Comments on: Basic Concepts of Christian Mysticism

By: andrew m.

andrew m. — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:51:38 +0000

I am reading the complete works by Meister Eckhart which is an excellent source of information on Christian mysticism. I am beginning formation as a Trappist in a few weeks. The monastery I am going to places a heavy emphasis on meditation and they also sit regularly with Tibetan Buddhists. Not all trappist monasteries would do this. I look forward to formation.

By: Yaholo

Yaholo — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:42:54 +0000

Simplest answer – If you had to be a Catholic to be a mystic, I would have called the blog “Practical Catholic Mysticism”.

Catholicism does not a mystic make. Many people are Catholics and avoid mysticism like the plague, they are not tied to each other. I simply express that I have found many more cultures and traditions within the Catholic Church more supporting of mysticism than other Christian organizations.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:52:06 +0000

Does one have to be catholic to be a Christian mystic? I find MANY things wrong with the RCC… How does one practice Christian mysticism without being Catholic? Thanks!

By: Yaholo

Yaholo — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:40:39 +0000

@Seeking – Saying “the bible is fake” is not an argument, it is a rant. It doesn’t even make sense. Fake how? Or better yet: A fake of what? I might as well respond “no, it is not”. I can respond to an argument, but not a rant. It would be like little children yelling “Yes it is!” “No it isn’t!” “Yes it is!” “No it isn’t!”… I tend to just ignore these things. If someone posts an intelligent question, argument, or point I will respond.

By: Seeking

Seeking — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:31:36 +0000

Yaholo do you have a response to Rana? I’m curious as to your opinion on his/her statements. Especially “the bible is fake”

By: Rana

Rana — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:22:27 +0000

Jesus is not God, jesus realized the divine within him, he became the logos after his baptism,a dn the logos is an ancient greek philosophy, its about wisdom itsnot a soul its a concept.. ejsus is not our God our cosmic concoious is our God .. infact chrisitnaiyt is a pagna religion about a dyingd savior born of a virgin and resurrected.. this was there thousands of year bc and it is a pagan idea about many gods.. the bible is fake

By: soma

soma — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:34:35 +0000

Christian mysticism looks at the world from a different angle giving meaning to life, not rejecting anything or waving a fist with scorn and resentment.A good source for contemporary Christian mysticism is the book “Evolution of Consciousness by John Kuykendall.

By: Yaholo

Yaholo — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 19:27:17 +0000

1. Yes! In fact, a majority of the “staple” authors behind Christian Mysticism are Catholic. St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, Thomas a Kempis, and Thomas Merton are all Catholic. When I was in the evangelical church, calling yourself “mystic” was a liability, but since I have been in the Catholic Church, it has been almost an term of honor. Of course, there are exceptions, but as a whole, mysticism is a large part of the Catholic community.

2. All the book written by the above mentioned authors. Beyond Catholic Mysticism, I recommend Lao Tzu, C.S. Lewis, and Evelyn Underhill. My favorite books are “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross, “Letters to Malcom” by C.S. Lewis, and “The Way of Chaung Tzu” translated by Thomas Merton.

3. Gnosticism is VERY different from Christian Mysticism as it is, at it’s root, mostly secular and humanistic. Gnosticism is based in the belief that the things Jesus was “really” trying to teach are secret, and only smart people like them, can figure them out. They do not trust the Church’s portrayal of… anything, and consider fringe documents, like the gospel of Thomas, as more reliable than even Scripture. Of course, all this isn’t really about mysticism at all, but rather a theological issue.

Hope that helps!

By: RyGuyRhodes

RyGuyRhodes — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:20:24 +0000

All,

I am just beginning my spiritual journey and I am finding myself drawn to Catholicism as a foundation and also find myself Drawn to Mysticism. Forgive my ignorance but would like to pose a few questions if I could?

1. Does the Catholic Community accept Christian Mysticism?

2. What books or resources do you recommend for beginners to this path?

3. What is the difference between Gnostic’s and Christian Mystics?

Thanks in advance I have searched for the basic answers to these questions but am not able to find answers that are not confusing. Thanks for the insightful posts and god bless.

By: Gstamos

Gstamos — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:39:59 +0000

I recently came to similar conclusion about the connection between the tao concept (found in tao te ching) and christian mysticism.

I actually found your site after looking for a christian mysticism site to buy so that I can also write my own thoughts about these true christian mysticism as opposed to christian fundamentalism and it is nice to see that I am not alone in my thoughts.