Michael W. Dols and Diana E. Immisch
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198202219
- eISBN:
- 9780191675218
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198202219.003.0017
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In dealing with the concept of insanity in medieval Islamic society several subtopics also emerge such as, what constitutes sanity? A major objective of this study has been to place the subject in ...
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In dealing with the concept of insanity in medieval Islamic society several subtopics also emerge such as, what constitutes sanity? A major objective of this study has been to place the subject in its historical context and not to present insanity as a disembodied medical, religious, or legal notion. Because of the limitations of the medieval evidence, this goal has not always been fully achieved, but, in general, insanity has been presented as a significant aspect of Islamic social history. Insanity as a medical concept was closely related to the development of Islamic sciences and institutions; religious healing was intimately associated with the growth of Muslim saints; and the madman as holy fool was a vivid expression of the evolution of Muslim religiosity.Less
In dealing with the concept of insanity in medieval Islamic society several subtopics also emerge such as, what constitutes sanity? A major objective of this study has been to place the subject in its historical context and not to present insanity as a disembodied medical, religious, or legal notion. Because of the limitations of the medieval evidence, this goal has not always been fully achieved, but, in general, insanity has been presented as a significant aspect of Islamic social history. Insanity as a medical concept was closely related to the development of Islamic sciences and institutions; religious healing was intimately associated with the growth of Muslim saints; and the madman as holy fool was a vivid expression of the evolution of Muslim religiosity.
Steven T. Katz (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195097030
- eISBN:
- 9780199848805
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195097030.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This is the fourth in an influential series of volumes on mysticism, presenting a basic revaluation of the nature of mysticism. Each book in the series presents a collection of chapters by experts in ...
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This is the fourth in an influential series of volumes on mysticism, presenting a basic revaluation of the nature of mysticism. Each book in the series presents a collection of chapters by experts in the study of religion. This volume explores how the great mystics and mystical traditions use, interpret, and reconstruct the sacred scriptures of their traditions.Less
This is the fourth in an influential series of volumes on mysticism, presenting a basic revaluation of the nature of mysticism. Each book in the series presents a collection of chapters by experts in the study of religion. This volume explores how the great mystics and mystical traditions use, interpret, and reconstruct the sacred scriptures of their traditions.
Niels Christian Hvidt
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195314472
- eISBN:
- 9780199785346
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314472.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, God guides and saves his people through the words of his prophets. When the prophets are silenced, the people easily lose their way. What happened after the incarnation, ...
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Throughout the Hebrew Bible, God guides and saves his people through the words of his prophets. When the prophets are silenced, the people easily lose their way. What happened after the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ? Did God fall silent? The dominant position in Christian theology is that prophecy did indeed cease at some point in the past — if not with the Old Testament prophets, then with John the Baptist, with Jesus, with the last apostle, or with the closure of the canon of the New Testament. Nevertheless, throughout the history of Christianity there have always been acclaimed saints and mystics, most of them women, who displayed prophetic traits. In recent years, the charismatic revival in both Protestant and Catholic circles has once again raised the question of the place and function of prophecy in Christianity. Mainstream systematic theology, both Protestant and Catholic, has mostly marginalized or ignored the gift of prophecy. This book argues that prophecy has persisted in Christianity as an inherent and continuous feature in the life of the church. Prophecy never died but rather proved its dynamism by mutating to meet new historical conditions. This book presents a history of prophecy and closely examines the development of the theological discourse that surrounds it. Throughout, though, there is always an awareness of the critical discernment required when evaluating the charism of prophecy. It is shown that the debate about prophecy leads to some profound insights about the very nature of Christianity and the church.Less
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, God guides and saves his people through the words of his prophets. When the prophets are silenced, the people easily lose their way. What happened after the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ? Did God fall silent? The dominant position in Christian theology is that prophecy did indeed cease at some point in the past — if not with the Old Testament prophets, then with John the Baptist, with Jesus, with the last apostle, or with the closure of the canon of the New Testament. Nevertheless, throughout the history of Christianity there have always been acclaimed saints and mystics, most of them women, who displayed prophetic traits. In recent years, the charismatic revival in both Protestant and Catholic circles has once again raised the question of the place and function of prophecy in Christianity. Mainstream systematic theology, both Protestant and Catholic, has mostly marginalized or ignored the gift of prophecy. This book argues that prophecy has persisted in Christianity as an inherent and continuous feature in the life of the church. Prophecy never died but rather proved its dynamism by mutating to meet new historical conditions. This book presents a history of prophecy and closely examines the development of the theological discourse that surrounds it. Throughout, though, there is always an awareness of the critical discernment required when evaluating the charism of prophecy. It is shown that the debate about prophecy leads to some profound insights about the very nature of Christianity and the church.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Unlike most women in Spanish society, women mystics achieved some recognition and were frequently consulted by the nobility. ‘Approved’ mystics tended to have greater access to male aristocracy, ...
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Unlike most women in Spanish society, women mystics achieved some recognition and were frequently consulted by the nobility. ‘Approved’ mystics tended to have greater access to male aristocracy, while female nobles sought out ‘false’ mystics. Further, in general, the ‘false’ mystics tended to relate to persons of lesser social standing, particularly in ecclesiastical circles. The mystics served as advisors on moral conduct and spiritual matters, and they also interceded on behalf of those in trouble and performed healings. However, mystics remained entrenched in male‐dominated society and church and were rarely permitted public recognition through preaching or missionary work.Less
Unlike most women in Spanish society, women mystics achieved some recognition and were frequently consulted by the nobility. ‘Approved’ mystics tended to have greater access to male aristocracy, while female nobles sought out ‘false’ mystics. Further, in general, the ‘false’ mystics tended to relate to persons of lesser social standing, particularly in ecclesiastical circles. The mystics served as advisors on moral conduct and spiritual matters, and they also interceded on behalf of those in trouble and performed healings. However, mystics remained entrenched in male‐dominated society and church and were rarely permitted public recognition through preaching or missionary work.
Morwenna Ludlow
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199280766
- eISBN:
- 9780191712906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280766.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter begins with a discussion of how Gregory of Nyssa's spiritual writings have rarely been the subject of extended and systematic theological reflection in English, nor do they seem to have ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of how Gregory of Nyssa's spiritual writings have rarely been the subject of extended and systematic theological reflection in English, nor do they seem to have been a useful place of reference for those interested in spirituality from a more practical point of view. The reason for the latter is because unlike many of the medieval mystics, Gregory gives no account of his own spiritual experiences, nor, arguably, any account which can be read as a straightforward description of a spiritual experience in the modern sense (as defined, for example, by William James or Rudolf Otto). It is argued that Gregory's reflections on spirituality arise from a profound belief in the transformation of human individuals in all their relationships (with each other as well as with God) as a result of the complex interplay between grace and humans' remaking of themselves.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of how Gregory of Nyssa's spiritual writings have rarely been the subject of extended and systematic theological reflection in English, nor do they seem to have been a useful place of reference for those interested in spirituality from a more practical point of view. The reason for the latter is because unlike many of the medieval mystics, Gregory gives no account of his own spiritual experiences, nor, arguably, any account which can be read as a straightforward description of a spiritual experience in the modern sense (as defined, for example, by William James or Rudolf Otto). It is argued that Gregory's reflections on spirituality arise from a profound belief in the transformation of human individuals in all their relationships (with each other as well as with God) as a result of the complex interplay between grace and humans' remaking of themselves.
Fred Lerdahl
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195178296
- eISBN:
- 9780199870370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178296.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, Theory, Analysis, Composition
This chapter extends the diatonic model of Chapter 2 to chromatic spaces that are relevant to the music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. First, the evolution of pitch space is demonstrated ...
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This chapter extends the diatonic model of Chapter 2 to chromatic spaces that are relevant to the music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. First, the evolution of pitch space is demonstrated through the collapse of tonal regions to create octatonic and hexatonic structures. The chord distance rule generalizes by means of minor modifications to derive related spaces, such as triadic/octatonic, triadic/hexatonic, whole-tone, and mystic spaces. Further developments include constraints on the form of basic spaces, attractions in chromatic spaces, a procedure for establishing the preferred space in a given context, and a method for measuring interspatial distances. The shape of preferred spaces leads to a metrical analogy, including metrical attractions, as illustrated by a passage in Mozart.Less
This chapter extends the diatonic model of Chapter 2 to chromatic spaces that are relevant to the music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. First, the evolution of pitch space is demonstrated through the collapse of tonal regions to create octatonic and hexatonic structures. The chord distance rule generalizes by means of minor modifications to derive related spaces, such as triadic/octatonic, triadic/hexatonic, whole-tone, and mystic spaces. Further developments include constraints on the form of basic spaces, attractions in chromatic spaces, a procedure for establishing the preferred space in a given context, and a method for measuring interspatial distances. The shape of preferred spaces leads to a metrical analogy, including metrical attractions, as illustrated by a passage in Mozart.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Within a culture of male domination, women in the period of the Counter‐Reformation achieved recognition and status as mystics, and their influence extended to all realms of society, including the ...
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Within a culture of male domination, women in the period of the Counter‐Reformation achieved recognition and status as mystics, and their influence extended to all realms of society, including the aristocracy. A mystic's acceptance, however, was predicated upon her strict adherence to ecclesiastical orthodoxy and hierarchy. Further, her childhood and adult convent life were marked by excessive austerity and, in many instances, abuse. If the mystic had a proper pedigree, succeeded in building a support system of male authorities, and could demonstrate her divine favor through visions and miracles, then she had the potential to become canonized. While women mystics did not challenge male authority within the church and indeed often were willing supporters of it, they did serve as inspiration to their male contemporaries and to generations of women who followed.Less
Within a culture of male domination, women in the period of the Counter‐Reformation achieved recognition and status as mystics, and their influence extended to all realms of society, including the aristocracy. A mystic's acceptance, however, was predicated upon her strict adherence to ecclesiastical orthodoxy and hierarchy. Further, her childhood and adult convent life were marked by excessive austerity and, in many instances, abuse. If the mystic had a proper pedigree, succeeded in building a support system of male authorities, and could demonstrate her divine favor through visions and miracles, then she had the potential to become canonized. While women mystics did not challenge male authority within the church and indeed often were willing supporters of it, they did serve as inspiration to their male contemporaries and to generations of women who followed.
S.J. William Harmless
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195300383
- eISBN:
- 9780199851560
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195300383.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter examines Rumi (1207–1273), a leading mystic of Islam and perhaps its finest poet. Jalal al-Din Rumi was a Sufi and founded one of Islam's major Sufi orders, the Mevlevi, known in popular ...
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This chapter examines Rumi (1207–1273), a leading mystic of Islam and perhaps its finest poet. Jalal al-Din Rumi was a Sufi and founded one of Islam's major Sufi orders, the Mevlevi, known in popular parlance as the “whirling dervishes”. Rumi's mysticism was pseudonymous. Shams may have been a favorite mask, but it was not his only one. Rumi consciously drew on the Sufi distinction between the states of separation and union. As Rumi complains, his poems are the expression of separation, not union. Judging the mystical experiences that underlie them, Rumi's poems were not meant to be read. They were recited to Sufi disciples who had gathered around him and who lost themselves in the whirling dance of the samā. Rumi as shaykh sought to lead them into the ineffable silence of God, into an experience of the speech-defying union of annihilation.Less
This chapter examines Rumi (1207–1273), a leading mystic of Islam and perhaps its finest poet. Jalal al-Din Rumi was a Sufi and founded one of Islam's major Sufi orders, the Mevlevi, known in popular parlance as the “whirling dervishes”. Rumi's mysticism was pseudonymous. Shams may have been a favorite mask, but it was not his only one. Rumi consciously drew on the Sufi distinction between the states of separation and union. As Rumi complains, his poems are the expression of separation, not union. Judging the mystical experiences that underlie them, Rumi's poems were not meant to be read. They were recited to Sufi disciples who had gathered around him and who lost themselves in the whirling dance of the samā. Rumi as shaykh sought to lead them into the ineffable silence of God, into an experience of the speech-defying union of annihilation.
Kevin Hart and Barbara Wall (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823225187
- eISBN:
- 9780823237135
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823225187.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This book provides a series of approaches to the ancient question of whether and how God is a matter of “experience”, or, alternately, to what extent the notion of experience can be ...
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This book provides a series of approaches to the ancient question of whether and how God is a matter of “experience”, or, alternately, to what extent the notion of experience can be true to itself if it does not include God. On the one hand, it seems impossible to experience God: the deity does not offer Himself to sense experience. On the other hand, there have been mystics who have claimed to have encountered God. The essays in this collection seek to explore the topic again, drawing insights from phenomenology, theology, literature, and feminism. Throughout, this collection maintains a strong connection with concrete rather than abstract approaches to God.Less
This book provides a series of approaches to the ancient question of whether and how God is a matter of “experience”, or, alternately, to what extent the notion of experience can be true to itself if it does not include God. On the one hand, it seems impossible to experience God: the deity does not offer Himself to sense experience. On the other hand, there have been mystics who have claimed to have encountered God. The essays in this collection seek to explore the topic again, drawing insights from phenomenology, theology, literature, and feminism. Throughout, this collection maintains a strong connection with concrete rather than abstract approaches to God.
Rhodri Hayward
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719074141
- eISBN:
- 9781781700778
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719074141.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
How can historians make sense of visions, hauntings and demonic possession? Do miraculous events have any place in a world governed by cause and effect? This book examines the cumulative attempts of ...
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How can historians make sense of visions, hauntings and demonic possession? Do miraculous events have any place in a world governed by cause and effect? This book examines the cumulative attempts of theologians, historians and psychologists to create a consistent and rational narrative capable of containing the inexplicable. It argues that the psychological theories we routinely use to make sense of supernatural experience were born out of struggles between popular mystics and conservative authorities. Its analysis of the Victorian disciplines of Christology, psychology and psychical research reveals how our modern concept of the subconscious was developed as a tool for policing religious inspiration. The book provides a fresh perspective for anyone interested in questioning the concepts that underlie historical writing and psychological thought today.Less
How can historians make sense of visions, hauntings and demonic possession? Do miraculous events have any place in a world governed by cause and effect? This book examines the cumulative attempts of theologians, historians and psychologists to create a consistent and rational narrative capable of containing the inexplicable. It argues that the psychological theories we routinely use to make sense of supernatural experience were born out of struggles between popular mystics and conservative authorities. Its analysis of the Victorian disciplines of Christology, psychology and psychical research reveals how our modern concept of the subconscious was developed as a tool for policing religious inspiration. The book provides a fresh perspective for anyone interested in questioning the concepts that underlie historical writing and psychological thought today.
Paul Marshall
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199279432
- eISBN:
- 9780191603440
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199279438.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Key questions about mystical experiences of the natural world are addressed.What are the experiences like? Some detailed accounts of extrovertive experience, and a feature list of their common or ...
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Key questions about mystical experiences of the natural world are addressed.What are the experiences like? Some detailed accounts of extrovertive experience, and a feature list of their common or notable characteristics are provided. Are extrovertive experiences necessarily sense-mediated? Unlike many theorists, the author does not assume that extrovertive contact with the world is always through sensory channels. How common are the experiences? The results of survey studies suggest that a small but significant proportion of the US and UK populations have some familiarity with extrovertive unity, at least in its milder forms. Are the experiences a recent development, inspired by Romantic thinkers, or do they have precedents in the world’ s religious traditions? Although not definitive, the evidence suggests that extrovertive experience long pre-dates its Romantic expressions.Less
Key questions about mystical experiences of the natural world are addressed.What are the experiences like? Some detailed accounts of extrovertive experience, and a feature list of their common or notable characteristics are provided. Are extrovertive experiences necessarily sense-mediated? Unlike many theorists, the author does not assume that extrovertive contact with the world is always through sensory channels. How common are the experiences? The results of survey studies suggest that a small but significant proportion of the US and UK populations have some familiarity with extrovertive unity, at least in its milder forms. Are the experiences a recent development, inspired by Romantic thinkers, or do they have precedents in the world’ s religious traditions? Although not definitive, the evidence suggests that extrovertive experience long pre-dates its Romantic expressions.
Natasha O'Hear
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199590100
- eISBN:
- 9780191725678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199590100.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Chapter 4 focuses on another synchronic visualization of elements of the Book of Revelation: Botticelli's Mystic Nativity of 1500/1. Botticelli's possible links to Savonarola himself and particularly ...
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Chapter 4 focuses on another synchronic visualization of elements of the Book of Revelation: Botticelli's Mystic Nativity of 1500/1. Botticelli's possible links to Savonarola himself and particularly to the piagnone movement are discussed as an important part of the cultural, artistic, and reliaious context of the painting. The unusually personal Greek inscription at the top of the painting in which Botticelli explicitly links the painting (superficially a Nativity scene) with Rev. 11. 12, and possibly 20 provides the focus for the hermeneutical discussion of the work. Possible links with the roughly contemporaneous Mystic Crucifixion are also discussed in an extended consideration of The Mystic Nativity's contemporary function and meaning within its early sixteenth‐century Florentine context. The exegetical implications of the painting are also touched upon in this chapter and returned to in Chapter 6.Less
Chapter 4 focuses on another synchronic visualization of elements of the Book of Revelation: Botticelli's Mystic Nativity of 1500/1. Botticelli's possible links to Savonarola himself and particularly to the piagnone movement are discussed as an important part of the cultural, artistic, and reliaious context of the painting. The unusually personal Greek inscription at the top of the painting in which Botticelli explicitly links the painting (superficially a Nativity scene) with Rev. 11. 12, and possibly 20 provides the focus for the hermeneutical discussion of the work. Possible links with the roughly contemporaneous Mystic Crucifixion are also discussed in an extended consideration of The Mystic Nativity's contemporary function and meaning within its early sixteenth‐century Florentine context. The exegetical implications of the painting are also touched upon in this chapter and returned to in Chapter 6.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
In response to fears of heterodoxy arising from Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic influences, the Spanish Counter‐Reformation sought, through education and indoctrination, to create a new vernacular ...
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In response to fears of heterodoxy arising from Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic influences, the Spanish Counter‐Reformation sought, through education and indoctrination, to create a new vernacular culture of religion. This led to a surge in interest in the lives of saints and mystics and a proliferation of the publication of hagiographies, which became readily available to the literate middle and upper‐middle classes as well as to the less educated. The monarchy openly supported canonization movements for many of these saints when it was perceived to be politically expedient. Study of the spiritual biographies of female saints and mystics became especially popular among both educated and less‐privileged women, leading to their imitation of devotional lifestyles and inspiring their own new mystical experiences. Although concerned with the need to control such female religious fervor, male theologians did not wish to diminish the growing Catholic enthusiasm.Less
In response to fears of heterodoxy arising from Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic influences, the Spanish Counter‐Reformation sought, through education and indoctrination, to create a new vernacular culture of religion. This led to a surge in interest in the lives of saints and mystics and a proliferation of the publication of hagiographies, which became readily available to the literate middle and upper‐middle classes as well as to the less educated. The monarchy openly supported canonization movements for many of these saints when it was perceived to be politically expedient. Study of the spiritual biographies of female saints and mystics became especially popular among both educated and less‐privileged women, leading to their imitation of devotional lifestyles and inspiring their own new mystical experiences. Although concerned with the need to control such female religious fervor, male theologians did not wish to diminish the growing Catholic enthusiasm.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Concerned that educated women would threaten male authority in religion and politics, a misogynous culture of male domination emerged to subordinate and restrict women's lives. Still concerned with ...
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Concerned that educated women would threaten male authority in religion and politics, a misogynous culture of male domination emerged to subordinate and restrict women's lives. Still concerned with potential heterodox threats, the church found itself in the paradoxical position of needing to enforce a conservative orthodoxy while at the same time not wanting to alienate those followers of popular religious trends who were also devoutly Catholic. As such, many women mystics who were prominent in popular movements were supported and even canonized. The spiritual piety of these women achieved greater and greater recognition and their writings flourished. Many, however, were wholly dependent upon their male spiritual advisors who had the power to determine their success or failure as mystics.Less
Concerned that educated women would threaten male authority in religion and politics, a misogynous culture of male domination emerged to subordinate and restrict women's lives. Still concerned with potential heterodox threats, the church found itself in the paradoxical position of needing to enforce a conservative orthodoxy while at the same time not wanting to alienate those followers of popular religious trends who were also devoutly Catholic. As such, many women mystics who were prominent in popular movements were supported and even canonized. The spiritual piety of these women achieved greater and greater recognition and their writings flourished. Many, however, were wholly dependent upon their male spiritual advisors who had the power to determine their success or failure as mystics.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
As the convent increasingly became a venue of ‘aristocratization’, those mystics who received ‘official’ approval tended to be women from privileged and educated families. Further, convents ...
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As the convent increasingly became a venue of ‘aristocratization’, those mystics who received ‘official’ approval tended to be women from privileged and educated families. Further, convents themselves began to mirror the existing social class hierarchy. While women from poorer backgrounds could achieve an ‘official’ mystic status, only rarely could they attain the position of convent abbess. Also, their educational achievements were attributed to divine intervention rather than natural intellectual gift. Approved mystics, especially those women of high social standing, had a well‐developed support system and knew that to maintain their positions it was necessary to staunchly uphold orthodox tenets and to uncompromisingly support the church's hierarchy, particularly the authority of bishops.Less
As the convent increasingly became a venue of ‘aristocratization’, those mystics who received ‘official’ approval tended to be women from privileged and educated families. Further, convents themselves began to mirror the existing social class hierarchy. While women from poorer backgrounds could achieve an ‘official’ mystic status, only rarely could they attain the position of convent abbess. Also, their educational achievements were attributed to divine intervention rather than natural intellectual gift. Approved mystics, especially those women of high social standing, had a well‐developed support system and knew that to maintain their positions it was necessary to staunchly uphold orthodox tenets and to uncompromisingly support the church's hierarchy, particularly the authority of bishops.
Stephen Haliczer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195148633
- eISBN:
- 9780199869923
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195148630.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
In a society that valued social status, lower‐class mystics tended to be regarded as ‘false.’ They were frequently subjected to the Inquisition, and, as many were uneducated and thus illiterate, they ...
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In a society that valued social status, lower‐class mystics tended to be regarded as ‘false.’ They were frequently subjected to the Inquisition, and, as many were uneducated and thus illiterate, they were not well acquainted with orthodox catechism and were often accused of heresy. Further, these ‘false’ mystics rarely benefited from the instruction and support of an elite spiritual advisor. Rather, the poorer mystics tended to have an unstable relationship with their confessors, who often were not well educated themselves. While some ‘false’ mystics found supporters within the aristocracy, they rarely secured support from the ecclesiastical hierarchy.Less
In a society that valued social status, lower‐class mystics tended to be regarded as ‘false.’ They were frequently subjected to the Inquisition, and, as many were uneducated and thus illiterate, they were not well acquainted with orthodox catechism and were often accused of heresy. Further, these ‘false’ mystics rarely benefited from the instruction and support of an elite spiritual advisor. Rather, the poorer mystics tended to have an unstable relationship with their confessors, who often were not well educated themselves. While some ‘false’ mystics found supporters within the aristocracy, they rarely secured support from the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
Kurt Flasch
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780300204865
- eISBN:
- 9780300216370
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300204865.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This book offers a reappraisal of the life and legacy of Meister Eckhart, the medieval German theologian, philosopher, and alleged mystic who was active during the Avignon Papacy of the fourteenth ...
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This book offers a reappraisal of the life and legacy of Meister Eckhart, the medieval German theologian, philosopher, and alleged mystic who was active during the Avignon Papacy of the fourteenth century and posthumously condemned as a heretic by Pope John XXII. Disputing his subject's frequent characterization as a hero of a modern, syncretic spirituality, the book attempts to free Eckhart from the “Mystical Flood” by inviting his readers to think along with Eckhart in a careful rereading of his Latin and German works. The text makes a powerful case for Eckhart's position as an important philosopher of the time rather than a mystic and casts new light on an important figure of the Middle Ages whose ideas attracted considerable attention from such diverse modern thinkers as Arthur Schopenhauer, Swami Vivekananda, D. T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm, and Jacques Derrida.Less
This book offers a reappraisal of the life and legacy of Meister Eckhart, the medieval German theologian, philosopher, and alleged mystic who was active during the Avignon Papacy of the fourteenth century and posthumously condemned as a heretic by Pope John XXII. Disputing his subject's frequent characterization as a hero of a modern, syncretic spirituality, the book attempts to free Eckhart from the “Mystical Flood” by inviting his readers to think along with Eckhart in a careful rereading of his Latin and German works. The text makes a powerful case for Eckhart's position as an important philosopher of the time rather than a mystic and casts new light on an important figure of the Middle Ages whose ideas attracted considerable attention from such diverse modern thinkers as Arthur Schopenhauer, Swami Vivekananda, D. T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm, and Jacques Derrida.
Mathew Thomson
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199287802
- eISBN:
- 9780191713378
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199287802.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter examines the interest in psychology among intellectuals in the first half of the century. It focuses on the trajectories of a series of figures, including A. R. Orage, Dimitri ...
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This chapter examines the interest in psychology among intellectuals in the first half of the century. It focuses on the trajectories of a series of figures, including A. R. Orage, Dimitri Mitrinovic, James Caruthers Young, Maurice Nicoll, and David Eder, involved in a group to discuss psychology associated with the radical literary journal, The New Age. In doing so, it presents interest in Freud, sex, and psychoanalysis as just one path, setting it alongside interest in Adler and Jung, but also mystics such as Gudjieff and Ouspensky. Parallels are drawn with popular psychology, particularly in relation to the emphasis on the practical, the spiritual, and social. Elitism and the appeal of gurus are also highlighted. The link between psychology and analysis of economics and class is a theme throughout.Less
This chapter examines the interest in psychology among intellectuals in the first half of the century. It focuses on the trajectories of a series of figures, including A. R. Orage, Dimitri Mitrinovic, James Caruthers Young, Maurice Nicoll, and David Eder, involved in a group to discuss psychology associated with the radical literary journal, The New Age. In doing so, it presents interest in Freud, sex, and psychoanalysis as just one path, setting it alongside interest in Adler and Jung, but also mystics such as Gudjieff and Ouspensky. Parallels are drawn with popular psychology, particularly in relation to the emphasis on the practical, the spiritual, and social. Elitism and the appeal of gurus are also highlighted. The link between psychology and analysis of economics and class is a theme throughout.
Helen Cooper
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199248865
- eISBN:
- 9780191719394
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199248865.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Early and Medieval Literature
Romance is decisively distinguished from hagiography by the value given to sexuality — specifically, to women’s ardent sexuality such as finds its fullest expression in marriage and procreation. The ...
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Romance is decisively distinguished from hagiography by the value given to sexuality — specifically, to women’s ardent sexuality such as finds its fullest expression in marriage and procreation. The representation of sexuality often serves to mark the emergence of the female subject, in particular through the heroines’ monologues; the typical Petrarchan language of love seems to have been developed in narrative in the 12th century, to be put into women’s mouths (and it is found too in the language of female mystics). English romance, notably in Spenser and Shakespeare, maintains a tradition of both approving and celebrating the active sexuality of its heroines, often heiresses or the founding mothers of a dynasty, who fall in love first and set about making sure that their chosen men reciprocate. Britomart is central to such a tradition, the cult of virginity of Elizabeth I awkwardly at odds with it.Less
Romance is decisively distinguished from hagiography by the value given to sexuality — specifically, to women’s ardent sexuality such as finds its fullest expression in marriage and procreation. The representation of sexuality often serves to mark the emergence of the female subject, in particular through the heroines’ monologues; the typical Petrarchan language of love seems to have been developed in narrative in the 12th century, to be put into women’s mouths (and it is found too in the language of female mystics). English romance, notably in Spenser and Shakespeare, maintains a tradition of both approving and celebrating the active sexuality of its heroines, often heiresses or the founding mothers of a dynasty, who fall in love first and set about making sure that their chosen men reciprocate. Britomart is central to such a tradition, the cult of virginity of Elizabeth I awkwardly at odds with it.
Gurinder Singh Mann
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198078012
- eISBN:
- 9780199080984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198078012.003.0030
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
Taking W.H. McLeod’s Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion as a point of departure, this chapter critiques the presentation of Guru Nanak as a mystic seeking human liberation that has dominated the ...
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Taking W.H. McLeod’s Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion as a point of departure, this chapter critiques the presentation of Guru Nanak as a mystic seeking human liberation that has dominated the scholarship of the previous generation. Based strictly on the information available in early sources, the chapter argues that the Guru founded a new community, an overwhelming majority of which was drawn from nomadic and low-caste Hindu society, provided it a with distinct set of institutional structures, and actively worked toward ensuring its survival after his death.Less
Taking W.H. McLeod’s Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion as a point of departure, this chapter critiques the presentation of Guru Nanak as a mystic seeking human liberation that has dominated the scholarship of the previous generation. Based strictly on the information available in early sources, the chapter argues that the Guru founded a new community, an overwhelming majority of which was drawn from nomadic and low-caste Hindu society, provided it a with distinct set of institutional structures, and actively worked toward ensuring its survival after his death.
