Mystics as Teachers
Joanne Maguire
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198722380.013.8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Christian mystics |
| Key points | Argues that mystics act as teachers whose authority and methods are derived from God and mediated through traditional doctrines and practices. |
Abstract
Mystics who speak and write for others act as teachers in various ways. Studies of mysticism and religious experience have tended to consider a mystical quest as a highly individual and idiosyncratic venture, but it is apparent that many mystics wrote and spoke to instruct their followers. Teaching implies recipients of that teaching, both as individuals and in aggregate, and it implies superior knowledge, which is based in small part on the mystic’s own experience but relies almost entirely on inspiration from God. Although there is no one mystical curriculum or pedagogical approach in Christian traditions, many mystics adhere to content and methods that are rooted firmly in traditional doctrines and practices. This chapter examines mystics as teachers primarily through the lenses of sources, authority, and methods, each of which is understood to be derived from and modelled on God and mediated through a teacher.