Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense
Yale University Press eBooks November 15, 2022 DOI: 10.12987/yale/9780300266689.003.0035 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 30 |
| Key points | Argues that first-hand accounts of mystical experiences are rare nowadays, illustrated through Francis Spufford's 1997 experience of a 'whisper of presence' and conviction of a universe sustained by 'a continual and infinitely patient act of love'. Contends that Christianity is distinguished from other religions by its impossibility as a rule of life. |
Abstract
This chapter argues that first-hand accounts of mystical experiences are rare nowadays. It follows the events that led up to Francis Spufford's first mystical experience back in 1997. The chapter examines how Spufford became aware of something else, a ‘whisper of presence’, the sense of being watched but absolutely safe, and it brought with it the conviction that the universe is sustained by ‘a continual and infinitely patient act of love’. As the chapter emphasizes, Spufford readily concedes that identical feelings could be caused by sensory deprivation or biochemical imbalances or drugs or electrical stimulation of his brain. He admits that they correspond closely to the sensations of transcendence reported by worshippers in many other religions — and, he might have added to the ‘oceanic feeling’ for which Freud offered a psychoanalytic explanation. The chapter also contends that it is its impossibility as a rule of life that distinguishes Christianity from other religions. Ultimately, the chapter looks at Spufford's attempt to reconstruct the life of the historical Jesus. It also highlights Spufford's vision of philosopher A.C. Grayling leading us on the great journey into the secular light ‘tossing his miraculously bouffant locks’.