*** Unusual content warning. :) ***
The other day in a class I'm taking on Christian spirituality we did a meditation in which a single word speaking of God is used as the focus of meditation. The leader suggested some possibilities such as Abba or Father, Lord, Shaddai, Shepherd, Husband or Bridegroom, Lord, and so forth. I didn't know how far I was going to get with most of them, so I decided to take a risk: husband or bridegroom. The Bible often portrays God in general and Christ in particular as husband or bridegroom. I chose it because some of the others seemed fairly impersonal. I probably should have foreseen that this would lead to some very personal reflections ...
I'm posting this in hopes that it will be a useful meditation for those of us walking the paths of our lives alone.
God as Husband
Stands with me
Cherishes me
Loves me
Is kind and tender toward me
Glad to see me
Watches over me
Listens to me
Takes away the shame of abandonment
Takes away the shame of being unloved
Defends me from unkind reports
Advocates for me with others
Wipes away my tears
Makes me beautiful
Hears my sorrows
Hears my joys
Makes me glad by his presence
Makes me look forward to the future with gladness because I will not be alone
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Disert Paths of Mysticism
For those following along, Disert Paths has also been running a series on Christian mysticism. I have not yet interacted with those posts and wanted to pick up on some of those thoughts.
After Dr. P. showed a basis for mysticism in theology and exegesis, he continued to my favorite post in the series, Methods of Encounter. He has lots of good recommendations there, from meditative prayer to fasting to the essential but underpracticed discipline of internal silence. My own most common practice is meditating on a Scripture reading. How is this different from simply reading Scripture? That depends on how you normally read Scripture, I suppose. The meditative reader stops and ponders, puzzles and prays. Meditation on Scripture wrestles with the passage a little bit, not setting the goal of achieving a conclusion but aiming to make sure that every facet has been seen and understood, its thoughts being made part of our own thoughts. A meditative reading does not see Scripture as information alone, but also as the life-giving food which God gives us to sustain us (Deut 8:3, Matt 4:4). The mind is active, questioning and probing, but is not permitted that detached arrogance over its subject which is the mind's peculiar temptation. The mind interacts knowing that it may be required to grow and transform to encompass the thoughts of him who says "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways." (Isaiah 55:8)
For what it's worth, I find that meditational Scripture reading is among the most practical and well-grounded approaches. In contrast, an approach of mentally entering a spiritual realm hoping to hear the voice of God has certain risks (as Dr. P. has mentioned) and temptations along with it. This world is a spiritual realm already, we just tend not to notice. If you want to hear the word of God plainly, you've probably already got it on your nightstand or bookshelf and it serves as a steady and grounded focus for meditation. Trying to receive a special revelation of the word of God leads to a temptation to manufacture an experience or revelation, a temptation to self-deception in mistaking your own thoughts for God's (Jeremiah 23:16). Meet God at the word he has already spoken and be content with it. If you happen to hear more, remember to test what you have heard (1 Thess. 5:21), not receiving it uncritically, though still holding on to the good. Meeting God in a companionable silence or a reverent silence also has much to recommend it.
Dr. P. included a link in his post to a site that explains meditational reading well. I recommend the site, but it does remind me of one of the "problems of mysticism" I forgot to mention: the enfatuation with foreign languages and obscure terms unfamiliar to the average reader. I remember enough of my Latin that this site doesn't bother me until it comes time to recommend it to the general reader. Likely the writer is just steeped in a culture where that is acceptable. But for those just passing through, the whole "dress it up in fancy phrases, preferably in Latin" thing can be "off-putting" as they say. It helps recall the ancient roots of the practice and the site has a good, in-depth walk-through of how to read contemplatively. For some people such "dressing up" might help with the sense of reverence; for others it actively interferes with it, making it seem arcane and out-of-touch and lending to the suspicion of being artificial or contrived. In reading that site, it may help to remind to yourself, "the Latin jargon is just a nod to the ancient roots of this discipline." Developing the practice is well worth the time.
After Dr. P. showed a basis for mysticism in theology and exegesis, he continued to my favorite post in the series, Methods of Encounter. He has lots of good recommendations there, from meditative prayer to fasting to the essential but underpracticed discipline of internal silence. My own most common practice is meditating on a Scripture reading. How is this different from simply reading Scripture? That depends on how you normally read Scripture, I suppose. The meditative reader stops and ponders, puzzles and prays. Meditation on Scripture wrestles with the passage a little bit, not setting the goal of achieving a conclusion but aiming to make sure that every facet has been seen and understood, its thoughts being made part of our own thoughts. A meditative reading does not see Scripture as information alone, but also as the life-giving food which God gives us to sustain us (Deut 8:3, Matt 4:4). The mind is active, questioning and probing, but is not permitted that detached arrogance over its subject which is the mind's peculiar temptation. The mind interacts knowing that it may be required to grow and transform to encompass the thoughts of him who says "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways." (Isaiah 55:8)
For what it's worth, I find that meditational Scripture reading is among the most practical and well-grounded approaches. In contrast, an approach of mentally entering a spiritual realm hoping to hear the voice of God has certain risks (as Dr. P. has mentioned) and temptations along with it. This world is a spiritual realm already, we just tend not to notice. If you want to hear the word of God plainly, you've probably already got it on your nightstand or bookshelf and it serves as a steady and grounded focus for meditation. Trying to receive a special revelation of the word of God leads to a temptation to manufacture an experience or revelation, a temptation to self-deception in mistaking your own thoughts for God's (Jeremiah 23:16). Meet God at the word he has already spoken and be content with it. If you happen to hear more, remember to test what you have heard (1 Thess. 5:21), not receiving it uncritically, though still holding on to the good. Meeting God in a companionable silence or a reverent silence also has much to recommend it.
Dr. P. included a link in his post to a site that explains meditational reading well. I recommend the site, but it does remind me of one of the "problems of mysticism" I forgot to mention: the enfatuation with foreign languages and obscure terms unfamiliar to the average reader. I remember enough of my Latin that this site doesn't bother me until it comes time to recommend it to the general reader. Likely the writer is just steeped in a culture where that is acceptable. But for those just passing through, the whole "dress it up in fancy phrases, preferably in Latin" thing can be "off-putting" as they say. It helps recall the ancient roots of the practice and the site has a good, in-depth walk-through of how to read contemplatively. For some people such "dressing up" might help with the sense of reverence; for others it actively interferes with it, making it seem arcane and out-of-touch and lending to the suspicion of being artificial or contrived. In reading that site, it may help to remind to yourself, "the Latin jargon is just a nod to the ancient roots of this discipline." Developing the practice is well worth the time.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Problems with Mysticism
As I mentioned at the beginning of this series on mysticism, a number of criticisms can be leveled against it and some of them are legitimate. Here are some of the more blatant ones.
The "John the Baptist" fallacy
John the Baptist was a holy man. He lived in the desert, wore strange clothes, and ate strange food. But living in the desert, wearing strange clothes, and eating strange food does not make you holy. Dedicating your life to showing people Christ, the way to God -- that is a holy life. Strange food and strange clothes and deserts have nothing to do with it.
The "eccentric" fallacy
Some very holy people, turning their backs on the world to serve God, are seen as eccentric. That does not mean that being eccentric is a sign of holiness. Turning your back on worldiness to serve God is a sign of holiness. Acting bizarrely, speaking strangely, or having odd manifestations are not in themselves anything to be proud of. A follower of Christ does not call attention to himself or herself but to Christ, and actively avoids doing things which bring discredit on the name of Christ.
The "unusual experience" fallacy
Mysticism is not defined by a strange experience of something you have never seen before and cannot understand. It is awareness of God's presence in the things you see every day. As Jacob said in Genesis, "Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it." To know it, understand it, appreciate it -- these are the tasks of a mysticism that is healthy and well-grounded in reality.
The "holier than thou" fallacy
Mysticism is not a special elite club dividing Christianity into haves and have-nots. Mystical experience is allowing yourself to dwell on the holy realities of God. There is not a Christian who does not experience this to some extent. Anyone who uses spirituality as a form of one-upmanship just doesn't understand Christian spirituality very well.
The "ecstatic, cheerful, glad" fallacy
Spirituality encompasses all of human experience, not just the happy times. Spiritual experience can involve profound gladness or ecstasy. It can also involve deep sorrow, shame and repentance, exhaustion and despair, or an aching knowledge of distance from God. Most often of all it involves an emotionally low-key state, a quiet time of pondering. Honestly, many people have such hyped-up expectations that they find the experience itself disappointing. It is dedication that makes people return to meditation again and again. It is apparently a common temptation to try to manufacture "ecstasy". This makes for a shallow and forced experience that is not genuine.
"Heart and Soul" v. "Mind and Strength"
As mentioned in an earlier post, systematic theology tends towards forgetting heart and soul in favor of mind and strength; this has been a weakness of systematic theology that leaves a distorted, not-fully-human, not-fully-godly result. Mysticism often has the opposite tendency to forget mind and strength in leaning towards heart and soul. Likewise the result of the split is not fully human and not fully godly. Mysticism can tend towards the emotional and forget discernment; it can tend towards the mysterious and forget the truthful. Our approach to God cannot afford to be merely "balanced" bouncing between extremes (say that five times fast); it has to be integrated. Until then, our "systematic theology" will be dry and our "mystical theology" will be a portrait painted in swirling pastels without form or substance.
False goal of "being spiritual" instead of following Christ
Mysticism cannot be a goal; it is a means. If we lose sight of Christ, then we easily get lost. Mysticism, rightly used, is another way to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Conclusion
Some of the problems associated with mysticism are not unique to mysticism. In too many religious endeavors, people forget that even religion and holiness can be misused. There is a temptation to be undiscerning when people have their hearts in the right place (or did in the beginning). There is a forgetfulness of sound guidance and good advice in favor of excitement. Mysticism may be especially prone to these problems when it has to assert its way over against an "intellect-only" approach. Some beginning mystics naively (and very wrongly) think of the intellect as only a "criticizing spirit" instead of their God-given tool for discernment in these things.
It is dangerous to seek after "the mystical experience"; real mystics do not seek that but seek God. In real mystical experience, all kinds of emotions may attend you. It's a beginner's temptation in religion to try to be always only happy. A good look at Scripture will show this as shallowness, not maturity. The "experience" depends partly on each person's temperament, partly on the particular meditation of the day, and partly on whether you're well-rested enough and free enough from distraction to really dwell on what you are considering. Some may dwell on the goodness of creation, a passage of Scripture, an event in the life of Christ, regret over some evil they have done, pain over the troubles in their lives, or "whatever is true and right and noble" as the case may be. Seeking knowledge and love of God is the right aim.
The "John the Baptist" fallacy
John the Baptist was a holy man. He lived in the desert, wore strange clothes, and ate strange food. But living in the desert, wearing strange clothes, and eating strange food does not make you holy. Dedicating your life to showing people Christ, the way to God -- that is a holy life. Strange food and strange clothes and deserts have nothing to do with it.
The "eccentric" fallacy
Some very holy people, turning their backs on the world to serve God, are seen as eccentric. That does not mean that being eccentric is a sign of holiness. Turning your back on worldiness to serve God is a sign of holiness. Acting bizarrely, speaking strangely, or having odd manifestations are not in themselves anything to be proud of. A follower of Christ does not call attention to himself or herself but to Christ, and actively avoids doing things which bring discredit on the name of Christ.
The "unusual experience" fallacy
Mysticism is not defined by a strange experience of something you have never seen before and cannot understand. It is awareness of God's presence in the things you see every day. As Jacob said in Genesis, "Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it." To know it, understand it, appreciate it -- these are the tasks of a mysticism that is healthy and well-grounded in reality.
The "holier than thou" fallacy
Mysticism is not a special elite club dividing Christianity into haves and have-nots. Mystical experience is allowing yourself to dwell on the holy realities of God. There is not a Christian who does not experience this to some extent. Anyone who uses spirituality as a form of one-upmanship just doesn't understand Christian spirituality very well.
The "ecstatic, cheerful, glad" fallacy
Spirituality encompasses all of human experience, not just the happy times. Spiritual experience can involve profound gladness or ecstasy. It can also involve deep sorrow, shame and repentance, exhaustion and despair, or an aching knowledge of distance from God. Most often of all it involves an emotionally low-key state, a quiet time of pondering. Honestly, many people have such hyped-up expectations that they find the experience itself disappointing. It is dedication that makes people return to meditation again and again. It is apparently a common temptation to try to manufacture "ecstasy". This makes for a shallow and forced experience that is not genuine.
"Heart and Soul" v. "Mind and Strength"
As mentioned in an earlier post, systematic theology tends towards forgetting heart and soul in favor of mind and strength; this has been a weakness of systematic theology that leaves a distorted, not-fully-human, not-fully-godly result. Mysticism often has the opposite tendency to forget mind and strength in leaning towards heart and soul. Likewise the result of the split is not fully human and not fully godly. Mysticism can tend towards the emotional and forget discernment; it can tend towards the mysterious and forget the truthful. Our approach to God cannot afford to be merely "balanced" bouncing between extremes (say that five times fast); it has to be integrated. Until then, our "systematic theology" will be dry and our "mystical theology" will be a portrait painted in swirling pastels without form or substance.
False goal of "being spiritual" instead of following Christ
Mysticism cannot be a goal; it is a means. If we lose sight of Christ, then we easily get lost. Mysticism, rightly used, is another way to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Conclusion
Some of the problems associated with mysticism are not unique to mysticism. In too many religious endeavors, people forget that even religion and holiness can be misused. There is a temptation to be undiscerning when people have their hearts in the right place (or did in the beginning). There is a forgetfulness of sound guidance and good advice in favor of excitement. Mysticism may be especially prone to these problems when it has to assert its way over against an "intellect-only" approach. Some beginning mystics naively (and very wrongly) think of the intellect as only a "criticizing spirit" instead of their God-given tool for discernment in these things.
It is dangerous to seek after "the mystical experience"; real mystics do not seek that but seek God. In real mystical experience, all kinds of emotions may attend you. It's a beginner's temptation in religion to try to be always only happy. A good look at Scripture will show this as shallowness, not maturity. The "experience" depends partly on each person's temperament, partly on the particular meditation of the day, and partly on whether you're well-rested enough and free enough from distraction to really dwell on what you are considering. Some may dwell on the goodness of creation, a passage of Scripture, an event in the life of Christ, regret over some evil they have done, pain over the troubles in their lives, or "whatever is true and right and noble" as the case may be. Seeking knowledge and love of God is the right aim.
Monday, December 05, 2005
The "Apophatic" Branch of Mysticism
"Apophatic" Mysticism
It's regrettable that systematic theologians used an obscure word to classify Apophatic Mysticism. Apophatic Mysticism is rooted in humility about what we can know and the realization that all of our systems are, after all, completely unable to do justice to an understanding of God. Its basic premise is that, no matter how great the human mind, it simply cannot grasp God in all His fullness, all His glory, all His might. This view is grounded in Scripture, reason, and the history of the church. Scripture's teaching that we do not yet know fully also has implications for systematic theologies.
Some Basic Writings
The foundational work of this branch of mysticism is Concerning Mystical Theology, for which the author is disputed but is known as Dionysius the Areopagite or Pseudo-Dionysius, the name or inspiration being taken from Acts 17:34. One source for this branch of mysticism is Paul's evangelistic speech in Athens in which the author's namesake Dionysius first believed (see Acts 17), where Paul notices that there is a statue dedicated "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." The idea of "the unknown God" resonates in that there is always more to God than we have grasped; that is the starting point of this conversation. In justice I would like to point out here that Paul said to the Athenians, "What you worship as unknown, I will now proclaim to you." He then proclaimed the transcendent God who created heaven and earth, and proclaimed Christ. The "unknowing" approach, by itself, is incomplete. Still, it is easy for us to appreciate that God is beyond us. There is a part of us that ponders what is still unknown.
The most familiar modern work that treats this subject is probably The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, in which Vladimir Lossky proves that the Western church does not have an exclusive on dry and tedious approaches to theology. Lossky's work offers some good insights while the language is sometimes thick theologianese. For the present topic the chapter "The Divine Darkness" is worth the read.
Basic Practice
But after all that acknowledgment of what we do and do not know, what exactly is apophatic mysticism? The apophatic approach fully respects the hiddenness of God. It reviews each image of God we try to construct in our minds and recalls: this is not God. It is a conscious acknowledgment that our image will always fall short of God and, if it becomes our focus, is then an idol which separates our worship and our thoughts from God. Some of us may think of idols as childish images of God like "the bearded old man on the throne." True enough that this risks idolatry in its way. But our systematic theologies also run the same risk of idolatry if we focus on the system, the image of God that we have built in our minds, rather than on God Himself. These systems likewise run the risk of being wrong images of God which separate us from him rather than leading us to him. Our mental images or artwork -- or systematic logical images -- can point us in the right direction if they reflect God and if we remember that they are not fully accurate pictures of God. The apophatic approach looks at each thing and consciously reminds itself, "Neither is this image fully like God." Ignorance leads to humility and to continual striving for better knowledge. Assumption of knowledge has the opposite effect.
But talking about apophatic theology like this gives the wrong idea that it is merely an intellectual honesty about the limits of what we know. While this is both necessary to spiritual health and true, it is not a complete picture. This branch of mysticism recognizes the awe and reverence for God himself that comes from a sustained focus on his status as "the unknown God" who is beyond what our minds can grasp. We look at all of our approaches to God and see how they are like God -- and set them aside as we see them fall short. After one false image after another is considered, pondered, and set aside as inadequate, there is nothing left but God Himself. As one of my favorite 19th-century mystical songs put it, "Most ancient of all mysteries, before thy throne we lie." (Federick William Faber)
Limitations and Perspective
If the "unknowing" approach becomes an exercise in denying what we know then it has gone too far. If it remains an exercise in acknowledging that "we know in part, we prophesy in part ... now we see through a glass, darkly" then it is a healthy corrective to our boasting of having a complete knowledge (or complete "systematic theology" if you'd rather). Paul says our knowledge is incomplete; it follows that a system cannot have filled in all of the blanks, organized and categorized everything we would wish to know. This is no complaint against rigorous knowledge; it is honest acknowledgment of what has been revealed and what has not; it makes careful study all the more necessary.
This type of approach, like all focuses on the hiddenness of God, must be balanced by a return to how God has revealed himself: in creation, in Scripture, and most directly in the Incarnation. The way in which we know God most fully is through Christ. The apophatic branch of mysticism, like many other parts of Christian life, cannot stand alone, but makes a valid contribution to our understanding.
It's regrettable that systematic theologians used an obscure word to classify Apophatic Mysticism. Apophatic Mysticism is rooted in humility about what we can know and the realization that all of our systems are, after all, completely unable to do justice to an understanding of God. Its basic premise is that, no matter how great the human mind, it simply cannot grasp God in all His fullness, all His glory, all His might. This view is grounded in Scripture, reason, and the history of the church. Scripture's teaching that we do not yet know fully also has implications for systematic theologies.
Some Basic Writings
The foundational work of this branch of mysticism is Concerning Mystical Theology, for which the author is disputed but is known as Dionysius the Areopagite or Pseudo-Dionysius, the name or inspiration being taken from Acts 17:34. One source for this branch of mysticism is Paul's evangelistic speech in Athens in which the author's namesake Dionysius first believed (see Acts 17), where Paul notices that there is a statue dedicated "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." The idea of "the unknown God" resonates in that there is always more to God than we have grasped; that is the starting point of this conversation. In justice I would like to point out here that Paul said to the Athenians, "What you worship as unknown, I will now proclaim to you." He then proclaimed the transcendent God who created heaven and earth, and proclaimed Christ. The "unknowing" approach, by itself, is incomplete. Still, it is easy for us to appreciate that God is beyond us. There is a part of us that ponders what is still unknown.
The most familiar modern work that treats this subject is probably The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, in which Vladimir Lossky proves that the Western church does not have an exclusive on dry and tedious approaches to theology. Lossky's work offers some good insights while the language is sometimes thick theologianese. For the present topic the chapter "The Divine Darkness" is worth the read.
Basic Practice
But after all that acknowledgment of what we do and do not know, what exactly is apophatic mysticism? The apophatic approach fully respects the hiddenness of God. It reviews each image of God we try to construct in our minds and recalls: this is not God. It is a conscious acknowledgment that our image will always fall short of God and, if it becomes our focus, is then an idol which separates our worship and our thoughts from God. Some of us may think of idols as childish images of God like "the bearded old man on the throne." True enough that this risks idolatry in its way. But our systematic theologies also run the same risk of idolatry if we focus on the system, the image of God that we have built in our minds, rather than on God Himself. These systems likewise run the risk of being wrong images of God which separate us from him rather than leading us to him. Our mental images or artwork -- or systematic logical images -- can point us in the right direction if they reflect God and if we remember that they are not fully accurate pictures of God. The apophatic approach looks at each thing and consciously reminds itself, "Neither is this image fully like God." Ignorance leads to humility and to continual striving for better knowledge. Assumption of knowledge has the opposite effect.
But talking about apophatic theology like this gives the wrong idea that it is merely an intellectual honesty about the limits of what we know. While this is both necessary to spiritual health and true, it is not a complete picture. This branch of mysticism recognizes the awe and reverence for God himself that comes from a sustained focus on his status as "the unknown God" who is beyond what our minds can grasp. We look at all of our approaches to God and see how they are like God -- and set them aside as we see them fall short. After one false image after another is considered, pondered, and set aside as inadequate, there is nothing left but God Himself. As one of my favorite 19th-century mystical songs put it, "Most ancient of all mysteries, before thy throne we lie." (Federick William Faber)
Limitations and Perspective
If the "unknowing" approach becomes an exercise in denying what we know then it has gone too far. If it remains an exercise in acknowledging that "we know in part, we prophesy in part ... now we see through a glass, darkly" then it is a healthy corrective to our boasting of having a complete knowledge (or complete "systematic theology" if you'd rather). Paul says our knowledge is incomplete; it follows that a system cannot have filled in all of the blanks, organized and categorized everything we would wish to know. This is no complaint against rigorous knowledge; it is honest acknowledgment of what has been revealed and what has not; it makes careful study all the more necessary.
This type of approach, like all focuses on the hiddenness of God, must be balanced by a return to how God has revealed himself: in creation, in Scripture, and most directly in the Incarnation. The way in which we know God most fully is through Christ. The apophatic branch of mysticism, like many other parts of Christian life, cannot stand alone, but makes a valid contribution to our understanding.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Knowledge of God: Meditation on Christ
This is a continuation of a brief series on Christian mysticism. The previous parts included a look at scholastic and mystic approaches to knowing God and a look at the legitimacy of a mysticism based on creation.
But the mysticism based on creation, while legitimate of itself, can only take you so far. It cannot tell you everything you need to know about God; it cannot tell you God's disposition towards mankind. God's full message comes in Christ. Any mysticism -- as any other Christian study -- is not on solid ground if Christ is not the foundation.
Meditation on Christ
As the mystical view of natural theology allows room for awe and wonder and the like, in the same way the mystical view of Christ-centered theology allows for actually appreciating Christ with all our being, not simply analyzing Christ as an object of study. For those who are not used to any mystical approach to Christ, it may be easier to show than to explain the difference. I'll sketch out two brief meditations on the life of Christ. Afterwards we will have a basis for commenting on the approach.
Example Meditation #1: The Message of Creation fulfilled in Christ
Astrologers have long tried to find the secrets hidden in the order and beauty around us. They're a bit of a running joke these days. But the Bible tells us that once -- just once -- a few of them actually got it right. Once, some of them really did find the message of creation. "The heavens declared the glory of God" and they heard it. They left their star charts and went to see ... a small child they had never met in the unremarkable town of Bethlehem. And they were content. Out came the gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their quest was fulfilled.
Example Meditation #2: "Now I can die content"
A wise old man, renowned for his righteous life, was waiting out his last years in the Temple. He was seeking the Desire of Nations that the prophet had foretold would come before this Temple was destroyed. This righteous old man had been promised that he would live to see that promise fulfilled. When the child Jesus was brought to the Temple, he said that he could now die content. The Liturgical churches still repeat his words each week: "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace. Your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen your Salvation ..." All this over an infant. I think that should have merited its own verse in the song "What Child Is This?"
Meditation and Mysticism
When you look at the examples above, depending on your background, you may or may not see much difference between this and what you are used to doing when you consider Scripture. If your approach to Scripture already gives legitimate place and welcome to this type of meditation, then it is already in some sense mystical. Some might object, "No, no, mysticism is something weird, alien, disconnected, misleading" -- but that's only the worst, most illegitimate forms of mysticism. A Christian mysticism bases itself on Scripture, on creation, and most particularly on Christ. This type of study allows for the mind to do more than just dissect; the mind is also allowed to marvel at the things that deserve it.
A solid Bible study will not be analysis alone; neither will it be meditation alone. There are different useful analysis tools such as histories, word studies, and concept outlines that help us know Scripture better. Lord help us if we ever put them aside. But there is a tendency to think that the best Biblical reasoning is the type that builds systematic theologies; this is a mistake. The best Biblical reasoning is the type that uses God's word in the way that God asked it to be used, for which "systematic analysis" scarcely scratches the surface. Systematic analysis is a tool, not a goal. Meditation is another tool, likewise not a goal in itself. Theology is knowing God, not forming systems. Knowing God is our goal, and God is only revealed clearly in Christ. Therefore Christ is the foundation and chief study of the best theology and the best meditation.
Next I'll look at how the "apophatic" branch of mysticism is a healthy corrective in our knowledge of God. I may also take up other themes in later posts, such as mysticism and a view of the recent cessationist/non-cessationist debate or abuses of mysticism/fraudulent mysticism.
But the mysticism based on creation, while legitimate of itself, can only take you so far. It cannot tell you everything you need to know about God; it cannot tell you God's disposition towards mankind. God's full message comes in Christ. Any mysticism -- as any other Christian study -- is not on solid ground if Christ is not the foundation.
Meditation on Christ
As the mystical view of natural theology allows room for awe and wonder and the like, in the same way the mystical view of Christ-centered theology allows for actually appreciating Christ with all our being, not simply analyzing Christ as an object of study. For those who are not used to any mystical approach to Christ, it may be easier to show than to explain the difference. I'll sketch out two brief meditations on the life of Christ. Afterwards we will have a basis for commenting on the approach.
Example Meditation #1: The Message of Creation fulfilled in Christ
Astrologers have long tried to find the secrets hidden in the order and beauty around us. They're a bit of a running joke these days. But the Bible tells us that once -- just once -- a few of them actually got it right. Once, some of them really did find the message of creation. "The heavens declared the glory of God" and they heard it. They left their star charts and went to see ... a small child they had never met in the unremarkable town of Bethlehem. And they were content. Out came the gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their quest was fulfilled.
Example Meditation #2: "Now I can die content"
A wise old man, renowned for his righteous life, was waiting out his last years in the Temple. He was seeking the Desire of Nations that the prophet had foretold would come before this Temple was destroyed. This righteous old man had been promised that he would live to see that promise fulfilled. When the child Jesus was brought to the Temple, he said that he could now die content. The Liturgical churches still repeat his words each week: "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace. Your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen your Salvation ..." All this over an infant. I think that should have merited its own verse in the song "What Child Is This?"
Meditation and Mysticism
When you look at the examples above, depending on your background, you may or may not see much difference between this and what you are used to doing when you consider Scripture. If your approach to Scripture already gives legitimate place and welcome to this type of meditation, then it is already in some sense mystical. Some might object, "No, no, mysticism is something weird, alien, disconnected, misleading" -- but that's only the worst, most illegitimate forms of mysticism. A Christian mysticism bases itself on Scripture, on creation, and most particularly on Christ. This type of study allows for the mind to do more than just dissect; the mind is also allowed to marvel at the things that deserve it.
A solid Bible study will not be analysis alone; neither will it be meditation alone. There are different useful analysis tools such as histories, word studies, and concept outlines that help us know Scripture better. Lord help us if we ever put them aside. But there is a tendency to think that the best Biblical reasoning is the type that builds systematic theologies; this is a mistake. The best Biblical reasoning is the type that uses God's word in the way that God asked it to be used, for which "systematic analysis" scarcely scratches the surface. Systematic analysis is a tool, not a goal. Meditation is another tool, likewise not a goal in itself. Theology is knowing God, not forming systems. Knowing God is our goal, and God is only revealed clearly in Christ. Therefore Christ is the foundation and chief study of the best theology and the best meditation.
Next I'll look at how the "apophatic" branch of mysticism is a healthy corrective in our knowledge of God. I may also take up other themes in later posts, such as mysticism and a view of the recent cessationist/non-cessationist debate or abuses of mysticism/fraudulent mysticism.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
A Thoroughly Christian Mysticism: A Holy View Of Creation
A Holy View of Creation
Creation and God's Character
Beyond seeing the world as good, we also see traces of God's character displayed in the things he has made. His creation shows forth his attributes. Creation, in some measure, reveals God's mind.
Sometimes I have looked at writing that was penned in a foreign script and have just admired its beauty and incomprehensibility. We see the beauty, we perceive it must have meaning, but we haven't grasped it. It's tantalizing, it's mesmerizing. If everything that God made is a partial revelation of God, then creation itself is like writing in a foreign script. Every tree or rock is a glyph, a symbol pointing us to God.
David understood when he saw the night sky. "The heavens declare the glory of God ... they pour forth speech, they display knowledge ... there is no language where their voice is not heard."
Everyone's spiritual quest is trying to decipher this language. We're all code-breakers, all mystery-solvers, all beauty-lovers. We all see the words of God -- words-made-creation in nature, or words of the prophets. Awe is a rational response of the soul that sees the wonders of creation. Rejection of mysticism is a rejection of steeping ourselves in the awe and wonder of the world, which are a proper part of our worship of God.
This is the second part of a series of posts here on thoroughly Christian mysticism. The previous part contrasted mysticism and scholasticism. The next part will address the basis of mysticism in Christ's incarnation; the part after that, the "apophatic" branch of mysticism. I may continue the series to explore mysticism in relation to the recent cessationist/non-cessationist debate on gifts of the Spirit.
Darrel Pursiful is also posting his thoughts on mysticism over at Disert Paths. I'd encourage you to pop over to his blog and give him a read. He takes the approach of building the scholarly framework for mysticism, a much-needed endeavor for the renewal of Christian mysticism.
The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament proclaims the work of his hands ... -- King David (Psalm 19)One line of reasoning that shows the rightful place of Christian mysticism is based on creation. When creation is viewed as holy, mysticism is simply allowing ourselves to see this, to know it by experience and by appreciation, not merely by analysis. Beauty, awe, and wonder are a fitting part of our experience in this world; when we ignore these things we lose something valuable.
Creation and God's Character
Beyond seeing the world as good, we also see traces of God's character displayed in the things he has made. His creation shows forth his attributes. Creation, in some measure, reveals God's mind.
Why do we dream in metaphors? We're trying to hold onto something that we couldn't understand ... couldn't understand ... couldn't understand. -- SealEverything that God made is a partial revelation of God. Everything in creation is a metaphor of sorts, and has meaning beyond itself about the One who made it. Rocks, hills, trees, stars ... each thing stirs a memory of God in its own way. In every park or seashore you can hear the "echoes of Eden" as the mystically-inclined might say.
Sometimes I have looked at writing that was penned in a foreign script and have just admired its beauty and incomprehensibility. We see the beauty, we perceive it must have meaning, but we haven't grasped it. It's tantalizing, it's mesmerizing. If everything that God made is a partial revelation of God, then creation itself is like writing in a foreign script. Every tree or rock is a glyph, a symbol pointing us to God.
David understood when he saw the night sky. "The heavens declare the glory of God ... they pour forth speech, they display knowledge ... there is no language where their voice is not heard."
Everyone's spiritual quest is trying to decipher this language. We're all code-breakers, all mystery-solvers, all beauty-lovers. We all see the words of God -- words-made-creation in nature, or words of the prophets. Awe is a rational response of the soul that sees the wonders of creation. Rejection of mysticism is a rejection of steeping ourselves in the awe and wonder of the world, which are a proper part of our worship of God.
This is the second part of a series of posts here on thoroughly Christian mysticism. The previous part contrasted mysticism and scholasticism. The next part will address the basis of mysticism in Christ's incarnation; the part after that, the "apophatic" branch of mysticism. I may continue the series to explore mysticism in relation to the recent cessationist/non-cessationist debate on gifts of the Spirit.
Darrel Pursiful is also posting his thoughts on mysticism over at Disert Paths. I'd encourage you to pop over to his blog and give him a read. He takes the approach of building the scholarly framework for mysticism, a much-needed endeavor for the renewal of Christian mysticism.
Friday, December 02, 2005
A Thoroughly Christian Mysticism: Mysticism and Scholasticism
Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it. -- Jacob (Genesis 28:16)There are many individual things that can be picked apart and criticized in the history of Christian mysticism; some of the criticisms are legitimate. Then again, there are legitimate criticisms against anything with a long enough history. The question is not whether there have been absurdities or abuses; the question is whether there is a healthy stream of Christian mysticism. Here I will set out the basic view that mysticism is a rightful part of the soul's experience of God. Heart and mind and strength have their place in our faith. But without the soul, the heart tends towards a shallow and tyrannical emotionalism, the mind tends towards dithering or dryness, and strength tends towards power or futility. In setting aside mysticism, we have lost something valuable. Our appreciation of God has become less than it was meant to be.
Mysticism is the appreciation of God, an appreciation experienced within the soul. As such, it is more than merely tolerable in the Christian life; it deserves welcome. It is an appreciation which most people (even some atheists I've known) admit to experiencing on occasion, even if the disreputable name "mystical experience" is not spoken. It includes awe and wonder, humility and reverence among its aspects.
Such things are nearly ignored by most systematic or scholastic approaches to God. Note that mysticism is not opposed to the intellect. Instead, it is on intellectual grounds that mysticism is opposed to the worse parts of scholastic theology. Mysticism questions scholasticism for an unfittingly dry approach to the Holy of Holies, for its "salvation by systems" theories which tend to sideline the cross of Christ, and for its predictable descent into trivialities and arguments. Scholasticism tends assume that if you have made a system by which to understand something then you have understood it correctly, and that the best way to understand something is to make a systematic analysis of it. Mysticism would mention that, aside from the question of whether the system is truly correct, and aside from the fact that God is beyond our powers of analysis, there is a larger question at stake: is classifying facts about God necessarily the same as getting to know Him? There is a risk of interacting with facts about God, but never coming to face to face with God Himself.
Over the next few posts, I'll introduce two lines of thought on a thoroughly Christian mysticism, one line of thought based on creation and the other from Jesus' incarnation. I'll also include a few comments on one particular branch of mysticism, "apophatic" mysticism, and its rightful place in a healthy appreciation of God.
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