Interreligious Dialogue
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 Michael Barnes
This chapter examines what the Church can learn from and offer to the contemporary contemplative turn, focusing on interreligious spirituality. It profiles Thomas Merton and Swami Abhishiktananda as exemplary mystics who navigated life between established traditions and personal practice, seeking to share wisdom about encountering 'the other.' The chapter then raises theological questions arising from their interreligious experience and presents a case study in comparative theology: a dialogue between the Zen Buddhist Mumonkan and the Christian Cloud of Unknowing. The author argues that such engagement offers insights for the Church's response to contemporary spiritual seeking.