Mysticism Monistic and Theistic
Philosophia Christi 2022 DOI: 10.5840/pc20222418 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that an argument in the philosophy of mysticism has serious implications for assessing various Christian saints, mystics, and theologians and some of their profound spiritual experiences. After a tentative defense of its two main premises, the author concludes the argument is plausibly sound, and contends that Nelson Pike's important objection, while more interesting than commonly supposed, ultimately falls short. |
Abstract
In this paper, I investigate the merits of an argument in the philosophy of mysticism which, if sound, appears to have serious implications for our estimation of various Christian saints, mystics, and theologians and some of their most profound spiritual experiences. After giving an initial statement of this argument, I offer a (tentative) defense of the two main premises at play and conclude the argument is plausibly sound. Following this, I turn to a discussion of Nelson Pike’s important objection to this argument and contend that, while doubtless more interesting than commonly supposed, it ultimately falls short of the mark.