What is Christian Mysticism?

Join me as I turn to explore Christian mysticism as we delve into the fascinating treasures of this tradition. From ancient practices, mystical experiences, and profound wisdom that have shaped the lives of countless of people throughout history.

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Music by:
Filip Holm
Johannes Bornlöf
Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen

Sources/Recomended Reading:

Gendle, Nicholas (translated by) (1982). "Gregory Palamas: The Triads". In the "Classics of Western Spirituality Series". Paulist Press.

Greer, Rowan A. (1979). "Origen: Selected Writings". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press.

Hart, Columba (translated by) (1980). "Hadewijch: Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Paulist Press.

Laird, Martin (2004). "Gregory of Nyssa and the grasp of faith: union, knowledge and divine presence". Oxford University Press.

Lossky, Vladimir (1944). "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church". James Clarke & Co.

Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.

McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.

McGinn, Bernard (2001). "The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man From Whom God Hid Nothing". Crossroad Publishing Co.

"Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises and Defense". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press.

"Meister Eckhart: Teacher and Preacher". Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Paulist Press.

Tobin, Frank (translated by) (1997). "Mechthild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of the Godhead". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press.

Walshe, Maurice O.C. (translated by) (2010). "The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart". Crossroad Publishing Company.

Ware, Timothy (2015). "The Orthodox Church: An introduction to Eastern Christianity". New Edition. Penguin Books.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:49 What is 'Mysticism'?
06:56 Mysticism before Christianity
08:02 Mysticism in early Christianity: Contemplation & Theosis
14:28 Pseudo-Dionysius & Mystical Theology
18:30 The Great Schism: Catholicism vs. Orthodoxy?
19:26 Hesychasm
20:08 High Middle Ages & Monastic Orders
21:55 Hildegard of Bingen
23:06 The Beguines (Mechtild, Hadewijch)
26:17 Love & Union with God
28:45 Marguerite Porete & The Mirror of Simple Souls
31:09 Bernard of Clairvaux & Symeon the New Theologian
33:14 Mystical Practice (Hesychasm, Cloud of Unknowing)
37:30 Mystical Philosophy: Meister Eckhart
45:56 Gregory Palamas
48:47 Later Mystics
50:37 Protestant Mysticism?
53:37 Mysticism today & Conclusions

#christianity #mysticism #religion

[colingallagher]

''Love never fails, Not even in Death."-St. Gregory of Nyssa

[markcharron]

I love how you don't take any religion for granted, you take them all at their heart and soul, and show how beautiful they all are. Wonderful content.

[TheBlinky]

Thank you for this, I appreciate the video as an Orthodox Christian - I have long been interested in the mysticism in my faith but it’s hard to tackle as you’ve said.

[Ceylin_Kurtbogan]

I wasn’t raised a Christian at all but Catholic mysticism with its divine morality teaching is what drew me to Christianity in the first place.

[henrycadman]

As a Protestant Christian, A.W. Tozer was essential for my discovery of Christian Mysticism. I needed to learn about it because I began experiencing visions and miracles, but because I am Protestant, we try to out-rationalize the mystical qualities of Christianity. Thank you for this video. Even though I am not planning on converting to Catholicism or Orthodoxy, I have so much respect and gratitude towards my Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters.

[Flamable]

Thankyou for this video!

I'm a Christian who came to faith via buddhist mysticism and having a profound mystical experience of God in the emptiness that I experienced through buddhist emptying of ego.

I have often found it hard to contextualise this experience as a Christian, especailly as a attend a Protestant church. This video has really helped me integrate the mystical experience into my Christian identity in a way that was previously a little jarring.

The descriptions by these mystics sound very similar to the buddhist ideas i was reading but with God at the centre.

I really appreciate the deep research and deep understanding of the topic you have put into this video

[BoredBookAddict]

Thanks a lot for this. As a Catholic I am happy to learn more about mysticism from your work.

[majidbineshgar]

"The Cloud of Unknowing" is a great mystic book for example .

[adimlah]

Master Eckhart isn't bashing mystical experience, rather he's saying it's not the be all and end all. The visions are useful as they are motivation God is sending us that we are on the right path. But the visions themselves are not the goal, the goal is union with the divine.

These mystical experiencies imo are the bedrock of faith. And it's faith that we use to attain union with God.

[M-i-k-a-e-l]

Superb and noble work.
What makes your content stand out amongst many other channels with high intellectual and scholarly brilliance, is the glow that your heart lends to your work. It is obvious that all these deep and mystical topics moves you way beyond academic curiosity and the Nous seeps through in very nourishiing ways for us on the other end of the screen.
Wish you the very best for your continual path.

[danielastoyanova]

This is such a great video and explanation on Christina mysticism. I am Eastern European and born into Orthodox Christianity. This video gave me so many answers to the way my family perceive and practise religion and my mother saying that one doesn’t need to understand God but Love him. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[RobespierreThePoof]

Your taste in medieval art is top notch

[kellyshea]

Ive converted to Greek Orthodox a few months ago and have been going to services at my local church and doing research. Great timing!

[r.p.]

Experience. Unite. Become. I agree. I have experienced all of that. I finally realized that I am a mystic. It was not explained nto me as a child and I had no religious upbringing. However, I have experienced the Union with God as an intense Love and Peace and as a Union with the light. There is no human love that can be compared with such divine Love. It is absolutely amazing but also, I recognized that this is where I came from. My soul recognized HOME... Twice. I experienced it twice. Both times I was meditating in silence. The fist time in 2004 it was the Union with the Light, LOVE and PEACE... The second time in 2010, it was the Passionate Longing that was beyond my understanding as it was so passionate and made me cry for hours and hours as the Love was beyond any limit. 24:00. I never heard of this until now! Thank you for this video💗. You are explaining what I experienced. What an incredible video!!!

[cyprokka]

Can't wait. Love these videos. Please make one specifically on the Philokalia please!

[truthseeker]

I must thank Filip for his scholarly investigation into christian mysticism. As a catholic myself, it's heartening to note that his faith is moving in the right direction.
New Testament's original christian references to mysticism are found in John 4:24, 6:53-54, 10:30, Matthew 5:48, 6:22, 16:18-19, among many more. And the book of Revelation is a compilation of mystical experiences of the 'beloved' mystic disciple & apostle, John.
It is evident that Christ himself a mystic, taught spiritual (esoteric) mysticism to his direct disciples. With the passing of time, Successors of Christ's sacred teachings could not find suitable disciples to transmit the sacred esoteric teachings and so were 'lost' to the christian world and replaced by Church Christianity. Gradually, except for a few, interest in the sacred esoteric teachings the christian mystics practiced waned, and therefore remained hidden from catholics generally.
However, God never ignores sincere truth-seekers (Luke 11:9) the opportunity to learn the secret esoteric knowledge, kept hidden from unprepared minds, in every Age.
The Bhagavad Gita IV:7-8, declares that in every Age God incarnates in human form to restore the lost teachings that unite the soul with God—the underlying essence of every true religion.
For those who are interested in understanding and learning everything about mysticism, it is necessary to learn the sacred esoteric teachings in its purity from a master mystic, an incarnation of God. Paramahansa Yogananda, in his "Autobiography of A Yogi, " discloses the original esoteric teachings—the keys (Matthew 16:19)—that all great prophets and mystics in every religion used to unlock the "gates of heaven" and pass on to their 'prepared' disciples awaiting liberation from the three-fold sufferings: physical disease, mental inharmony, and spiritual ignorance.
There are two ways to practice religion: 1. By the snail's-pace, natural evolutionary process of gradual unfoldment of Truth (Self-realization), or 2. By choosing the super-fast spiritual highway—the keys—to reach one's life's objective—Self-realization—in the shortest time.
I sincerely hope Filip's wonderful exposition of this enlightening subject will prompt truth-seeking catholics to transcend the limiting dogmatic religious boundaries and learn the "true religion" of God-realization that Christ taught. This can be one of the ways to save Christ's Church from becoming irrelevant or going astray in the present Age.
🙏

[RedWinter]

I quite literally was just thinking the last few days that I wanted to look more into Christian mysticism and then you drop this video!🎉

[jethrobradley]

William Blake deserves an honourable mention. If not a video all to himself

[TheForeignersNetwork]

As a Tibetan Buddhist who was raised Catholic, I really really vibe with both Catholic and Orthodox mysticism. The light imagery that Christian contemplatives describe as "the Light of Christ" could almost be analogous to what Buddhists would call "the clear light of the mind." It's a shame that Christian mysticism didn't become more mainstream, as many Christians (at least in the US) tend to be very legalistic and moralistic nowadays.

[meditation-musicale]

What a treat, Filip! Thanks a lot. Very much aware of the amount of work you did for this. Your channel belongs to the most nourishing and inspiring I came across on YouTube. Profoundly grateful