Christian Mysticism
August 10, 2008
Christian Mysticism is perhaps one of the least understood doctrines in the Church today! The word mysticism itself is often defamed, as it is not defined within the Judeo-Christian sense with many in the Church. It simply must be seen in its reality as biblical, theological, and certainly Pauline and Johannine. There is a certain mystical reality to the NT revelation, as both St. Paul and St. John can bring testimony ( Gal.2:20 / Rev.1:12-13), not to mention really Moses, and the OT Prophets. The whole Scriptural history and revelation is based upon God’s own self-disclosure, this produces the immediate principle of authority, which is finally the Spirit Himself speaking in the Holy Scripture, but also in the Christian himself. But the NT mysticism is in the revelation of Christ Jesus Himself…”who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6) And certainly all those who have seen and felt this in their heart and soul, can say amen! (See, Rom. 8:14-16 / 1 Peter 1:8)
August 10, 2008 at 1:43 pm
God, the knowledge of comes to us from three sources:
1. Natural Theology – the natural world and its creatures.
2.History, the Christian and Judeo revelation called “dogma” and dogmatic theology. Here is also the doctrine of the Church.
3. Last, is the souls experience itself before God: Mystical theology. Here is also the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ.
All of these three come by, to, and from the triune God Himself!
Fr. Robert
August 13, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Amen, Fr. Robert! I would add that interpreting and understanding each of the ways you mentioned that we can know God (or know about God) must not go against what has been documented in the Bible.