Christian Mysticism Research Articles

Культурологические проекции христианского религиозно-мистического опыта

The paper aims to analyze the heuristic potential of the Christian religious and mystical experience comprehension through the subject of culturology. The authors focus on the culturological approach to this experience which is conceptualized as a cultural tradition. Particular attention is paid to the Christian mysticism as spiritual and at the same time cultural heritage. The scientific originality of the research consists in the complex analysis of the place of culturological knowledge and cognition in the interdisciplinary space of the Christian religious and mystical experience comprehension. Particular importance is given to the interdisciplinary interaction between culturology and philosophy of culture in relation to defining the role of mystical experience in Christian culture. As a result, it has been proved that culturological projections of the Christian religious and mystical experience as a subject of culturology form a multifaceted system presented not only by the variety of artifacts, but also by the unique manifestation of transcendent basis of human culture.

Христианский мистический опыт в панораме трансформаций неклассических онтологий бытия-во-времени

Trajectories of intersection and divergence between philosophical and religiously mystical versions of the ontology of being-in-time are studied in the article. It is concluded that the soul is constituted in qualitatively different time than “I”. If the soul is the junction of times, then “I” lives in the place of time breaking. The exit from time to eternity is preceded by the transformation of temporality by the junction of time in the modus of the present. In mystical traditions, such a transformation can be carried out in opposite directions: both the expansion of the present and the compression of the moment. A paradoxical roll-call is stated between the experience of the present in Christian mysticism and the theme of the present in non-classical philosophy. They agree that “I” can stay in the modus of the present not with his own efforts, but only in co-existence – joint existence. In Christian experience, this is the co-existence of synergy with God. In modern post-philosophy, God is replaced by the figure of the Other. Implications of such a substitution are being investigated. The uniqueness of the Christian version of the relation between time and eternity is seen in the provision on the gradation of qualitatively different times: both “timeless time” and “creature eternity”.

Lev Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky Through the “Mirror” of Lev Shestov’s Philosophy

ABSTRACT This article compares the works of Lev Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky as interpreted by the philosopher Lev Shestov. The author shows how Shestov analyzes Anna Karenina and War and Peace in light of Nietzschean nihilism and individualism. Criticizing the ideals of goodness and the ethics of compassion, Shestov finds himself on the side of Dostoevsky’s “underground man” as an exponent of an extreme form of egoistic thirst for life. The article outlines Shestov’s transition from Nietzschean atheism and vitalism to early Christian religiosity and mysticism, already evident in his work on Dostoevsky. However, it is still possible to discern the voice of the “underground man” in the cries of the Shestovian Job. Thus, the Nietzschean system of coordinates is preserved in the philosophy of “late” Shestov, one that proved a poor fit for Lev Tolstoy, his understanding of folk life, and his rejection of the idea of individual immortality based on individual egoism.

Anglican Women Novelists: From Charlotte Brontë to P. D. James ed. by Judith Maltby and Alison Shell

Reviewed by: Anglican Women Novelists: From Charlotte Brontë to P. D. James ed. by Judith Maltby and Alison Shell Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook (bio) Anglican Women Novelists: From Charlotte Brontë to P. D. James Edited by Judith Maltby and Alison Shell T & T Clark, 2019. xvi + 274 pp. $103.50 cloth. $37.95 paperback. Anglicanism has a rich literary heritage; however, women novelists are often excluded from the canon, or undervalued for their contributions. This compelling anthology edited by Judith Maltby and Alison Shell demonstrates the depth, breadth, and longevity of Anglican women novelists. Each of the chapters in the volume serves as an introduction to one of thirteen Anglican women novelists, offering a nuanced and critical perspective on their legacy and influence. In their eloquent introduction, Maltby and Shell assert that these Anglican women novelists "demonstrate the range of theologies, convictions, and devotional practices that the members of any one denomination can hold, while still being part of the same church" (10). Though their writing is diverse, these novelists address similar themes, [End Page 159] such as the problem of evil and the limitations of traditional gender roles. These Anglican women novelists were also inspired by each other as their literary predecessors. In chapter one, Sara L. Peterson discusses the physical and spiritual presence of the Anglican Church throughout Charlotte Brontë's novels. Brontë was a practicing Anglican who believed the church was a source of stability, yet always located church reform within her female characters. Lesser-known Anglican evangelical Charlotte Maria Tucker is the focus of chapter two by Nancy Jiwon Cho. Cho argues that Tucker, unable to engage directly in ecclesiological controversies, instead advocated for the Protestant identity of the Anglican Church through the domestic sphere of children's literature. In chapter three, Alison Milbank investigates the mystical Christianity found in the works of Margaret Oliphant, including her parochial novels, ghost stories, and supernatural tales. Throughout, Oliphant balances her allegiance to the Anglican Church with the hope for a wider salvation for all of humankind. A nuanced treatment of Charlotte M. Yonge and Victorian Anglicanism is the focus of chapter four, contributed by Charlotte Mitchell. Mitchell argues that Yonge was the Victorian novelist most influential in the Anglican Church, though her reputation diminished during the interwar period. "She was despised for being a spinster, religious, and a conservative. Yet of all the novelists who entered the Victorian debate about the supposed problem of single middle-class women, she was one of the few who genuinely saw their function in society as multiple and satisfying" 70). The fiction of notable English mystic Evelyn Underhill is the focus of chapter five by Ann Loades. Loades recognizes the impact of Underhill's spiritual formation on her fiction; her commitment to "sanctity," through Anglican living and worship; and the evolution of her fiction through her relationship with the church. Jessica Martin writes on the detective fiction of Dorothy L. Sayers, and the limitations of the genre when balancing justice with mercy is the focus of chapter six. In the later years of her life, writes Martin, Sayers breaks from the genre. "The narrative journey on which she settles in the end proves not to be one of detection, not one of the moves from problem to solution. Instead it is an act of divine sacrifice in the person of Christ: and experience of redemptive change which sidesteps neither pain nor death, nor even despair, but which will end in eternal joy" (101). "Anglican Apologist?" is the subtitle of chapter seven on Rose Macaulay by Judith Maltby. The chapter centers on Macaulay's literary conflicts with Evelyn Waugh and her last completed novel, The Towers of Trebizond. Chapter eight is dedicated to novelist Barbara Pym, an unconventional yet practicing Anglican who populated her books with an assortment of characters [End Page 160] from the parish, including spinsters and clergymen. Author Jane Williams argues that Pym most valued the quality of the community within churches, through the depth of love and acceptance she found there. Just as Barbara Pym's characters inhabited a predominantly women's world, in chapter nine Susan D. Amussen addresses the critique of masculinity found in the novels of...

The Concept of Mysticism in Islam and Christianity

Judging from its origin, there is an opinion that Sufism originates from Islam. Some say that Sufism is influenced by the practices of other religions, such as the practices of Christian priesthood and of other religions. This article aims to examine the comparison between the concepts of zuhud (asceticism / detachment) and wahdat al-wujud (the unity of existence) in Islam and the concepts of asceticism and hypostatic union in Christianity. In Christianity there is a clerical structure, but Islam does not recognize or implement it. Islamic Sufis did not transform Sufism from Christianity or other religions because Sufism is related to human instincts. Additionally, the human soul is the same despite different societies and nations. The similarities of the practice of asceticism cannot be sufficiently used as the reason that it stems from Christian asceticism. There are in fact similarities between the concept of wahdat al-wujud and hypostatic union in Christianity. The differences between the two lies in the esoteric and exoteric dimensions. However, according to al-Junaid and al-Ghazali, mahabbat and ma'rifat are the limitations of the maqam of Sufism, a level of maqam where man is still in a state of understanding of his own existence. So, between man and God, there is still distance. In this modern era, there is a need for a re-interpretation of Sufism in which Sufism is not only oriented to be purely transient to be in union with God, but it is a form of fulfilling our obligations as God's caliphs who should improve things for fellow humans and other living beings. In other words, Sufism not only contains a theophanic dimension of transience, but also a profane dimension in which there are of fellow human interests worldwide.

El conocimiento de Diosy el Corazón de Jesúsen la mística. Espiritualidad y teología desde el Corazón de Cristo

The Knowledge of God and the Heart of Jesus in Mysticism. Spirituality and Theology from the Heart of Christ This article attempts to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of God’s knowledge. Its point of departure is the perennial relationship between this knowledge and the mystical experiences of the Sacred Heart. This spiritual experience is often associated with Saint Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, and her influence. There is evidence however of spiritual experience bearing similar characteristics in texts from the beginnings of Christian mysticism. This article takes us on a historical tour, where we can observe certain recurrent elements that show us some of the interesting characteristics of God’s knowledge.

A Forgotten Figure of Philosophical Theology: Marguerite Porete

The Mirror of Simple Annihilated Souls and Those Who Only Remain in Will and Desire of Love is regarded as one of the most enigmatic and influential manuscripts in the history of medieval Christian mysticism. Its author was not known until the mid-twentieth century. In 1946, Romana Guarnieri identified Marguerite Porete, condemned and burned at the stake for “relapsed heresy” in Paris in 1310, as the author of this book. This paper aims to introduce Marguerite Porete, who is one of the most interesting forgotten women thinkers in the history of ideas. It will present the major sequences of her life, recount the rediscovery of The Mirror of Simple Souls by Guarnieri, and focus on its literary structure and certain philosophical themes it contains or implies. These selected themes are as follows: the subversion of the distinction between the learned and the ignorant, the opposition between Reason and Love, a naturalism beyond ascetism, a call for the constitution of a new subjectivity “beyond good and evil” and a concept of annihilation that denies the existence of free will.

«synge yndelig i vore Hierter for Herren»: Sangens betydning for Hans Nielsen Hauge og i haugebevegelsen

Hans Nielsen Hauge started a religious revival which became the largest and most important one people in Norway had seen until then. This article considers the important role singing played in the Haugian movement and for Hauge himself. Hauge’s hymn book is of special interest given that roughly half of it is composed of hymns written by the pietistic poet Hans Adolph Brorson. This article also emphasizes Hauge’s role in introducing and spreading Brorson hymns in Norway, Hauge’s personal thoughts about singing, and the use and function of the singing by Hauge and those within the Haugian movement. The article concludes that Hauge and the Haugian movement was of great importance in dispersion of Brorson’s hymns and singing practice. Accompanied by folk melodies, the hymns were sung in tradition way of singing. Through Brorson and the forerunner of the pietist movement Johann Arndt, the tradition of Christian mysticism was carried on by Hauge to the people of his movement. The Hauge movement also influenced the way of singing and the function of the singing. The increased singing activity was of great importance not only for Hauge and the Haugian movement, but also for the following times up until this day.

The painter Meri Genetz and the endless quest for spiritual wisdom

Meri Genetz (1885–1943) was a Finnish painter, esotericist, and a spiritual seeker. Around 1925, she began truly dedicating herself to spiritual seeking and started to make notes of her studies in black notebooks. This article will go through four of those notebooks which today offer a vivid picture of Genetz’s seeking between the years 1925 and 1943. In the beginning, Genetz acquainted herself with Gnosticism, Theosophy, and Kabbalah, as well as the works of Christian mystics, such as Emanuel Swedenborg and Jakob Böhme, the writings of, for example, Paracelsus, and texts attributed to the mythic figure Hermes Trismegistus. Gradually Genetz started to outline her own views, ideas, and theories regarding higher truth and spiritual wisdom. In the beginning of the 1930s her main quest came to be to find her ‘other half’ and become whole. She started attending Spiritualist séances, where she would ask about her other half and discuss the state of her soul, the souls of others, her art and marriage, and the books she had read. In time, Genetz’s quest for true wisdom and self-fulfilment became more and more restless and impatient. When she died in 1943, she was still seeking.

Foundations of Practical Spiritual Theology: Walter Hilton as a Case Study in Retrieval

AbstractThis article explores the relationships between spirituality, spiritual theology, and practical theology. It proposes a synthesis of these disciplines – practical spiritual theology – as a method and methodology for retrieving the wisdom of historical Christian mystics for the purposes of sustaining and inspiring the spiritual life of contemporary Christians. The 14th century English mystic, Walter Hilton, is used to illustrate this synthesis in practice.

SADHU SUNDAR SINGH – HIS CONTRIBUTION TO INDIAN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929) was a Christocentric Indian Christian Mystic, known for his efforts to Indianize Christianity and whose thoughts on Christ, Bible, Spirituality, Christianity etc, are very original. Born in Sikh religion, by the age of sixteen he read Bhagavadgita and memorised Granth, Koran and several Upanishads. He hated Christianity so much, that he tore up and burnt the bible at this teen age. But next year, in a powerful vision he saw Jesus and was converted to Christianity. At the age of Seventeen, he set out on his journey as a new Christian, penniless, except with a New Testament copy, wearing a saffron turban and the saffron robe of a sadhu, as an ascetic devoted to spiritual practice, to preach the Gospel and about Jesus. Due to the Sadhu's uncanny physical resemblance to the Incarnate Jesus, similarities to the life and ministry of Apostle Paul, he was considered as a Biblical gure coming alive. He travelled extensively in India and around 24 countries in his missionary work. His thoughts on Prayer, Visions, Bible, and Heaven on Earth etc were so strong and original, that it even surprised most of the western theologists. His entire theology is based on his personal and spiritual experiences (Anubhava) with Lord Jesus. His thoughts about the primacy of Prayer in a Christian's life are compa red with that of other great European Christian mystics like St. Augustine, St Francis of Assisi, and St. Thomas a Kempis. Many of his theological thoughts are similar to that of Luther, even though he never met him nor read about him, but he also had some differences too. In his various severe sufferings that he faced in his efforts to preach the Gospel, even when he was persecuted, left to dead, imprisoned in Ilom, dumped in a dark well in Rasar, among skeletons and bones, he said Christ's presence has turned his prison or hell into a heaven of blessing. In him Christianity and Hinduism meet, and the Christian is like a ower which blossoms on an Indian stem. He says non-Christians, who did not get an opportunity or left an opportunity to accept Jesus, will get another opportunity afterlife to have their false and partial views of truth corrected. Even though he says all other religions are inadequate and only through Jesus one can get salvation, in his fullment approach, he says there is dim measure of “light of the truth” among the followers of different religions and provides for “continuity” in fullment and that they will eventually get full knowledge of true God, the “True Reality”. Sundar Singh is thoroughly convinced, that Christianity can enter Indian hearts and souls if offered in Indian form. He had done more than any man in the rst half of the twentieth century to establish that "Jesus belongs to India” and Christianity is not foreign.

Mística na tradição ocidental em Lima Vaz

This Work aims at reflecting on mystics, within the Western tradition, departing Lima Vaz’ thought, in order to try identifying the function that rested reserved to Mystic Experience, in the Modern Society, Society that, as It purposes Itself destroying the Sacred one up the World, has put aside Religion as a factor of legitimation regarding to public sphere. Its purpose is recovering some historical-philosophical aspects regarding to Christian Tradition in order to understanding better the level regarding to crisis of meaning of this Society can be linked to the progressive lack concerning the originary relation of the Human Being with the Transcendence Itself since that this lacking subverted the constitutive nucleus of its own identity as an open. We may assume that this Reflection of ours will be turned on contributing for reflecting of the Christian Mystics et its contribution for the dialogue with the plurality of the actual ways of spiritualities, in front of crisis concerning the contemporaneity.

The Challenge of Mysticism: a Primer from a Christian Perspective

In this article, I discuss the relevance of the study of mysticism for Christian analytic theologians and philosophers of religion. I begin with a brief consideration of some reasons Christian academics might be reluctant to enter this field, and indicate that, somewhat surprisingly, the study of mysticism is something but seldom addressed in Christian analytic circles. With this background in place, I proceed to the primary two sections of the article. Section I deals with demarcating mysticism: for the purposes of this article alone, an experience will count as mystical if and only if it is strongly unitive, transcends everyday consciousness, and (allegedly) conveys epistemic certainty as to the veracity of the insights acquired. These three criteria are discussed in some depth. Section II turns to the challenge mysticism in this sense might present to the Christian philosopher or theologian. I argue that the phenomenon of mysticism might be seen plausibly to imply one of two conclusions, both of which appear to be unpalatable for the Christian. First, it might suggest certain metaphysical views which prima facie call key tenets of orthodox Christianity into question. Secondly, mystical experience might be understood as the ‘inner meaning’ of Christianity which renders the better part of orthodox Christian belief equally problematic (as evidenced in three Christian mystics I discuss). I then conclude with a reflection on how the discussion might proceed, suggesting once more that Christian analytic theologians and philosophers of religion have scarcely begun to ask the relevant questions, let alone answer them in any persuasive manner.

ШАРТРСКАЯ ШКОЛА В ЭПОХУ КУЛЬТУРНОГО РЕНЕССАНСА XII ВЕКА: СОДЕРЖАТЕЛЬНЫЕ ПРИОРИТЕТЫ И ВЕКТОРЫ ЭВОЛЮЦИИ

The author analyzes the prerequisites for the formation of a theological and philosophical school, founded in 990 by Bishop Fulbert in Chartres, which flourished during the years of the Episcopal ministry of Yves of Chartres (1090–1115), a recognized intellectual center of Western Europe. The role of the Chartres Cathedral School as a citadel of metaphysical, cosmological and natural-scientific Platonism in the era of early scholasticism is revealed. The philosophical orientation of the Chartres school (orientation to the ideas of Neoplatonism), as shown in the work, is the result of a combination of the ideas of Plato, aristotelism, stoicism, pythagoreanism, Eastern and Christian mysticism and religion. The body of ideas characteristic of the Neoplatonism tradition is analyzed, the account of which is essential in understanding the specifics of the Chartres school ideological platform: the ideas of a mystically intuitive knowledge of the higher, the stages of transition from “one and the universal” to matter, the idea of comprehension of pure spirituality. The thesis is substantiated that the time of the highest prosperity of the Chartres school, its highest fame is the XII century, which went down in the history of civilization as the era of the cultural renaissance taking place in France. The specificity of the 12th century renaissance, as shown in the study, lies in the growing interest in Greek philosophy and Roman classics (this also determines the other name of the era – the Roman Renaissance), in expanding the field of knowledge through the assimilation of Western European science and the philosophy of the ancient Greeks. The thesis in which the specifics of the entry of Greek science into the culture of Western Europe is also identified. This entry was carried out through the culture of the Muslim world, which also determined the specifics of the cultural renaissance of France of the XII century. Radical changes are revealed that affect the sphere of education and, above all, religious education; the idea of reaching the priority positions of philosophy and logic is substantiated – a situation that has survived until the end of the Middle Ages. This situation, as shown in the work, was facilitated by the rare growth rate of the translation centers of Constantinople, Palermo, Toledo. It is shown that scholasticism in its early version is oriented towards religious orthodoxy. In the teaching of philosophy, the vector turned out to be biased towards natural philosophy, which was due, as shown in the work, to the spread of the ideas of Aristotle and Plato. In its educational program, the school synthesized the teachings of Plato and Aristotle. Elements of natural philosophy are inherent in the works of Bernard of Chartres, Gilbert of Poitiers, Thierry of Chartres representing the Chartres school. Deep studies on the problem of universals ensured the invasion of logic in the field of metaphysical constructions of the Chartres school.

D’Annunzio e l’edizione 1911 della ‘Commedia’ by Laura Melosi

 Reviews of followers: a sequela Francisci or a sequela Dominici (a follower of Francis or of Dominic) should not replace a sequela Christi. Whereas Savonarola’s followers, the Piagnoni (Weepers), forcibly denounced and silenced any attempt to move away from the stringent rules that they had instituted, Biondo renounced all claims to leadership: there would be no Church of Gabriele Biondo, only a Church of Christ. Part  consists of editions of Biondo’s most significant writings: his treatise on meditation and its deceptions; the Commentarius (a Latin translation of his Ricordo); and a long letter, entitled De amore proprio (On self-love), written for the nun Alessandra degli Ariosti. ese texts are presented in chronological order, accompanied by helpful notes which shed light on obscure points. Each work is also preceded by an informative and readable introduction which offers a summary of its general theme. is editorial approach proves especially useful given the extraordinarily convoluted and oxymoronic style which Biondo used to express the paradoxes and intricacies that are characteristic of a certain kind of Christian mysticism. e volume ends with an index of manuscripts, an index of names, a map of Italy highlighting the main locations in Biondo’s life, a family tree, and four illustrations from Biondo’s own manuscripts. In conclusion, Michele Lodone has succeeded in saving Gabriele Biondo from oblivion, while at the same time making a real advance in historical knowledge and inviting further research. W I V G D’Annunzio e l’edizione  della ‘Commedia’. By L M. (Biblioteca di bibliografia: Documents and Studies in Book and Library History, ) Florence: Olschki. . viii+ pp. €. ISBN ––––. Laura Melosi’s elegantly presented volume from the House of Olschki concerns a proposal to publish a prefatory essay by Gabriele d’Annunzio to accompany a resplendent edition of the Divine Comedy, eventually to be released with a publication date of . e proposed edition was enthusiastically backed by Leo Samuel Olschki, ambitious to convert his Florentine Libreria Antiquaria into a greater publishing enterprise which might reflect the printing tradition of his Prussian ancestors. e essential text of the Commedia had been prepared by the enthusiastic Dante scholar Count Giuseppe Lando Passerini, at the time director of Florence’s Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and founding director of the Giornale Dantesco. Both men were eager to include d’Annunzio’s name in what was to be a brief preface to a Life of Dante that might accompany their proposed monumental edition of . All three men had connections in the pleasant territory around Bocca d’Arno, Marina di Pisa, and Vallombrosa. Olschki and Passerini were permanent local residents with established families. D’Annunzio, burdened with debt but never willing to pay his creditors, was also a regular, if at times fleeting, tenant at the Pisan resort. MLR, .,   Olschki had broached the Dante topic with d’Annunzio during a reception at the Saltin, his villa in Vallombrosa. One of Melosi’s many valuable finds is the note containing the invitation from Leo Olschki welcoming d’Annunzio to his ‘modest and humble house’, discovered in the Olschki archive in Florence. e poet accepted and, not untypically, brought along a guest of his own, Annibale Tenneroni, librarian of Rome’s Biblioteca Nazionale. At the Saltin there was evidently some discussion of a proposed new edition of the Divine Comedy. Over-optimistic leaks to the press wrongly implied d’Annunzio’s favourable inclination to the project, hinting too that Olschki was anxious to publish a biography of Dante. Some time aer that first meeting, Olschki and Passerini concocted a dra agreement which the publisher sent to d’Annunzio later in  (though with a wrongly pencilled, post-dated note of  October ). e proposal for the Dante edition would include a brief Life of Dante and  autograph signatures by d’Annunzio to encourage the sale of such authenticated copies of the work. For this the publisher offered  lire with a further  lire upon the successful conclusion of the contract. D’Annunzio replied aer a slight delay, thanking Olschki for his hospitality at the Saltin but making no mention of any supposed biography of Dante. It is worthwhile noting that Olschki, hoping to move...

The Persistence of Mysticism in Catholic Europe: France, Italy, and Germany (1500–1675). Volume 6, Part 3 of The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGinn

The Persistence of Mysticism in Catholic Europe: France, Italy, and Germany (1500–1675). Volume 6, Part 3 of The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGinn

Mysticism and Intellect in Medieval Christianity and Buddhism: Ascent and Awakening by Yongho Francis Lee

Reviewed by: Mysticism and Intellect in Medieval Christianity and Buddhism: Ascent and Awakening by Yongho Francis Lee Peter Feldmeier (bio) Mysticism and Intellect in Medieval Christianity and Buddhism: Ascent and Awakening. By Yongho Francis Lee. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020. 287 pp. $115.00 hdbk. / $109 eb. Many scholars of Christian mysticism have been exposed to the tradition whereby mental prayer works as a prelude to a form of contemplative prayer that jettisons the natural use of the cognitive faculties. Gregory of Nyssa frames the silencing of the intellect as entering the "dark cloud" as Moses did on the top of Mount Sinai to meet God directly. John of the Cross describes the necessity of entering into the active and passive nights of the spirit if one is to hope for mystical union. In this tradition, thinking becomes an obstacle and the mind's conceptualizing activities have to be, as St. John would put it, "denuded." The Buddhist Chan (Zen) tradition has much of the same insistence. Bodhidharma, Chan's patriarch, insisted that enlightenment was "a special transmission outside the scriptures, not founded on words or letters." One may imagine that in both traditions it is clear that since the ultimate boon transcends the conceptual world, conceptualizing has to be stifled and, perhaps, even distained. But is this necessarily true, or could there be another kind of collaboration, another kind of synthesis? Yongho Francis Lee's Mysticism and Intellect in Medieval Christianity and Buddhism investigates two giants of the tradition: Bonaventure, the great scholar and mystic of the early Franciscan movement, and Chinul, the highly influential Korean Son (Chan) master and scholar. Both lived in the thirteenth century and in controversy regarding the nature of holiness and how it is attained. And both wrestled with the relationship between intellect and spiritual advancement. Lee's study has several aims. The first is simply to better understand these two very different religions generally. The second is to demonstrate the complexity of religious life as it manifests itself in the theology and practice toward extraordinary religious goals. And finally, as a piece of comparative theology, Lee sees placing them next to each other as an opportunity to see what one might learn from the comparison for deepening one's own theological and spiritual life. Bonaventure had to negotiate several complicated issues. As the Franciscan movement flourished, it was obvious that friars needed to be trained theologically. St. Francis had conceded the point but was ambivalent about the pursuit of knowledge as a potential attachment and a straying from the kind of simplicity of life and preaching both he and the early order advocated. Bonaventure had to negotiate a fine line. On the one hand, the relatively unlettered Francis was his hero. Further, as noted above, it seems that the highest mysticism was anti-intellectual or non-intellectual. On the other hand, he decidedly placed himself in the camp that justified learning as that which facilitated sanctity rather than threatened it. Core Franciscan elements at the time included seeing the world as a mirror and image of God and deep Christocentrism. Lee focuses on Bonaventure's masterful Soul's Journey into God whereby the journey aims at mystical union. The first six chapters of the Itinerarium correspond to how one could progressively experience the divine through the medium of the created world and the nature of one's own faculties. These meditations, and they are complicated indeed, lead the soul to contemplation of the Divine Being variously. Bonaventure's final chapter reveals how the mind comes to Jesus Christ. It is here where the soul finds "mysteries that surpass the [End Page 160] power of the human intellect…[here] where affection must play a dominant role. Now the mind enters into the divine darkness through death with Christ by silencing all our cares, desires, and imaginations" (42). Chinul's Korean Buddhist world was filled with the same issue: the role of the intellect in enlightenment. In contest were various schools of Buddhism that emphasized texts, learning, and meditational practices that relied on them. Lee shows how these schools often challenged each other in what amounts to theological disputes. But more to the point was...

Abade Pierre Fournié (1738-1825) um martinesista convicto

Abbot Pierre Fournié (1738-1825) was secretary to the enigmatic theurgist Martinès de Pasqually (1727-1774), founder of the Ordre des Chevaliers Maçons Élus Coëns de l’Univers in France. He is one of the main actors of the first Martinism. Ignoring beautiful language and a rudimentary culture, he presents himself as a simple being, full of faith and charity, to whom the supernatural world naturally manifests itself. Strange character, with a strange destiny. For some, he was a mediocre vulgarizer of Pasqually’s doctrine, an uneducated, ignorant and almost illiterate. For others, his place was as a visionary, a mystic and an illuminated. This article aims to analyze his life and his work Ce que nous avons été, ce que nous sommes, et ce que nous deviendrons (1801). Pierre Fournié is one of the first actors of martinism in the 18th century and an inescapable figure of Christian mysticism.

«Ya, ya se abren las flores»: la lírica de Santa Teresa en la historia literaria de la mística cristiana

Son muy pocos los místicos cristianos en la Edad Media occidental que han recurrido al verso como vehículo expresivo: una anomalía histórica si se compara, por ejemplo, con la centralidad de la poesía strictu senso en la historia literaria del sufismo árabe y persa. La primera mitad de la charla ofrece una valoración de conjunto sobre la lírica de Santa Teresa en la historia literaria de la mística cristiana, enmarcada por referencias selectivas a sus exiguos precursores en el siglo XIII (Mechtild de Magdeburg, Hadewijch de Brabante, Jacopone da Todi y Richard Rolle) y con la literatura amatoria hispánica como telón de fondo. La segunda mitad de la presentación ilustra la estética de la Santa con una lectura de su glosa lírica al Cantar de los Cantares 2,16: «Dilectus meus mihi et ego illi».

The Gospel According to Eve: A History of Women’s Interpretation

The Gospel According to Eve: A History of Women’s Interpretation