Mystical Experiences and Mystical Theology in Augustine of Hippo? A Reconsideration of the Sources (conf. 9, an. quant. 33, doctr. chr. 2)
Medieval Mystical Theology January 2, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/20465726.2018.1472416 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAugustine's mysticism is examined through both his personal experiences and his theoretical writings. In the Confessiones, he describes two ecstatic encounters with God: one at Ostia shortly after his baptism and an earlier one in Milan before his conversion. The article compares these accounts and then analyzes Augustine's theories on the soul's ascent as presented in De animae quantitate and De doctrina christiana. The work argues that understanding Augustine's mysticism requires integrating his practical descriptions of divine experience with his formal teachings on spiritual ascent.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Philosophy |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Argues that Augustine's mystical experiences at Ostia and Milan, when compared with his theoretical writings on the soul's ascent, together illuminate his mystical thought. |
Abstract
The current article addresses the question concerning Augustine’s mysticism from two perspectives: practice and theory. In the Confessiones, Augustine recounts how he reached an experience of God – the ‘Ostia-ecstasy’, shortly after his baptism. After an extensive state of the art on the debate of Augustine’s mysticism, the first part of this article studies Confessiones IX, 23–6, in which Augustine describes his experience at Ostia. Next, this passage is compared with an experience of similar nature Augustine had in Milan, before his conversion (Confessiones VII, 16; 23; 26). The second part deals with Augustine’s theories on the ascent of the soul, as he formulates them in De animae quantitate XXXIII, 70–6 and De doctrina christiana II, 9–11.