Erotic and Nuptial Imagery
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198722380.013.17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that later Christian mystical texts increasingly embrace human corporeality, especially sensation and emotion, as part of loving God, and that this shift accompanies a more Christological focus. Proposes that contemporary theology can learn from these accounts, particularly the idea that the female body can be both pure and sexually responsive. |
Abstract
This chapter explores the place of erotic and nuptial image within Christian mystical texts. It outlines a shift in later mystical texts in which human corporeality, especially in terms of sensation and emotion, is embraced as part of what it means to love God. It is noted that this development is accompanied by an increasingly Christological focus. It is argued that there is much that contemporary theology could learn for mystical accounts of love, not least the idea that the female body can be both pure and sexually responsive at the same time.