Time scale only approximate
Routes of Mystical Traditions: Antiquity to St. Teresa of Avila |
I'm simply summarizing here ideas that have been presented in various places elsewhere. The goal is to integrate many disparate facts into a single diagram for ease of reference and to potentially help mentally organize the information -- to see the 'gestalt', as it were.
The modern version of that view, influenced by New Age thought and earlier theosophical writings, tends to advocate a religious relativism that vaguely asserts "all religions point to a common truth." This relativism leads easily to a mistaken view that all traditions are of equal value and interchangeable, and therefore one may select ones own practices from among them based solely on personal preferences.
While there may be some recurring common elements throughout the history of mysticism -- and these are certainly worth noting and studying -- that does not preclude the possibility of there also being important differences. Thus, while it seems fairly easy to trace a historical connection between some elements of the mysticism of, on the one hand, St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, and, on the other, Neoplatonist and earlier traditions, this should not blind us to certain obvious differences. In particular, in Christian mysticism God is both transcendent and personal. In Neoplatonism one finds no counterpart of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, much less of a personal mystical encounter with Jesus Christ.
A helpful, nonpictorial chronology of mysticism can be found at the Bruce B. Janz' web page, Who's Who in the History of Western Mysticism.
Time scale only approximate
PRE-CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM
Pythagoras (c.580 - c.500 BC). Reportedly studied with Egyptian priests, Chaldeans, Magi. No extant writings(?).
Plato (428 - 348 BC). Pupil of Socrates (c.470 - 399 BC). Influenced by Pythagoreanism, Orphism, Parmenides (c.510 - c.450 BC), Empedocles (c.490 - c.430 BC). Works include The Republic, Symposium, Phaedrus, Timaeus and many other dialogues.
EARLY CENTURIES A.D. - NON-CHRISTIAN
Porphyry (c.232 - 304 AD). Life of Plotinus; On the Cave of the Nymphs.
Iamblichus (c.245 - c.325 AD). On the Egyptian Mysteries; The Life of Pythagoras.
Proclus (412 - 485 AD). Platonic Theology; Elements of Theology; commentaries on Plato's dialogues.
EARLY CHRISTIAN
Origen (c.185 - c.254 AD): First Principles; Against Celsus; Commentary on the Song of Songs. Followed Clement of Alexandria as head of the catechetical school of Alexandria. Immensely prolific writer; most works lost due to anathemization. Influenced Egyptian monasticism.
St. Augustine (354 - 430 AD). Influenced by Platonism/Neoplatonism. Famous descriptions of his mystical experiences in Confessions would certainly be known to St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (writing c.500 AD). Mystical Theology; Divine Names; Celestial Hierarchy. Enigmatic anonymous writer; strong and definite Neoplatonic influences. Major source of 'negative' (apophatic) spirituality in subsequent Christian tradition. Until 15th century, was believed to be a personal disciple of St. Paul (i.e., the 'Dionysius the Areopagite' of Acts 17:34); hence writings carried much weight in Medieval Christian mysticism.
John Scott Erigena (John Scotus Eriugena) (c.800 - c.877). Christian, often considered a Neoplatonist. Translated the works of Pseudo-Dionysius to Latin.
CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM
Evagrius Ponticus (345 - 399 AD). On the Thoughts; On Prayer; The Praktikos; The Gnostikos; Kephalaia Gnostica. Egyptian monastic, mystic, and ascetic. More influential in the Eastern Church; influence on West mainly through John Cassian.
St. John Cassian (c.360 - 433). Institutes; Conferences. Transmitted the wisdom and ascetical theology of the Desert Fathers of Egypt to the Latin West. Strongly influenced Western monasticism.
St. Benedict of Nursia (c.480 AD - 547 AD). Founded Benedictine order. Influenced by John Cassian. His work, the Rule of St. Benedict, became the model for Western monasticism.
This is clearly a very large topic. Here we mention only two figures relevant to the present task.
Suhrawardi (1155 - 1191). Founded school of Islamic Illuminism.
Ibn Al-Arabi (1165 - 1240). Famous mystic and contemporary of Suhrawardi.
School of philosophers/mystics named for Augustinian Abbey of St. Victor in Paris.
Richard of St. Victor (? - 1173). Benjamin Major; Benjamin Minor.
Walter of St. Victor (? - 1180).
Henry Suso (1295 - 1366). Little Book of Truth.
Johannes Tauler (c.1300 - 1361). Sermons.
Bl. John of Ruysbroeck
(Jan van Ruusbroec)
(1293 - 1381).
Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage.
Hugh of Balma
(Henry Balme) (? - 1305). (Not shown on chart)
His De Theologia Mystica was
for many years mistakenly attributed to St. Bonaventure.
Devotio moderna.
Religious movement beginning in the Netherlands in the late 14th century; emphasized
meditation and inner spiritual life. Principle figures include
Geert Groote (1340 - 1384),
and
Thomas à Kempis
(1380 - 1471; Imitation of Christ).
Jewish Mysticism of the Middle Ages. Later development centered in Spain.
SPANISH MYSTICISM
OF 15TH AND 16TH CENTURIES
Bernardino de
Laredo
(1482 - 1540).
The Ascent of Mt. Zion (1535).
Influences include:
Richard of St. Victor, Hugh of Balma, pseudo-Dionysius.
Francisco de
Osuna
(c.1492 - c.1540). Advocate of the method of
recollection (recogimiento). His book, The Third Spiritual Alphabet
(1527) mentioned by St. Teresa. Influences: Devotio moderna, Hugh of
Balma(?).
Bl. Luis de
Granada
(1504 - 1588).
The Sinner's Guide.
St. Teresa of Jesus
(Teresa of Avila)
(1515 - 1582).
The Interior Castle;
Life.
St. John of the Cross
(1542 - 1591).
The Dark Night of the Soul;
The Ascent of Mt. Carmel.
RENAISSANCE
Marsilio Ficino
(1433 - 1499).
Cleric and key Renaissance figure. Affiliated with the de' Medicis. His translations made
Plato's works available to Western Europe for the first time. Much mystical speculation.
Syncronistic combination of Christianity, Platonism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism.
Uebersax, John S. (2007).
"Routes of Mystical Traditions: Antiquity to St. Teresa of Avila".
Online article. Retrieved from http://john-uebersax.com/plato/routes.htm on
mmm dd, yyyy.
Aumann, Jordan.
Christian
Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition.
Chicago: Ignatius Press, 1985.
Dillon, John M.
The Middle Platonists.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1977.
Gregory, John.
The Neoplatonists.
Taylor and Francis (Routledge), 1998.
(ISBN: 0415187842)
Huxley, Aldous.
The Perennial Philosophy.
New York: Harper, 1945.
Jonas, Hans.
The Gnostic Religion. 3rd ed.
Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.
Louth, Andrew.
The Origins Of The Christian Mystical Tradition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981.
Mondello, Geoffrey K.
The Metaphysics of Mysticism: Toward a Theory of Cognitive Transcendence.
(Chapter titled, Confluence, Divergence, and Coherence). Web-based book. 2007.
Moore, Edward.
"Middle Platonism".
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005.
Moore, Edward.
"Neoplatonism".
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
2006.
Mujica, Barbara.
"Beyond Image: The apophatic-kataphatic dialectic in Teresa de Avila".
Hispania, 84(4), 741-748, 2001.
Scholem, Gershom.
Major Trends In Jewish Mysticism. New York: Schocken Books, 1961. (First
ed. 1941)
Swietlicki, Catherine.
Spanish Christian Cabala: The Works of Luis de León,
Santa Teresa de Jesús, and San Juan de la Cruz.
Columbia, MO: Univ. of Missouri Press, 1986.
Underhill, Evelyn.
Mysticism, 12th ed.
New York: Meridian Books, 1955.
(First ed. 1910)
FLEMISH
MYSTICISM
OTHERS
Ramon Llull
(Raymond Lully)
(c.1235 - 1315).
Spanish (Catalonian) philosopher, theologian, mathematician, mystic. Traveled to North
Africa; possible Sufi influence/interest. Interest in the Kabbalah.
Alumbrados.
Mystical movement in 15th and 16th century Spain. Popular among
conversos, i.e., Jewish and Moorish converts to Christianity.
Viewed unfavorably by the Inquisition.
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References