The curious case of the marginalized mystics
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion March 31, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/s0034412523000306 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the marginalization of apophatic mysticism in the Middle Ages is best explained theologically rather than historically: examined through the loci of creation, Incarnation, and Trinity, apophatic claims conflict so sharply with mainstream Christian theology that the real puzzle is their broad tolerance, not their marginal status. |
Abstract
Abstract Given that the more apophatic strand of mysticism resonates more with the way contemporary philosophers are apt to think about mystical experience, the fact that apophatic mysticism was a bit of a fringe enterprise in the Middle Ages calls for explanation. The explanations that are suggested within the pages of Christina Van Dyke's A Hidden Wisdom are not typically historical-contextual explanations, but theological ones. This article examines apophatic mysticism in terms of three of the standard theological loci: creation, Incarnation, and Trinity. In each case we will find that some of the characteristic claims of the apophatic mystics are so much at odds with the mainstream of Christian theology that the mystery is not so much their being marginalized but rather their being largely tolerated.