Mysticism and the Interpretation of Sacred Scripture
Oxford University Press eBooks December 7, 2000 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195097030.003.0002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Citations | 25 |
| Key points | Argues that scholarly studies of mysticism from William James onward have nearly uniformly neglected the role of sacred scriptures, and examines how mystics and mystical schools across esoteric traditions interpret those texts. |
Abstract
This chapter begins with a review of extant scholarly literature on mysticism, ranging from William James's classic, pioneering work at the beginning of the 20th century, through the studies of Evelyn Underhill, Rufus Jones, Baron Von Hugel, and Rufus Jones, to the near-contemporary and contemporary investigations of Walter T. Stace, R. C. Zaehner, Frits Staal, Ninian Smart, Nelson Pike, William Wainwright, Huston Smith, and Wayne Proudfoot. Such a review would reveal a nearly uniform neglect of the significance of sacred scriptures in the descriptive studies and the analytic discussions of these works. The chapter then analyzes, in more detail, some of the concrete forms and methods of interpretation that are employed by various mystics and mystical schools across esoteric traditions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |