mystics Flashcards
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
wrote: come be my light
When asked why she chose a life of charitable work she, she aid she was on a train t Darjeeling in 1948 when she felt ‘a call from within’. She described having a series of vision in the 1940s (including images of people crying for her help’. After this she felt like God had abandoned her ‘ i have come to love the darkness, for i believe now that it is a part, a very, very small part of Jesus’ darkness and pain on earth’
St Therese of Lisieux
experienced God’s presence in every detail of her life- each moment of the day, Therese believed that God would reveal something to her, through conversation, prayer and work
William James
wrote: varieties of religious experience
4 features of a mystical experience: passive, ineffable, noetic, transciency
Aquinas
acknowledges Psuedo’s idea of Via negative- God is always beyond human reason. He developed via positive (ways of speak of and to God) he argues that once our concepts of God has been reduced to its barest essentials then we can cautiously begin to develop an image of God based on our use of analogous language-n we know what goodness and love is, and we can give these qualities to God, however we do not know what it means for God to be Good and loving
Augustine of Hippo
354 AC- although his mother was christian he was brought up a pagan. He studied rhetoric in Milan, where he took a lover and had a child. He converted after hearing St Ambrose, however still struggled to change his ways. However he heard a child singing ‘tai sit and read’. He went to the bible and read pails advice on not revelling and drunkenness. After he read it he said it was like ‘the light of confidence flooding into his heart’. He was declared the father of mysticism
St John of the cross
wrote: The Dark Night of the soul. In his poem he describes the journey of the soul towards God. The dark nigh is a process of purifying the should of what hinders it from uniting with God. The poem ends with the should achieving a state of mystical union with God ‘all ceased and i abandoned myself, leaving my cares forgotten amongst the lilies’
Julian of Norwich
Revelations of Divine Love- 1342. Lived as an anchoress and a solitary religious life. Her texts are some for he earliest surviving of women. She wanted to understand the suffering of christ more so prayed for illness. She became so unwed;; that everyone thought he was going to die, she even received the last rites. however she survived and that night had 16 visions. In her book she said that she learnt three things ‘God made it, God love it and God sustains it; he is maker, keeper and lover’
Margery Kemp
the book of Margery kemp- 14th century
She was a wife and mother of 14. in her 40s she persuaded her husband to take a vow of chastity and embarked on a hazardous and eventful pilgrimage across europe to Jerusalem. She experienced visions and other revelations. She felt so passionately about christ that she would regularly weep loudly at the sight of the crucifix or at the elevation of the host. She recalls an encounter with Jesus ‘i have ordained you to be a mirror amongst men; She felt profound warmth. She felt the fire of love burning in her chest. She also visited Julian
St Teresa of Avilla
1515- The ways of Perfection and Interior Castle
She entered the Carmelite convent at 21. initially she looked forward to meeting a steady stream of visitors in the convent parlour, especially friend and relatives. However as time went on her awareness of Gods presence dwindled , so she realised she needed to radically change her approach to the religious life and avoid all distractions. She formed the order of the Discalced Carmelites- she met opposition but remained calm, entrusting her work to God. She had many visions and inner locutions or conversations with God
Hildegard of Bingen
Wrote Scivias (Knowing the ways) 1098- Germany near the Rhine. She was the tenth child and as was tradition her parents promised her as a tithe to the church from birth. She was an anchoress that was attached to the Benedictine Abbey. At 37 she had a mystical experience- 'i saw a fiery light coming from the open heavens. it heated me like the sun.. suddenly i had insight into the meaning and interoperation of the psalter and the gospel". She had visions throughout her life and had a reputation of holiness and wisdom. She became an abbess of 40-50 nuns. Famous for her musical composition- a gift from God
Mother of Teresa of Calcutta- brief
- mystical experience on a train india- led her to have a life dedicated to the poor
- struggled with prayer at some points- however learned to love the darkness- christs suffering
Augustine brief
pagan man who converted to christianity, then he had a mystical experience ‘take it and read it’- advice on not revelling and drunkenness by Paul. Changed his ways ‘the light of confidence into my heart..’
St Therese of lisieux brief
story of the soul- experienced God in very detail of her life
Joh of the cross brief
The Dark night of the soul- talks about journey towards god- process of removing what hinders us from God in our lives
Hildegard of Bingen brief
Scivias
1098
Germany –> given to the church by parents. Has mystical experience at 37 ‘ saw a fiery light coming from the open heavens’. holy and wise- abbess of 50 nuns
