Original scientific paper
Mysticism in the World and Time
Milan Špehar
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb
Abstract
For centuries pushed and pressed into the monasterv walls, yet
finding its way out of them, mysticism is a word encountered in ali
the pores of human existence and activity, so that we can somewhere
speak about the inflation of mysticism and mystical experience.
Therefore it is necessary to teli the difference from what mysticism
is and what it is not. First of ali, it is not "fuga mundi" - escape from
the world. As Christianity lives in the world, so does the mysticism
in it. When talking about Christian mysticism, it is "Eucharist after
Eucharist" in the full sense of the world, as John the Eloquent
stressed long time ago. Mystical experience is, then, living the
fuilness of life, living from the fullness of humaneness. That's why
mysticism can be lived nowhere else but in the world. Mysticism is
Rahner's "humanised man", the unblended human and divine in
man. Mystical experience is not the only Christian authentic
experience. Christian life and life of mysticism do not differ by the
content, but by the way and intensity of experience. Mysticism
permeates human everyday life. For R T. de Chardin, it is an ecstasy
in the world of science and creation. His mysticism is the mysticism
of "cosmic Christ"; the mysticism of joy, for man is free to be the cocreator
of this world, the creation of which has been still going on. In
the co-creation of the world man experiences his transfiguration,
which is the "descent from the mount". Mysticism is not just serving;
it is more celebrating through serving. Ch. Bernard speaks about the
apostolic mysticism, emphasising that not every apostolic activity
and every catechesis is mysticism at the same time. Mysticism is
uniting with God's will, which is best manifested in personal
sympathy for the brother's joy and hope, sadness and anxiety. Thus,
it is the living of dying and birthing, of God's presence and absence.
It is not the nirvana that one can reach through mysticism, but a
feeling that to such a person ali is one, i.e. ali merges into one
mystical experience, which is essentialh/ an experience of
communitv. Rahner's "theology or mysticism of liberation" proceeds
from living the personal inner liberation from ali egoisms. It is an
inner revolution that a man goes through in order to deliver it to
others in a mystagogical and catechetic way.
Keywords
mysticism; fuga mundi; Eucharist after Eucharist; humanised man; co-creation; Ecstasu; transfiguration; musticism of liberation; mustagogu; catechesis; apostolate
Hrčak ID:
38723
URI
Publication date:
21.6.2004.
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