in contemporary discussions of topic. Second, with those issues in mind, I will turn to a particular vision of found in Flemish mystic Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381). By highlighting themes that have bearing on those issues, I will indicate value of Ruusbroec's vision as a resource for task of envisioning an authentic contemporary Finally, drawing upon Michel de Certeau's insights into mysticism (la mystique), I will attempt to locate essential and characteristic note of mysticism considered in relation to in its contemporary usage. I will end with a brief reflection on meaning of mysticism in human life. 1. Scenes and Issues of Contemporary Spirituality The notion of is of Christian origin. Historically speaking, concern with and discussion of was a Roman Catholic phenomenon. (3) In recent years, however, term's usage has been broadened. Now, notion includes non-Christian religious experience as well as experiences that seem unrelated to a religious approach to world. Although concept has retained a fairly defined meaning in context of Christian religion, its broader meaning now is anything but clear. (4) What are salient features of current phenomenon of spirituality? (5) It is instructive to note kinds of words that are circulated in various types of literature on spirituality: the soul, the spirit, the sacred, healing, wholeness, journey, integration, and like. These words are suggestive of existential needs felt by human hearts in contemporary world. They are indicative of interrelated dimensions of one reality that people today name spirituality. Spirituality, then, has to do with eruption of hunger or longing for sacred in our own times. …