Mysticism is the transcendent experience of encountering God, a concept that has been central to Catholic mystics like Julian, Hildegard von Bingen, St. Theresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross. Many Christians are unaware of their own mystical tradition and turn to the East to explore its depths. Christian mysticism, rooted in the word mystery, is an expression of Christianity focused on being in and feeling the presence of God and forming an intimate relationship with Him.
The relationship between theology and mysticism is mutual, with Christian sources and beliefs influencing theology but the mystical vivid experience of God’s presence. The earliest form of Christian mysticism was the Christ-mysticism of Paul and John. Christian mysticism consists of Jesus’ teachings about the mystical nature of the person, the mystical process within the person, and the relationship of the personal.
The West remains out of touch with its own mystical tradition, leading many Westerners seeking mysticism to seek it in the East. Christians have become his mystical Body, the Church, and St. Paul teaches that Christ is the head of the Church. Ibn Arabi recognized God as a Being beyond all beings, who is Infinite, Timeless, Spaceless, Absolute Existence, and the Only Reality.
Christian mysticism has always been present in the church, and the current fascination with spirituality reflects the ethos of our time rather than the Bible or Church Tradition. A mystic is someone who has experienced the presence of God in a very direct way.
📹 Alan Watts Opens Up About Religion (thought provoking video)
The image of Jesus is owned by the church traditions and authorities. He has been moulded to fit the interests of the church …
Who created mysticism?
Diogenes of Apollonia, a Greek philosopher from the 5th century BC, introduced mystical ideas into Greek philosophy, stating that all existing things are created by altering the same thing. He believed that the ultimate substance is Air, which is both Soul (Life) and Intelligence. Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, emphasized the contemplative life as a union between the soul’s rational faculty and the nous, which imparts intelligibility to the cosmos.
For over 2, 000 years, Western rational mystics have contemplated nature, its forms, structures, laws, and quantities, as a means of participating in the divine intellect. Some view nature as a contemplative end in itself, while others view it as a source of insight regarding its creator. Albert Einstein, a German-born physicist, is a prominent representative of this tradition of rational mysticism, stating that the sensation of the mystical is the most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience, and that knowing that what is impenetrable to us exists is at the center of true religiousness.
What religion is closest to Christianity?
Christianity and Druze are Abrahamic religions with a common origin in the Middle East and consider themselves monotheistic. The relationship between the two groups has been characterized by harmony and peaceful coexistence, with some periods of amicable relations, such as the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war. Over the centuries, several prominent members of the Druze community have embraced Christianity, including some Shihab dynasty members and the Abi-Lamma clan.
Christian and Druze communities have a long history of interaction, particularly in Mount Lebanon. The Maronite Catholics and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century through a “Maronite-Druze dualism” in the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. Druze doctrine teaches that Christianity should be esteemed and praised, as Gospel writers are considered “carriers of wisdom”. The Druze faith incorporates elements of Christianity and other religious beliefs, including the Old Testament, New Testament, Quran, philosophical works by Plato and Socrates, and some Christian elements.
The Druze faith shows influence of Christian monasticism, among other religious practices. Some scholars suggest that early Christian Gnostic beliefs might have influenced Druze theology, particularly in concepts of divine knowledge and reincarnation. These influences and incorporations of Christian elements include the adoption of the concept of Christianizing al-Mahdi’s persona among the Druze and the integration of verses from the Bible concerning the Messiah by certain Druze founders.
What are the three types of mysticism?
Mysticism, a term with various meanings, is a religious or spiritual practice that involves experiencing ecstasy or altered states of consciousness, often linked to the attainment of insight into ultimate truths and human transformation. It has its roots in Ancient Greek and has historically referred to the biblical, liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity. During the early modern period, the definition of mysticism expanded to include a broad range of beliefs and ideologies related to extraordinary experiences and states of mind.
Mysticism has been a significant part of various religious traditions, including shamanism, Western mysticism, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and has been a significant part of Western Europe and modern spirituality.
What are the 4 aspects of mysticism?
The mystical phenomenology is distinguished by a set of characteristics, including ineffability, a mystical quality, transiency, and passivity. James posits that this latter quality represents the most challenging aspect to convey in verbal form.
Do Catholics believe in mystics?
A mystic is a holy person who has reached Christian perfection, focusing on remaining united with God. They are gifted contemplatives, possessing infused contemplation, a form of infused contemplation. St. Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle provides the most authoritative description of a mystic as a gifted contemplative.
Mystics may also manifest charismatic phenomena, which are called charisms, and are given by God for the benefit of others. These phenomena are apostolic by nature and may include true miracles, such as private revelations, divine locutions, the stigmata, speaking in tongues, levitation, transportation through space, knowing events at a great distance, and the gift of prophecy. These phenomena are not typically found in the normal development of spiritual life but are given by God for the benefit of others.
What is the difference between mysticism and spirituality?
Mysticism is the practice of uniting with a perceived Supreme Being or beings, often involving a specific belief system. In contrast, spirituality does not entail extrasensory perception and is not associated with any formal belief structure.
Did Jesus practice mysticism?
Jesus was a teacher of teachers and a mystic of mystics, entering the mysteries of the Holy Life and ways of living. He invited others to join him in his journey. The term “mystic” can be associated with various mystics, such as Krisha, Buddha, yogi, Gandhi, Saint Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross. Matthew Fox, a progressive theologian and Dominican priest, devotes an entire book, “The Coming of the Cosmic Christ”, to the mysticism of Jesus. Jesus’ teachings and teachings were deeply rooted in the teachings of his disciples, who were inspired by his teachings and the teachings of his disciples.
Why do Protestants not like the Catholic Church?
The Protestant critique of Catholicism is based on a misinterpretation of Catholic teachings and the Gospels. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation is through God’s grace, not our works, aligning with the message of the Gospels. This argument fails to stand against historical and theological scrutiny. The issue at hand is a Jewish religious dispute, with Jesus arguing as a Jewish rabbi against other Jewish rabbis. The debate is not about salvation by faith versus good works, but rather a Jewish religious dilemma.
The Sermon on the Mount exemplifies this, where Jesus explains the problem without stating that one only needs to believe to be saved. This message is not taught in the New Testament, which is the Protestant message.
Is Christianity more or Islam?
Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions globally, with 2. 8 billion and 1. 9 billion followers respectively. Both are Abrahamic and monotheistic, originating in the Middle East. Christianity, based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, developed from Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century CE. Muslims, on the other hand, are based on the teachings of Muhammad and are considered “submitters to God”. Muslims view Christians as People of the Book and kafirs, committing shirk due to the Trinity.
They contend that they must be religious taxpayers under Sharia law. Christians, on the other hand, have a wide range of views about Islam, with the majority viewing it as a false religion due to its rejection of the Trinity, Christ’s divinity, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Is mysticism against Christianity?
Mysticism is a concept that involves contact with the divine or transcendent, often involving union with God. It has played a significant role in the history of Christian religion and has gained influence in modern times. Mysticism has been studied from various perspectives, including psychological, comparativist, philosophical, and theological. Hermeneutical and deconstructionist philosophies in the 20th century have brought attention to the mystical text.
Theoretical questions have been debated, such as whether mysticism constitutes the core or essence of personal religion or whether it is better viewed as one element interacting with others in the formation of concrete religions. Some argue that experience and interpretation cannot be easily sundered, and that mysticism is typically tied to a specific religion and contingent upon its teachings. Philosophers like Walter T. Stace and Robert C.
Zaehner have employed typologies of mysticism, often based on the contrast between introvertive and extrovertive mysticism developed by Rudolf Otto. The cognitive status of mystical knowing and its clash with mystics’ claims about the ineffability of their experiences have also been important topics for modern mysticism students.
What religion will overtake Christianity?
The world has 2. 2 billion Christians and 1. 97 billion Islam, with Pew Research predicting Islam will become the world’s dominant religion around 2075 due to a higher Muslim fertility rate. The European fertility rate is 1. 49, below the replacement level of 2. 1, and the fertility rate for European Muslims is 2. 54. By 2085, 13 European countries will have Muslim majorities, a trend that has been criticized as Christians are failing to heed the commandment to be fruitful and multiply. Many believe that Christianity is merely a box to check on census forms, rather than a true religion.
📹 U.S. Evangelicals in Freefall: Fewer Accept Core Christian Beliefs
Fewer people are “capable of defending biblical perspectives in the public square.” Christians pollster George Bana, Director of …
I was fortunate. My father, Italian, was Catholic. My mother was Protestant. I was too young but it was a battle between my parents and their families. In the end, my mother told me if I didn’t want to go I didn’t have to. I never did. Now at 55 however, I pursue a spiritual relationship with God. It definitely helps my mindset and emotional health.
The image of Jesus is owned by the church traditions and authorities. He has been moulded to fit the interests of the church patriarchs for centuries, so much so that the prevailing image of Jesus is now so far removed from what he truly represented. Namely an energy from the future who came to earth to bring illumination and knowledge to humanity. The reason why the Jesus/Jeshua personality came to earth was to create an opening or doorway to a different state of consciousness. He wanted to set an example of the possibilities that are available to each human being. He wanted to hold up a mirror to human beings and remind them of their own divine origin and the dormant potentials they carried within. The potentials for peace, freedom and mastership over oneself. To learn more about Jeshua’s identity, take a look at: jeshua.net/about-us/who-is-jeshua/
I have had dreams in which Jesus came to me on two occasions.. The Garden and as he was sitting on the boulder which had been rolled away from the tomb entrance. I stopped attending church twice, at the age of 12 when I saw the two faced use of the love of Christ and the age of 62.. the falseness was still there.. I believe most people of any religion are confused at times.. the Spirit is there but It is not unrealistic for any of us.. It is there to be part of. I think religion has negatively affected the world instead of making it joyful. Look to the Spirt without fear.. be who you are without shame or guilt. Be kind to one another..❤️✌️
Listening to this I’m reminded of two things. One is verses 49 and 50 from The Gospel of Thomas. 49) Jesus said, “Congratulations to those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again. 50) Jesus said, “If they say to you, ‘Where have you come from?’ say to them, ‘We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established (itself), and appeared in their image.’ If they say to you, ‘Is it you?’ Say, ‘We are its children, and we are chosen of the living Father.’ If they ask you, ‘What is the evidence of the Father in you?’ say to them, ‘It is motion and rest.’” The second thing I think of is the phrase in Sanskrit that is a core philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, “Aham Brahmasmi” which can be translated “I am Brahman” or “I am Divine”. Basically, I, you, we are God. Perhaps better understood as part of God, or having a spark of the Divine in us. The whole meaning of yoga is to regain awareness of our Union with God. In Sanskrit the meaning of the word yoga is “Union” or “to join”.
I consider myself to be open-minded. To listen to other people and their circumstances, ideas, debates, and so forth. I was hoping to find something to challenge my faith. To genuinely rock my belief in Jesus Christ. Like every atheist, I’ve asked; this guy prattled on with the same smug dialog and tired redoric. I was sincerely waiting for the point he was trying to prove. So I’ll say it again; thanks for strengthening my faith in the Lord.
What I find so fascinating about the concept of religion and spirituality is how the conversation almost always surrounds the notion of one god or one Messiah. Even approaching the conversation of religion from this myopic perspective of monotheism is exclusionary of the broader spiritual picture culturally. Monotheism has such a grasp on the debate let the idea of even discussing polytheism is entirely ignored. While the theological principles behind polytheism are much more elastic than monotheism. The series of logical fallacies typically ascribed to monotheism do not apply to polytheism because the attributes and characteristics applied to monotheism, as a sort of measuring stick or benchmark are easily remedied in polytheism. Take for example the problem of evil argument in which three or 4 characteristics are generally applied to the Abrahamic God. The notion of omnipotence, omniscient, or omnibenevolence. Some versions of the argument even say omnipresence. None of these characteristics are ever mythologically entailed in polytheism. The problem with more traditional notions of divinity is this idea that divinity is perfect in some way shape or form. Therein lies the logical fallacies galore. For anything that can be claimed to be perfect can easily be debunked with one example to the contrary. The notion of spirituality or religion itself really needs to get away from absolutism. Spirituality needs to be more like water and less like stone. It needs to ebb and flow with the individual, not dogma.
Glad I had hard life made mistakes because of childhood hell my mum missed her much younger love my dad,made my life hell because she missed him,at eight she and her new partner left me alone because I fight back,but it led to hard life,well not really I travelled alot from sixteen andhad fun funfun but thirteen years ago I met stalker like happened to my youn dad,five years ago through no fault on my part I lost my kids to Cate because of her I did drugs went down,but I read Buddhist passages recently and I understand life now,so glad for the unjust hardship that happened to me,as it led me to Buddhism,I’m going to make good life abroad with Buddhism and meditation and will see my girls again,don’t let life break you live life even like ve thebliws,bless you Mr watts.
As far as I am concerned I feel the church left me not vice versa. The majority of churches have stopped preaching the truth of the gospel. The title of this article says it all. Fewer Christians accept core beliefs. My question is how can you be a Christian if you don’t believe the truth in Scripture?
The same people that drove me out of the church are the same ones that stayed. If even a fraction of the people I’ve met in this life who’ve claimed “christian values” are who I’m fighting to spend eternity with in heaven…then hell is the place for me. Why would I want to spend eternity with such cruel people.
The face of “Christianity” is TBN and Daystar which don’t preach the Gospel or standard doctrines. Instead, they teach the prosperity gospel. “Come to Jesus. He’ll make you healthy and wealthy.” That’s NOT the gospel. People need to come to Jesus, because He’s the only one who can save us from our sin.
I have stage 4 cancer and my little church has paid for my trips to the hospital for radiation treatment. Churches need to follow this example of faithfulness to doctrine and faithfulness to doing good works. Salt and light is exactly the answer. I hope people reading this embrace what’s being said here. That’s the only way to lift the Christian Church out of the pit of unbelief.
I’ve not gone back to church because I can’t find a church where the music isn’t blasting your eardrums, lights aren’t flashing into your eyes, and the pastor lets the Holy Spirit speak through him. Too many preachers aren’t even preaching about the soon coming of Jesus and the prophetic in the Bible. I read my Bible, lead a Bible study group and to get spiritual food watch the preachers online that are preaching what they should!
I grew up going to church every Sunday morning and night and on Wednesday. Also, visitation on Tuesday, youth group on Thursday. Did all I was “supposed” to do, genuinely loved God and his Word. As I became an adult, I went to Liberty University and Mid-America Seminary. I was also a student of history and as I studied Scripture for myself and put it in context, I realized that the evangelical church was peddling their own interpretation apart from the actual teachings of Jesus. Then, the conservative church became politicized, and everyone had to pass a “litmus” test to be a “real” Christian. Anyone that thinks independently from what is expected is shunned. Evangelicalism is losing people because chooses to…much more like the Pharisees and Sadducees than Jesus.
As he said, this has been a trend for over 25 years. I think a lot of it is due to the Internet. Christianity, or any dogmatic supernatural religion thrives on its members being inducted, when they are too young to know the difference between truth and falsehood, and then being in an insulated environment, where everyone else believes the same thing. I left the church 30 years ago because I was studying to be an apologist. I basically found the other sides arguments more compelling. First, I lost faith in the infallibility of scripture. Eventually I came to be an atheist.