Meeting the Almighty
The Summer 2006 issue of Notre Dame Magazine (from the University of Notre Dame) features a fascinating article by ND theology professor Lawrence S. Cunningham on the distinction between Catholic and New Age mysticism. Clearly written from an orthodox/traditionalist perspective, the article includes a very useful survey of the history of the words mystic, mysticism and mystical — words that, in their current usage, really only date back to the 17th century.
The tone of the article at the beginning (where he rants about the New Age) is pretty grouchy. But it improves greatly after that. So if you get triggered by Christian Chauvinism, skip the first four paragraphs.
Click to read the article: Meeting the Almighty
