Mysticism

Question 1

What is the goal of Christian mysticism?

Answer 1

To have an experience with God. It is different from the mystical theologians, that just explained an experience with God.

It is an internalizing or spiritualizing of the ideal of absolute poverty. You can’t have mysticism without the “Apostolic Life” attitude that came about in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Question 2

True or False. Mystics were common.

Answer 2

False. Mystics were rare. All agreed that they had achieved a high standard of piety.

Question 3

There are two main types of mystic schools, what are they?

Answer 3

The Latin Tradition and the Germanic Tradition

Question 4

Latin Mystic Tradition

Answer 4

Cistercian and Franciscan. More concerned with will, love, and practical piety. Seeks mystical union with the Lord. And, its more Christocentric. Huge reputation for orthodoxy.

Question 5

Germanic Mystic Tradition

Answer 5

More Dominican. It is concerned with intellect more than with the will and piety.

Question 6

What types of mystics were the Beguines?

Answer 6

They weren’t mystics, but they drew from both the Dominican and Franciscan mystic movements.

Question 7

Two famous Latin Tradition mystics.

Answer 7

Bernard and Bonaventura

Question 8

Famous Germanic Tradition Mystic

Answer 8

Eckhart

Question 9

Characteristics of Mysticism

Answer 9

1. The internalizing and spiritualization of absolute poverty.
2. The belief that religious realities confessed in faith can actually be experienced.
3. They believed that human beings could be “like God”.

Question 10

Apart from the Latin and Germanic traditions of mysticism, how do we identify them? In other words, what type of mysticism was out there?

Answer 10

1. Dionysian
2. Franciscan
3. Eckhartian

Question 11

What were the two ways of knowing God, according to Dionysian mystics?q

Answer 11

via affirmative vs via negativa

The affirmative way of knowing God leads us to the negative way of knowing God.

Question 12

What was at the core of a lot of the mystic movement, especially the Dionysian version that focused on via negativa?

Answer 12

Anti-intellectualism. They thought that the scholastics had it wrong. You had to completely empty yourself to know God, it wasn’t just knowledge.

Question 13

Which Dionysian mystic had an impression on Luther?

Answer 13

Vincent

Question 14

Journey to the Mind of God

Answer 14

Bonaventura’s treatise on Franciscan mysticism.

Question 15

What did Franciscan mystics have that others didn’t?

Answer 15

A founder who had experienced the wounds of Christ, the stigmata.

Question 16

What was the goal of Franciscan mysticism?

Answer 16

To be crucified with Christ. Makes sense when you remember that Francis received the stigmata.

Question 17

transitus

Answer 17

A dying with Christ and passing over with him into God the Father.

Question 18

How did Bonaventura explain the journey the soul took to God?

Answer 18

He explained it in 7 days.

1. The Outside World: The mind begins to see the world as God saw the world, not blinded by sin. The World becomes a sacrament. Study of the world takes you to a time when the world was not affected by sin. In it you see the wisdom of God.

Sacramental view of the world encouraged meditating on its patterns.

2. The Would Within: Having found the world, the mind turn to look within for the image of God that was destroyed in Eden. The human body becomes a sacrament that reveals the glory of God. We see God in humanity.
3. The World Above: After this, the mind has nothing to do except give itself fully to the father. At this point Franciscan mysticism becomes strictly Dionysian. You throw away everything and give yourself over to nothingness to know God more.

Question 19

How did Eckhart see mysticism?

Answer 19

Mysticism, according to Eckhart, was an attempt for us to connect back to a time when we were one with God. When asked who he was, he would reflect back to eternity, who he was before the world was made. This king of thinking got him in trouble, because its slightly pantheistic (we become God). Especially because he is saying that we are pre-existent with God. He said it wasn’t just about connecting with God or to his will, but actually being God again.

Hmm. Sounds heretical to me. Gnostic, actually.