‘Joining into God's breath’: travail of the negative as a connection between mysticism and political activism
Edda Wolff
The Heythrop Journal May 16, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/heyj.14215 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Hermeneutics Faith Negativity effect Negation Politics Connection principal bundle Epistemology Theology Linguistics Law |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that a negative hermeneutics, centered on the "travail of the negative," is a suitable lens for studying mysticism and contributes to theological discourse by emphasizing the importance of negation. |
Abstract
This essay argues that a negative hermeneutics, i.e. , a hermeneutics that takes its starting point from the experience of gaps, failures, and limits, is a suitable lens for the study of mysticism. It uses the concept of travail of the negative, which focuses on the dynamics of a continuous ‘unsaying’ and ‘subverting’ of traditional expressions of faith and religious practice, to explore the connection between aspects of practical and theoretical negativity in mystical expressions. It suggests that this approach to mystical theology makes an important contribution to the wider theological discourse and encourages theology to take the fundamental character of negation seriously.
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
Cites 3
- Theological Epistemology and Apophasis The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020
- Mystical Theology and Christian Self-Understanding The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020
- Mystical Theology in Contemporary Perspective The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020