What Is Mysticism?
July 2, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003711544-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Topics | Mysticism |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Theism Monism Preference Natural archaeology Christianity Epistemology Religious experience |
| Key points | Argues that there are different kinds of mystical experience, specifically nature, pantheistic, monistic, and theistic mysticism, rather than a single universal type. |
Abstract
This opening chapter considers the nature of mysticism and asks whether it is, at base, the same, whatever its religious and cultural varieties, or whether there are different kinds of mystical experience which are distinct and different from one another. In this respect views on both sides are discussed, but there is a preference for Western, Muslim and Eastern Christian scholars who distinguish between different kinds of mysticism. These can variously be identified as nature, pantheistic, monistic and theistic mysticism.