The Christian Mystics’ Identities?

Mysticism, a term used to describe the experience of being in and feeling the presence of God and forming an intimate relationship with Him, has been a significant aspect of Christian tradition. Key mystics from the fourth to eighteenth centuries include figures such as Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, John Ruysboreck, Julian of Norwich, Therese of Lisieux, Thomas a Kempis, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Francois de Sales, and Madame.

Christian mysticism is often connected to mystical theology, particularly in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. Early Christianity was a religion of the spirit that expressed itself in the heightening and enlargement of human consciousness. The earliest form of Christian mysticism was the Christ-mysticism of Paul and John. Mystics were the teachers of the age, inspired leaders who synthesized Christian tradition, and proposed new models for the Christian community.

Mysticism is rooted in the word mystery and is often understood in Christian tradition as involving union with God. Many solid Christians throughout history have been Mystical Christians, including Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Ignatius of Loyola, and Saint (Mother). A “christian mystic” is someone who has experienced the mysteries of Christ, as represented through the New Testament.

In summary, Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity, often connected to mystical theology. It has played a significant role in shaping the Christian community and its understanding of the divine.

Who are modern day Christian mystics?

Some mystical scholars, including Bernard McGinn, Louise Nelstrop, Barbara Holmes, Mark McIntosh, Grace Jantzen, Andrew Louth, Joy Bostic, Michael Battle, Amy Hollywood, Denys Turner, and Michael Casey, have significantly contributed to our understanding of Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality. McGinn has been a go-to for the academic study of Christian mysticism, writing essays on topics such as “Mystical Consciousness: A Modest Proposal”, “Ocean and Desert as Mystical Symbols”, and “The Language of Love in Jewish and Christian Mysticism”.

He is the curator of the best one-volume anthology of mystical writings, The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, and his nine-volume magnum opus, The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism, is brilliant.

McGinn’s newest book, Modern Mystics: An Introduction, is a celebration of his consideration of ten significant Christian mystics of the past 150 years. While McGinn is an academic writer, his work is engaging and accessible, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the mystical way. His writings are luminous and insightful, making it an essential resource for anyone interested in the study of Christian mysticism.

Was John Paul II a mystic?

Pope St. John Paul II was a true mystic, according to a YouTube video by Opus Dei priest Msgr. Mauro Longhi. He claimed that the late Pope had prophetic visions and had conversations with Jesus and Mary. Longhi accompanied Pope John Paul II on hiking trips from 1985 to 1995. Cardinal Andrzej Deskur confirmed that the Pope had visions and saw Our Lord and Our Lady face-to-face. The private spiritual notes of Pope John Paul II, translated and published in English, provide further insight into his spiritual experiences.

What religion did Jesus originally follow?

Jesus was a Jew, born to a Jewish mother in Galilee. His friends, associates, and disciples were all Jews. Jesus regularly worshipped in Jewish communal synagogues, preached from Jewish text, celebrated Jewish festivals, and went on a pilgrimage to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The gospels make no pretense that Jesus was not a Jew, as they do not even suggest that he founded a new religion. This idea comes about later in the story, when Christianity becomes something other than Judaism. Jesus is seen as a founder of Christianity in retrospect, but he was a Jew.

The importance of Jesus’ Jewishness to us is that it is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith. Jesus’s life, death, and teachings were all based on Jewish principles, and the gospels did not pretend that Jesus was anything other than a Jew. However, it is important to recognize that Jesus was a Jew, as it would have influenced his perceptions of Christianity.

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 is the order of the Christian mystics?

The Order of Christian Mystics was a 20th-century spiritual order founded in Philadelphia in 1908 by Harriette Augusta and Frank Homer Curtiss. It aimed to combine Theosophy with traditional Christian doctrine, with teachings transmitted through Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Founder of the Theosophical Society. The order’s teachings were propagated through correspondence, extensive book publishing, and lectures at various centers. Their pupils numbered thousands in over 70 countries, primarily aimed at the American esoteric fraternity.

The spiritual philosophy was based on personal regeneration, spiritual alchemy, and transmuting base creative energy through Divine purity, prayer, devotion, study, and meditation. This system of mysticism was suitable for the Western culture and mindset, encompassing a new interpretation of Rosicrucianism, Gnosticism, and the Western mystery school teachings. The order aimed to remain the spiritually dominant nation regarding Western mysticism for many years to come.

What did Christian mystics believe?

Christian mystics adhere to the conviction that the experience of God’s presence can be attained through the sustained practice of spiritual disciplines. These practices are designed to facilitate the dissolution of the self or ego, thereby enabling the individual to become unified with God and to manifest divine love. This process is regarded as an ongoing endeavor that extends throughout the lifespan of the practitioner.

What is the name of one of the most famous Christian mystics?

The mystics, sages, and saints who have influenced our understanding of God, such as Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John Ruusbroec, Evelyn Underhill, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, and Francis of Assisi, have contributed to a rich body of literature devoted to prayer, contemplation, and the direct encounter with God. These writings, known as mysticism, describe the inability of the mind to comprehend the spiritual truths of God, such as the abundance of Divine grace and the incarnation of God into human form.

These timeless mystical writings, derived from the language of mystery used by the earliest Christians, offer psychologically astute instructions on contemplation and meditation, insightful explorations of the dynamics of acceptance and resistance to grace in the human soul, and fascinating theological insights on issues such as the spirituality of sensuality, the motherhood of God, and deification, which is the process by which human beings are transformed into the very image and likeness of God.

Was Paul a Christian mystic?

Paul’s theology and approach to spirituality were not based on his mystical experiences, such as being caught up in the third heaven. Instead, he relied on the teachings of Jesus and the promises found in the Old Testament. Paul’s theology of our union with Christ was a “both/and” rather than an “either/or” experience or doctrine. While there are mystical elements to Paul’s teachings about our relationship with the Lord, this does not prove that Paul was a mystic.

Instead, Paul was a leader with a vital and intimate relationship with the Lord. He based his theology on the reality of the Messiah as promised in the Old Testament, which could be rationally explained and reasonably believed. These promises were ultimately grounded upon the historical event of the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial, and physical resurrection from the dead. Paul claimed that he met the risen Lord Jesus Christ in his physical resurrected body, not through some mystical subjective experience. Therefore, Paul did not appeal to his own subjective experiences as the foundation of his theology, but to the historic fact of the risen Savior. Consequently, Paul was not a mystic.

Was Jesus a Christian mystic?

Mystical theology is a deeply ingrained part of Christian theology, rooted in the belief that God is an inexhaustible mystery of love. This concept has been echoed by many psalmists and prophets who spoke of God’s deep relationship with us. Jesus of Nazareth, for example, was a mystic, deeply connected to his “Abba”. Early Church Fathers like Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine were also mystics, whose theological writings emerged from long periods of contemplation.

Mysticism originated from the mystery religions or mystery cults in the Greco-Roman world, which attracted devotees to their esoteric rites and ceremonies. The term mysticism, derived from the Indo-European root mu, refers to the privileged knowledge of divine things and the practice of shutting the eyes to all external things. In the Christian world, the word mystikos was used to refer to the Scriptures, sacraments, and spiritual life.

Mystical theology was integral to theology until the rise of Scholasticism in the Middle Ages. Cistercian mystics, such as Bernard of Clairvaux, believed that thinking was a form of loving. Franciscan theologian Bonaventure, influenced by Augustine and Bernard’s affective theology, believed that theology required participation in spiritual realities, being open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and advancing in the spiritual life.

For mystics, thinking was a habit of affection, leaning the mind toward the heart. Bonaventure emphasized the importance of theologians searching the depths of Scripture and nature, as all life flows from the mouth of the triune God. The act of creation discloses the depth of divine mystery, and the role of the theologian is to search the secrets and depths of nature.

Do Christian mystics believe in the Trinity?

Christian mysticism is a significant belief that the soul’s return to God can only occur through the mediation of Christ and the church. This belief is shared by Eastern Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Protestants. Christian mysticism involves three stages: the gradual integration of the ego through prayer and asceticism, a transcendent revelation of God to the soul, and a readjustment of the soul’s faculties, where it regains contact with creatures under God’s influence.

The mystics agree on the necessity of dying to the false self dominated by forgetfulness of God, which involves purifying the soul of all feelings, desires, and attitudes that separate it from God. This process involves the “dark night of the soul”, where God gradually and sometimes painfully purifies the soul to prepare it for divine manifestation.

Christ, especially the crucified Christ, is often seen as the model for this process, as his human nature was bereft of self and separate from all creatures. Following Christ involves a dying to self, giving up oneself wholly to God, so that one may be possessed by divine Love. However, those who insist on the most absolute detachment also emphasize that purifying the self is more a matter of internal attitude than flight from the world and external penance. William Law emphasizes that the true way of dying to self is patience, humility, and resignation to God.

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.