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Mary Suydam 

 

Religious Studies 329: Christian Mysticism

 

Prof. Suydam

Ascension 11

PBX 5607

Office Hours T-TH 1-:230 and MW 2:10- 3:00 PM and by appointment


I. Course Aims: This course explores the evolution and development of the Christian spiritual mystical traditions and prayer practices from the origins of Christianity to the present day. How does mysticism differ from Christian spirituality? It analyzes mysticism’s origins in philosophical traditions based upon neoplatonic theories as well as the ecstatic practices of early Christians. One goal of the course is to problematize the term "mysticism" and trace its linguistic and philosophical development through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Questions we will be asking include: Is mysticism a solitary or a communal experience? Do mystics who engage in somatic practices (such as copious weeping, bleeding, or fasting) represent a "less pure" variant of mysticism than those who prefer solitary contemplation? Do mystical practices change to reflect new societal values, such as the Protestant Reformation and the Pentecostal movements of today? Is mystical spirituality different for men and women? We will also explore the influence of mystical traditions in "mainstream" Christian spirituality.

Links

Selected handouts

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary Ten Commandments for Essay Writing
Taize chant: Bless the Lord Twenty Rules Not to Follow
The Bible Unbound The Academic Study of Religion
Augustine on the Web Glossary of Mystical Terms
LBIS and E-Res  

II Texts

Required:

Jantzen, Grace. Power, Gender, and Christian Mysticism. Cambridge University Press: 1995

Julian of Norwich: Showings . Paulist Press: 1978

Chadwick, Henry, trans., St. Augustine: Confessions. Oxford World Classics: 2008

Zum Brunn, E., and Épiney-Burgard, G., Women Mystics in Europe. Paragon House: 1988

--Other texts as noted on E-Res and Web Links

Recommended: full text available on Course Reserve and excerpts available on E-Res:

Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Writings (trans. By G.R. Evans). Paulist Press: 1987

The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Penguin: 1978

The Shakers, ed. Robley Whitson (Paulist Press, 1983)

Jacob Boehme, The Way to Christ , translated by Peter Erb (Paulist Press, 1978)

Pietists:  Selected Writings , edited by Peter Erb (Paulist Press, 1983)

Happold, F.C., Mysticism: A Study and an Anthology

Meister Eckhart, The Essential Sermons, trans. Edmund Colledge and Bernard McGinn

Origen: An Exhortation to Martyrdom, etc., trans. Rowan Greer


III Course Requirements

FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WILL BE HANDED OUT MAY 3.

FINAL EXAM IS DUE TUESDAY, MAY 7 BY 9 A.M. HAND IN AT MY OFFICE (ASCENSION 11).