[lit-ideas] Re: Kataphatic, Negative and Apophatic Theology

  • From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 19:24:45 -0400

I wrote:

"At its simplest, how does one identify a mystical experience?"

to which Scribe1865@xxxxxxx replied:

"Doesn't that depend upon what one means by "identify"?  If one is
making a rational argument, then identifying involves a consistent
narrative that has to ground its premises. However one can also identify
something without knowing precisely how one identifies it or why.
Identification would seem to include a spectrum of possibilities."

First, I am not talking about making a rational argument.  It really is
a simply question.  How does one identify a mystical experience out of
the multitude of experiences we have all the time?  Is stubbing my toe a
mystical experience?

Second, it isn't that any particular mystic has to provide criteria for
identifying their mystical experience but these criteria must be at
hand, in some form.  If there are no such criteria, then talk of the
mystical is nonsensical.

Note, I am not trying to do away with mysticism but rather to suggest
that it must be grounded in theology of some form.  One can't
consistently engage in only negative theology.


Sincerely,

Phil Enns
Toronto, ON

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