From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Sun Oct 24 2004 - 14:32:30 BST
Hi DMB, all,
> dmb says:
> As I understand it, all the world's great religions began with a mystical
> experience and their esoteric core remains mystical to this day. As a matter
> of fact I consider myself a Christian mystic...
> dmb says:
> Sam... has
> rejected the mystical interpretation and basically dismissed the mystical
> experience as unnecessary.
You're conveying a falsehood here, and a self-serving falsehood at that.
My position is:
(i) the mystical element of the Christian faith is *the* essential core and what it's all about;
(ii) I don't think it is profoundly misleading to talk about mysticism as an 'experience';
(iii) the intellectual tradition that sees it as an experience (within which DMB unreflectingly
situates himself; derived through William James, and which dominates - and vitiates - most
contemporary discussion of the subject) is a SOMish distortion of Christian mysticism, as it has
been understood and practiced through the centuries.
Christian mystics truly are a rare breed - they are otherwise known as saints, people like John of
the Cross, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich and all the other 'doctors of the
church' (in other words they are the people acknowledged as the main teachers of the faith).
So you are claiming to be one of their number, despite, to my awareness, never once displaying any
familiarity with their work. Wow.
DMB also said, in another post:
>Philosophical mystics do not believe in a personal god with whom we can have a relationship, while
theists do.
Which is why you're a philosophical mystic (at best) and not a Christian mystic. I'm astonished that
you feel the need to claim otherwise. I look forward to you sharing your insights from the Way.
Sam
"And the one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and the one who humbles himself shall be exalted."
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