Comparative Mysticism and the Problem of Interpretation: Rumi and Meister Eckhart
Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations March 17, 2015 DOI: 10.1080/09596410.2015.1018721 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Interpretation philosophy Epistemology Literature Theology Linguistics |
| Citations | 23 |
| Key points | Proposes that comparison in the study of mysticism should function as a mirror for clarification rather than a mold for imposition or reduction, demonstrated through Rumi and Eckhart. |
Abstract
Since the second half of the nineteenth century, modern comparative studies of mysticism have generally adopted one of two divergent approaches. One group, generally labeled as essentialist or phenomenologist, has used comparative methodology in order to highlight the commonalities between different mystics or mystical traditions, hence establishing universal structures and essential meanings from what seem to be overlapping aspects. The other group has been termed, inter alia, constructivist, particularly since the last third of the twentieth century, and it has used comparison as a tool for accentuating the distinctions between mystical systems and demonstrating how dissimilar backgrounds lead to the construction of differing mystical constructs. Avoiding overemphasis on either affinities or distinctions, this article suggests an alternative methodology, which utilizes comparison in highlighting the specific characters, central themes and focal points of its object of study. Applying this method to the practical mysticism of Jalal al-Din Rumi vis-à-vis that of Meister Eckhart demonstrates how comparison can be appropriately used as an apparatus of clarification and comprehension rather than as a device for imposition or reduction – as a “mirror” rather than as a “mold.”
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Mysticism in the West: The Case of Azad Rasool and His Heirs Religions July 27, 2022
- De-Mystifying Mysticism: A Critical Realist Perspective on Ambivalences in the Study of Mysticism Religions December 25, 2024
- Medieval Christian and Islamic Mysticism and the Problem of a “Mystical Ethics” Cambridge University Press eBooks November 29, 2018