Integral Holiness
Mystical writers pretty much from the earliest years of the Christian era have insisted that the unavoidable first step in walking the way of the mysteries is to embrace a life of holiness. Not so much that we can just decide “I want to be holy now,” like someone decides they’ll learn how to play the guitar; for holiness is a grace given, not a skill achieved. Nevertheless, since Divine gifts are not foisted upon us without our consent, holiness demands that we at least choose to cooperate with the dynamics of grace at work in our lives.
But what does it mean to be holy? (more…)
Feast of the Visitation
Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. This morning during mass the monks chanted this lovely hymn to the Mother of God:
Alleluia.
Ave, Stillans Melle Alvearium;
Ave, Veri Salomonis Ferculum;
Ave, Verbi Dei Tu Sacrarium;
Ave, Deitatis Receptaculum,
Maria.
Here it is again in English:
Alleluia.
Hail, Beehive Dripping with Honey;
Hail, Offspring of the True Solomon;
Hail, Shrine of the Word of God;
Hail, Recepticle of the Godhead,
Mary.
Thanks to Youtube and Robin Meyers, the UCC “Bouncer” Ad Lives On…
I’m reading Robin Meyers’ wonderful if infuriating book Why the Christian Right is Wrong (I plan on posting a review once I’m finished). Today I’m reading the chapter on the Christian right’s hostility to gay and lesbian persons, and Meyers mentions the ad that the United Church of Christ attempted to run on national television in 2004, but couldn’t because the major networks deemed it “too controversial.” In honor of that ad, which deserves to be seen by everyone, I’m happy to note that some good folks have made sure that it lives on in Youtube, which of course allows me to embed it here:
Quote for the Day
Therefore the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word contains in itself the whole meaning of the riddles and symbols of Scripture, the whole significance of visible and invisible creatures. Whoever knows the mystery of the cross and the tomb knows the meaning of things. Whoever is initiated into the hidden meaning of the resurrection knows the purpose for which God created everything in the beginning.
— Maximus the Confessor, as quoted by Olivier Clément
in The Roots of Christian Mysticism
The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition
The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition: From Plato to Denys
New Edition
By Andrew Louth
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2007
Review by Carl McColman
Andrew Louth, Professor of Theology at Durham University in the UK, is that rarest of literary treasures: an academic writer whose prose is engaging and delightful to read. A survey like this one, covering the key philosophers and theologians whose work comprise the headwaters of the “Christian mystical tradition” could easily sink under the weight of its topical dullness, especially given how old the source material is (the youngest figure Louth treats in this book, Denys — more commonly known as Pseudo-Dionysius — flourished some 1500 years ago). The dramatic and colorful figures of the golden age of mysticism, from Meister Eckhart to Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila, all lived centuries to a millennium after the period Louth is covering in this book; which means that he has to argue for the importance and relevance of writers whose ideas and arguments all too often seem so abstractly foreign to the twenty-first century as to be virtually meaningless. But Louth’s style is nimble and expository, he not only surveys the key ideas of the earliest writers in the mystical canon, but explains what makes them innovative or significant to the later tradition. (more…)
Beckwith
Dr. Frank Beckwith of Baylor University has resigned his position as the president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Why? Because he has been received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Read about it here. Apparently, even in 2007 it’s not cool for an evangelical theologian to be a Catholic.
Even more interesting is Dr. Beckwith’s blog (and the wide array of commentary that it engenders). Check out a few posts here, here and especially here. Alas, you don’t have to look very far to see just how pervasive anti-Catholicism remains in our world, particularly among conservative Protestants. But let me not end on that negative note: here is a gracious, wonderful letter written by an evangelical pastor in support of Beckwith’s conversion.
That Crazy Jesus…
Of the many qualities I love about Jesus, chief among them was his willingness to flout social rules and hang out with the kinds of people that “polite society” of his day wanted nothing to do with. Jesus himself was in all likelihood a solid member of the Jewish middle class, as exemplified by the earthy nature of the hard but honest work that he and his family and friends and associates did: carpentry, shepherding, fishing. Some scholars have speculated that Jesus was himself a Pharisee, since much of his most vitriolic criticism was leveled at the Pharisees and, after all, don’t we criticize what we know and even love the best? If so, that would make Jesus as religiously respectable as we was socioeconomically. But Jesus wasn’t about respect. He really couldn’t give a fig about what the neighbors thought, apparently. After all, he was known to associate with Samaritans, tax collectors, prostitutes and other sinners. (more…)
Quote for the Day
More and more Americans have begun to realize that the most vociferous supporters of the war often do not back up that support by actually serving in the military. More Democrats than Republicans are war heroes, and few demographic groups have more vocal support but less actual enlistment than the Young Republicans. While they disparage liberals for protesting the war, they believe they can best serve their country by going to college. There are elite business and law schools to attend and grand pronouncements to make about this being a ‘liberation,’ not a war. When asked why they are not doing the actual ‘liberating,’ these boisterous lads argue that their political work stateside is more important. That is, they march and cheer for Bush while poor and middle-class boys are literally dying to protect the lads’ careers. From a distance, war is such a rush.
— Robin Meyers, Why the Christian Right is Wrong
The Seven Monstrances
In Catholic Eucharistic devotion, a consecrated host is sometimes displayed, either during a liturgical service of benediction, or in a special chapel where people gather for silent prayer and adoration to Christ present in the host. In these settings, the host is exposed in a monstrance (a word etymologically related to “demonstrate”), a vessel considered to be sacred since it contains the veritable Body of Christ, present in the host. Now, I know this is the kind of thing that makes not only most Protestants but even some liberal Catholics grind their teeth — “wafer worship” is how one Episcopal priest described Eucharistic adoration to me — but I think to dismiss veneration of the consecrated host as mere idolatry is to make the same mistake as the iconoclasts did in the eighth century. Sacramental or mystical spirituality is grounded in the conviction and belief that the entire universe is shot through with the grandeur and presence of God. Thus, to venerate Christ present in the Eucharistic host is simply to acknowledge the particularity of the Divine presence which we know to be truly universally present, for “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).
Quote for the Day
Worldwide terrorism has increased dramatically since the invasion of Iraq, which is now being waged, we are told, to keep us safe from terrorism. It’s not working… This is the logic of our time: it is better to go on killing more of them, even if they go on killing more of us, so that we can remind everyone how vital it is that we kill more of them first.
It all reminds me of the shortest verse in the New Testament: ‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35).
— Robin Meyers, Why the Christian Right is Wrong
Flannery O’Connor at Emory
Just arrived in my email:
You are cordially invited to “Down on Paper: A Reading from the Flannery O’Connor-Betty Hester Letters,” to be held in Emory’s Cannon Chapel at 6 p.m. on May 22. Actress Brenda Bynum will give a dramatic reading drawn from the newly-opened collection of 274 letters between these two women. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. Co-sponsors of the event are the Robert Woodruff Library and the Aquinas Center of Theology.
Perhaps I’ll see you there…
Flannery O’Connor at Emory
Just arrived in my email:
You are cordially invited to “Down on Paper: A Reading from the Flannery O’Connor-Betty Hester Letters,” to be held in Emory’s Cannon Chapel at 6 p.m. on May 22. Actress Brenda Bynum will give a dramatic reading drawn from the newly-opened collection of 274 letters between these two women. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. Co-sponsors of the event are the Robert Woodruff Library and the Aquinas Center of Theology.
Perhaps I’ll see you there…
Breathe in, breathe out
I had this thought while driving to work this morning. It’s so obvious I’m surprised no one has built a book around it yet. Or perhaps they have, and I just don’t know about it. At any rate, this could wind up being the skeleton on which a future book proposal of mine is built…
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40, NRSV).
Here is the schema for Christian spirituality. The first commandment signifies the realm of mystical spirituality: the spirituality of the mysteries. By falling in love with God, we are ushered into the Divine mysteries: the mystery of grace, the mystery of penance, the mystery of light, the mystery of deification, the mystery of ecstatic consciousness. Here we discover the image and likeness of God, engraved in our hearts.
The second commandment signifies the realm of communal spirituality: the spirituality of encountering Christ in service to the other. This is the realm of Benedictine hospitality and Jesuit spiritual guidance, of the Celtic love for nature and the Franciscan embrace of Holy Poverty. Here we find the liberation theologian’s commitment to social justice and the charitable work of the Salvation Army or the St. Vincent de Paul society.
If the first commandment represents the spirituality of receiving from God, the second commandment represents the equally important spirituality of passing on what we have received to others.
I think it can be likened to breathing: mystical spirituality is the “breathing in” of Divine Love and Light, while communal spirituality is the “breathing out” of such love and light in our efforts to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Just as you can’t keep breathing in without breathing out (or vice versa), so too these two dimensions of Christian spirituality are absolutely dependent on each other: you can’t be a contemplative without loving the neighbor as yourself, and you won’t have love to give to your neighbor without grounding yourself in the life of contemplation.
Like I said: it’s obvious.
Entering the Castle
Mark your calendars! On June 7, Darrell Grizzle, aka Grateful Bear, and I will be teaching a class at the Phoenix and Dragon Bookstore in Atlanta, on the new book by Carolyn Myss, Entering the Castle, which is a guidebook for spiritual development based on the wisdom teachings of the Carmelite mystic Teresa of Avila. Should be a fun evening of celebrating Christian wisdom in an ecumenical/interfaith perspective.
Entering the Castle
Mark your calendars! On June 7, Darrell Grizzle, aka Grateful Bear, and I will be teaching a class at the Phoenix and Dragon Bookstore in Atlanta, on the new book by Carolyn Myss, Entering the Castle, which is a guidebook for spiritual development based on the wisdom teachings of the Carmelite mystic Teresa of Avila. Should be a fun evening of celebrating Christian wisdom in an ecumenical/interfaith perspective.
Quotes for the Day
Christ, the good artist, for those who believe Him and gaze continually at Him, straightway portrays after His own image a heavenly man. Out of His own Spirit, out of the substance of light itself, the ineffable light, He paints a heavenly image, and bestows upon it its good and gracious Spouse. If a man does not gaze constantly at Him, overlooking everything else, the Lord will not paint His image with His own light.
— Pseudo-Macarius (4th century)
If a person should desire to do something himself with his interior faculties, he would hinder and lose the goods which God engraves upon his soul through that peace and idleness. If a model for a painting or retouching of a portrait should move because of a desire to do something, the artist would be unable to finish, and his work would be disturbed. Similarly any operation, affection or advertency a soul might desire when it wants to abide in interior peace and idleness, would cause distraction and disquietude, and make it feel sensory dryness and emptiness.
— St. John of the Cross (16th century)
Both quoted in Andrew Louth, The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition From Plato to Denys
A Mini-Sabbatical…
Continuing my journey through 111 of the great western mystics that I began in late 2004, recently I’ve been plodding through the A. C. Ionides translation of Proclus’ Elements of Theology, and — in all candor — have been hating almost every minute of it. Meanwhile, I’ve also been reading Brian Hines’ cleverly executed introduction to Plotinus crafted specifically for spiritual seekers, Return to the One: Plotinus’s Guide to God-Realization. Compared to Proclus’ overly mechanistic and abstract (to the point of desiccation) mapping of the cosmos, I’m finding Hines’ commentary on Plotinus to be thoroughly fun by comparison. Most enjoyable of all, I’m learning how the intellectual story of mysticism unfolded in the early church, thanks to Andrew Louth’s magisterial (and all too brief) The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition: From Plato to Denys. Next up on my reading schedule is a true warhorse of the contemplative tradition; a five-star, major-hitter mystic: Pseudo-Dionysius, aka Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, aka Denys (as Louth and others in the tradition call him). Denys/Pseudo-Dionysius, an unknown Syrian mystic theologian writing around the year 500 CE, crafted the ancient world’s most finely honed integration of pagan Neoplatonism and Christian spirituality in his few short treatises and letters; his corpus of writings therefore became massively influential throughout the church both east and west, with the author of The Cloud of Unknowing and St. John of the Cross among his disciples. So needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to the day when I would sit down and savor the Dionysian corpus, even if only in translation.
Well, as that day looms nearer, my anticipation has suddenly grown cold. In fact, I’m thinking I’m going to delay reading the works of Pseudo-Dionysius for several months, perhaps even a year.
Why? (more…)
Christians and Atheists in dialogue
The Christian Science Monitor recently ran an interesting article about efforts to spark congenial, constructive grassroots dialogue between Christians and atheists. Click here to read the story.
Quote for the Day
if god is everywhere, where are we?
— Advertising slogan for Caiaphas, a now defunct, Atlanta-
based web development & graphic design agency
Quote for the Day
…you must realize that in this life it will be impossible to continue in this work [of contemplation] with the same intensity all the time. Sickness, afflictions of body and mind, and countless other necessities of nature will often leave you indisposed and keep you from its heights. Yet, at the same time, I counsel you to remain at it always either in earnest or, as it were, playfully. What I mean is that through desire you can remain with it even when other things intervene.
— Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing (translated by William Johnston)
The Man with One Arm
This morning after mass I stopped at our local Quiktrip convenience store. I didn’t need anything, but I thought I’d grab a coke and a bag of chips, and put a dollar down on the Mega Millions Game, which has a $96 million jackpot right now. So basically I wanted to blow three bucks on junk food and a fantasy. Nothing wrong with that, right?
So I get out of the car and standing right in front of me is a fellow that looked to be about my age, skinny and grizzled, in jeans and a white t-shirt. The left sleeve of his shirt hung empty. I made fleeting eye contact with him and we nodded at one another, and then I went into the store. (more…)
After the Magic: the Book?
Shortly after I left the Neopagan world and went through RCIA and entered the Catholic faith, I wrote an article about my crisis of faith (read: disillusionment) with paganism, which appeared on Beliefnet under the title After the Magic. Ever since that article appeared, I’ve wondered if there’s a book in that story. Back to Anne Lamott: it’s not a book I wish I could have read; on the contrary, it’s a story I lived. But then again, maybe it would have been something I would have read, if I had found it fifteen years ago.
I’ve resisted writing a book about the-Pagan-who-became-a-Catholic because I don’t want to write an anti-Pagan book, and I’ve worried that the only people who would read a book like this are fundamentalist Christians eager for exposés that reveal “the dark secrets” of Paganism. If I write a conversion book, I’d want it to be respectful of both faiths. Well, with my recent interest in the emergent conversation (the writings of folks like Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, Peter Rollins, Spencer Burke, etc.) I’ve begun to suspect that a positive/respectful from-Pagan-to-Christian book just might be viable after all.
Now it’s just a question of what angle would I take: I could look at it politically (I became a Pagan because I wanted an ecofeminist spirituality, and I became disillusioned when I came to the conclusion that Paganism is no more inherently ecofeminist than any other faith), spiritually (I became a Pagan because I thought Christianity wasn’t mystical enough, but I came to believe that Paganism is even less mystical than Christianity), or culturally (much of my disillusionment with Paganism has to do with my discomfort with the spell-casting culture, which I think is too uncritically derivative of the overall consumer culture we live in).
Or some combination thereof.
The book I wish I could read (continued)…
When I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school, I had a very unsettling dream about the end of the world. Perhaps that in itself is not so surprising, as my world was coming to an end in that I had just left the comfort and security of secondary education and was about to strike off on my own, living away from home for the first time. Consciously I was only excited about going to college, but there was plenty enough anxiety gurgling just below the threshold of my normal awareness to power a nightmare of truly apocalyptic proportions.
Quote for the Day
“…the philosophical critique of ideology mirrors the biblical rejection of idolatry… [Idolatry] can be understood to refer to any attempt that would render the essence of God accessible, bringing God into either aesthetic visibility (in the form of a physical structure, such as a statue) or conceptual visibility (in the form of a concept, such as a theological system)… the former reduces God to a physical object while the latter reduces God to an intellectual object.”
— Peter Rollins, How (Not) to Speak of God
