“I Shall be Reckoned with the Gods”
June 10, 2020 DOI: 10.1163/17455197-01803001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the comparative study of mysticism remains an explanatorily powerful analytical, theoretical, and interpretative lens in Jesus Research, even after critical examination of the category of mysticism, the concept of 'religious experience,' and the epistemological problems associated with perennialism as a religionist discourse. |
Abstract
The categorical identification of the historical Jesus continues to be a central challenge in Jesus Research yet the identification of the historical Jesus as a first-century Jewish mystic has long been a popular topic among Western esotericists, Christian mystics, contemporary New Age authors, and some biblical scholars. Taking a critical look at the category and study of mysticism in Jesus Research in light of the ancient etymological origins of modern mysticism, the concept of ‘religious experience,’ and the epistemological problems associated with perennialism as a religionist discourse, this article argues that the comparative study of mysticism still proves to be an explanatorily powerful analytical, theoretical, and interpretative lens in Jesus Research.