What is a Christian Mystic

[Dazon50]

Does anyone believe that there are such things as a Christian Mystic?  Is it hard to accept?  What do you think?

[painbrain]

I was thinking some more about this question, and my weird algebraic way of looking at it.  The more I thought about it, the more i realized that the original question can also be looked at like this:

Are mysticism and Christianity mutually exclusive?

If we draw 2 circles on a piece of paper, and on the left we have "Christian" and in the right circle we have "Mystic",  If we place the qualities of each category into their respective circles, will there be any overlap?

For example, is there a quality that qualifies as "Christian", that also qualifies as "Mystic"?

I think there are many qualities that overlap. :)

This is a bit of what Wiki says about Mysticism:


..........
Mysticism (from the Greek μυστικός, mystikos, an initiate of a mystery religion)[1]

is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate

reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or

insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those

experiences or awareness. Mysticism may be dualistic, maintaining a distinction between

the self and the divine, or may be nondualistic. Differing religious traditions have described

this fundamental mystical experience in different ways:


1.Nullification and absorption within God's Infinite Light (Hassidic schools of Judaism)

2.Complete non-identification with the world (Kaivalya in some schools of Hinduism, including Sankhya and Yoga; Jhana in Buddhism)

3.Liberation from the cycles of Karma (Moksha in Jainism and Hinduism, Nirvana in Buddhism)

4.Deep intrinsic connection to ultimate reality (Satori in Mahayana Buddhism, Te in Taoism)

5.Union with God (Henosis in Neoplatonism and Brahma-Prapti or Brahma-Nirvana in Hinduism, fana in Sufism)

6.Theosis or Divinization, union with God and a participation of the divine nature (in Catholic Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy)

7.Innate Knowledge Hinduism, (Irfan and Sufism in Islam)

8.Experience of one's true blissful nature (Samadhi Svarupa-Avirbhava in Hinduism and Buddhism)

9.Seeing the Light, or "that of God", in everyone (Hinduism, Quakerism)

10.The Love of God, as in the Hinduism, Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Islam and many other spiritual traditions
...........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism

:D  I really enjoy the study of different forms of mysticism!  

[Dazon50]

:-))  You are reaching and stretching!!!  You are a wonderful addition to this group also.  Don't stop being honest of where you are at this moment.  As Ike shared about fog-words...things do become clearer, but not because we demand it.  So much to rejoice in and cherish and let go of.

:-)))

[painbrain]

In seriousness tho; I think it depends on how you define Christian mystic,

Specifically, my "painbrain" looks at the question and tries to turn it into an equation.

Like:

if a=b, and b=c, then a MUST equal c as well.

But in terms of Christian mystics, it would be

Christian=a
mystic=b
can a and b be combined and blended in such a way as to produce an entirely unique and different entity, C=Christian Mystic

So the question then becomes, is the following equation "true"

(A)x(B)=(C)   ----->Can a human develop a sense of spirituality which incorporates elements of "Christian" and elements of "Mysticism" in such a manner (like putting ingredients in an individuals "spirit blender" and frappe-ing away, lol!  :P  )  that the resulting product(A Christina Mystic) has the qualities of a workable and beneficial spiritual philosophy.  If that resulting spiritual system works for the entity, I would consider the equation to be true.  

Meaning that a Christian Mystic can exist because "(A)x(B)=(C)

I hope that makes sense how I am explaining that.???? IDK tho, lol.  When I hurt this badly, it is hard for me to know the difference between racing thoughts and philosphical thinking.

[painbrain]

i certainly hope so, otherwise part of me would cease to exist!

:P
:D
giggles