Some Thoughts on Mysticism
by Eddie L. Hyatt
In a recent church gathering a well-known
evangelical pastor led his congregation in a “breathing” exercise in which
they were exhorted to take “nice, big, deep breaths.” He went on to explain
that such breathing exercises, along with meditation, reflection, and silence,
have been central to the Christian tradition for thousands of years. He then
sought to buttress his argument by pointing out that, “In Yoga, one of the
central tenets of Yoga is your breath needs to remain the same regardless of
pose. And the Yoga Masters say this is how it is when you follow Jesus and
surrender to God.”[i] Pastor Rob Bell is typical of many today
who are looking to the medieval mystics (and to Eastern forms of mysticism) in
their search for spiritual reality. But while many of the medieval mystics can
be admired for their passion and devotion, they cannot be followed in many of
their doctrines and experiences. Being loyal to the medieval church and sharing
in its lax (and sometimes hostile) attitude toward Scripture, they often exhibit
a glaring lack of discernment and common sense. So while some of their
experiences are, no doubt, genuine, many are obviously psychic and some are
probably demonic. The
Origins of Mysticism Medieval mysticism arose in reaction to
the lifeless, outward forms of the medieval church. During the same period
evangelical revival groups also emerged for similar reasons. But whereas the
revival groups, such as the Waldenses and Albigneses, gave their loyalties to
the Scriptures, and looked there for models of faith and spirituality, the
mystics tended to give their allegiance to the pope and the institutional
church.[iii] This meant that the mystics were more susceptible to non-Biblical
approaches to spirituality and this resulted in their adoption of many beliefs
and practices that were rooted in pagan, mystical thought, particularly
Neoplatonism. Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism arose in the 3rd century
through the Egyptian philosopher, Plotinus, who emphasized and expanded the
teachings of Plato and turned Plato’s philosophical system into a mystical
religion. Plato had taught that there is a supreme being from which all other
beings derive their existence, and he also believed in the immortality of the
human soul. Expanding on Plato’s teaching, Plotinus taught that this Supreme
Being, whom he called “The One,” was absolutely “other than” this
physical world and, therefore, could not be grasped or understood by human
reason or knowledge. From “The One” had emanated a series of descending
entities resulting in a hierarchy of divine beings between “The One” and
humanity. Plotinus believed that it was one of these lesser emanations that had
created the physical world. The ultimate goal of the Neoplatonist was, through
contemplation of “The One,” to ascend through this hierarchy of beings and
be united with “The One.” Since “The One” existed beyond all human
knowledge and rationale, “The One” could only be encountered in an
irrational state of ecstasy (trance) achieved through mystical contemplation.
The noted church historian, Dr. Justo Gonzalez, says, Neoplatonism Enters the Church Neoplatonism became very popular
throughout the Greco-Roman world and, as might be expected, many Christians
attempted to follow the Neoplatonic route of contemplation. In the 6th century,
one of these Neoplatonic minded Christians wrote a treatise on mystical
contemplation and at the top penned the words, “Dyonisius the Elder to His
Fellow-Elder Timothy.” By this stroke of the pen this unknown individual, now
believed to have been a Syrian monk, claimed his writings to be the work of one
of Paul’s earliest disciples, Dyonisius of Athens (Acts 17:34), whom tradition
says was the first bishop of Athens, written to another early disciple, Timothy.
The forgery worked and the works of this individual, now known as “False
Dyonisius,” were accepted as the works of one of Paul’s earliest disciples
and, thereby, gained much acceptance and authority in the medieval church. So
popular became these works that all students of theology were expected to study
the wisdom of Dyonisius. Bishops regularly quoted from them and several of the
foremost medieval theologians wrote commentaries on them. It was not until the
16th century that the authenticity of these writings began to be questioned by
the Reformers. Both Protestants and Catholics now recognize these as later
documents written by a “False Dyonisius.” Nonetheless, during the Middle Ages Paul
was read through the eyes of Dyonisius and turned into a mystic by the medieval
church. Spiritual experiences and revelations through contemplation were exalted
and valued while the Scriptures were often ignored and, at times, even banned by
the institutional church.[v] Exotic, non-Biblical miracles such as levitations,
communion wafers bleeding, icons weeping, the wounds of the cross (the stigmata)
appearing on individuals, apparitions of the saints and the Virgin Mary, etc.
were hailed as the great works of God. Paul’s experience of being caught up to
the third heaven, which he reluctantly shared in II Corinthians 12:1-6, was
interpreted by the mystics as an experience initiated by Paul through mystic
contemplation. In fact, “Paul’s entire life was viewed as a process of
mystical ascension, and his letters were considered to be guides in that
process.”[vi] Within this Neoplatonic, mystical mindset emerged the mystical
movement of the medieval church of which the following traits were
characteristic. · A mystical union of the soul with God Characteristic 1: A Mystical Union of the Soul with God Like the Neoplatonist, the goal of the
Christian medieval mystic was a union of the human soul with God in which the
individual would “swim in the wild waves of the ocean of God’s being.”[vii]
This mystical union could only be achieved in a state of quietness and
contemplation, “the quiet dark in which all who love God lose themselves,”
as one mystic put it. As aids in achieving this contemplative state, various
postures and techniques for prayer and meditation were employed. Some were quite
remarkable. Gregory Palamas, a 13th century monk, stressed quietness and
stillness in the pursuit of this union with God. As an aid to concentration, he
recommended that the chin rest on the chest, with the eyes fixed on the
navel.[viii] Characteristic
2: A Withdrawal From the World In its merger with Monasticism, mysticism
took on an ascetic character in which withdrawal from the world and the normal
routines of daily life was emphasized. The monastery and the convent thus became
the ideal places where mysticism could be studied and applied. In the monastery,
Luther diligently sought to find peace with God through ascetic and mystical
practices but was frustrated in these attempts. After finding peace with God
through the revelation of the gospel in the Scriptures, he wrote, “If ever a
monk got to heaven by monkery, I would have gotten there.” Characteristic
3: An Unhealthy Preoccupation with Suffering An unhealthy preoccupation with suffering
characterized medieval mysticism. Some mystics, such as Julian
of Norwich (1342-ca.1416), considered one of the greatest English mystics, prayed to be deathly
sick, thinking that through such suffering she could better identify with Christ
in His sufferings. Not having an opportunity to suffer for Christ, as did the
early Christian martyrs, many mystics pursued a self-inflicted martyrdom. For
example, Henry Suso (d. 1366), a German Dominican mystic who gained fame for his
sanctity and devotion, wore an undergarment studded with 150 sharp tacks that,
he said, felt as if he were lying in a nest of wasps. He also made a wooden
cross to which he affixed 30 spikes and on this he lay every night for eight
years. To intensify his suffering, he affixed seven sharp needles to the cross,
and for a long time, he daily inflicted himself with two penitential drills. In
these exercises, he would tie the cross to his back and beat upon it with his
fist until the spikes and needles penetrated the flesh and the blood flowed down
to his feet.[ix] This unhealthy preoccupation with
suffering, and the belief that it produced a cleansing effect on the soul, gave
rise to writings such as The Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross
(1542–91), a Spanish mystic and close friend of Theresa of Ávila (1515-1584).
Characteristic 4: The Rejection of Rational Thinking Medieval mysticism also rejected reason
and rational thinking, accessing these as hindrances to the soul achieving unity
with God. A work by “False Dyonisius” that gained much fame in the medieval
church was a book called Mystic Theology in which he said, The parallels with Neoplatonism,
particularly in the rejection of reason and union with the Divine, are obvious.
Gonzalez describes this work as, “An explanation of basically Neoplatonic
mysticism in which the religious life consists in an ascending vision of God.[xi]
Mysticism Does Not Align with Of course, neither Jesus nor Paul
advocated the rejection of the intellect or rational thinking. In fact, Jesus
said that we are to love God with all our . . . minds (Matthew 22:37). Paul’s
mode of operation in fulfilling his call to the Gentiles involved the use of
logical thinking as he reasoned daily in the synagogues and in the school of
Tyrannus concerning the identity of Jesus (Acts 17:2-3; 19:9-10). It is the
carnal mind that is against God, not the mind per se. The answer is not to
reject the mind and rational thinking, but to renew the mind in God’s Word as
Paul admonishes in Romans 12:2. Although God’s Word and Spirit will often
transcend human reason, they will never violate it or seek to eliminate it. Medieval mysticism is out of touch with
Jesus and the New Testament in terms of prayer, as well. Jesus does not teach
any form of mystical prayer. He does not teach any postures or techniques for
prayer and meditation. Neither is there any mention of silence or contemplation.
Instead, Jesus emphasizes a relational approach to God in which prayer is simple
conversation with a loving, benevolent Being whom He calls Abba, an endearing
term used only by children for the father in the Jewish household. For Jesus, oneness with God is not a mystical union of one’s being with God, but a practical oneness of will and purpose, culminated by the indwelling Holy Spirit and Word of God in one’s life. Another point of divergence with Jesus
and New Testament Christianity is that Jesus does not call His disciples to
withdraw from the world into solitude and contemplation. Instead, He sends them
into the world and promises a baptism in the Holy Spirit that will empower them
to prophetically engage the world as His witnesses (John 17:18; Acts 1:8). Neither does Jesus teach progressive
stages of cleansing through darkness and suffering, as did the mystics. Instead,
He shed His Blood to cleanse from sin and its effects. He also emphasizes the
Word of God as an agent of cleansing. For example, He says to His disciples,
"You are already clean through the word I have spoken to you" (John
15:3). And He prays to the Father, "Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word
is truth" (John 17:17). Parallels
With Eastern Mysticism Some have also pointed out the parallels
of medieval mysticism with religions of the East—such as Buddhism and
Hinduism--that also seek a mystical union of the human soul with the Divine
through meditation and contemplation. It is possible that Neoplatonism itself
was influenced by Eastern religious thought since there was commercial
interaction between India and the Roman Empire, especially in the eastern sector
where Neoplatonism arose. This is why Kung says, Although many of the mystics can be admired for their commitment and devotion, we must recognize that many of their concepts and approaches to prayer and spirituality are rooted in pagan, mystical religion, i.e., Neoplatonism. The Reformers and Revivalists of the 16th century did not consider the medieval mystics to be their predecessors but, rather, sought to model their faith and spirituality after Jesus and the New Testament. Those who are hungering for spiritual reality in the 21st century would be wise to follow their example. [i] www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/robbelltranscript.doc Eddie L. Hyatt, March 30, 2009
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