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Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/3/2008 3:18:21 PM
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soma77
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"Evolution of Consciousness" by John Kuykendall is appealing in particular because it explains the Christian mysteries so everyone can understand them. The book evolves in stages as the reader is taken on a transforming journey through the layers of the mind, the parts of the mind and evolution. Among the themes explored are: Christ Consciousness, Trinity, and the Soul. It answers many questions and leads one to Christian Mysticism. I would recommend "Evolution of Consciousness" as a resource for spiritual renewal because the book outlines, with specific and practical guidelines, a life any person in the world—no matter their station—might adopt with great benefit. Here is ancient Christian wisdom written so contemporary Christians may understand.
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/4/2008 4:00:05 PM
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jazzact13
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Soma, there is nothing Christian about this.
quote:
The experience of joy and the supernatural enlightenment of Christ is not about sins, hell or Satan, but the glorious energy of the soul.
This is a mockery of Christ's life and death for our sins.
quote:
The dull habit of preaching, giving sermons, patronizing, condemning or judging others as insufficient is the ego talking about Christ, not the religion of Christ.
Is there no such thing as sin? Is there no Heaven and no Hell? Is there not a coming judgment? Is it not through "the foolishness of preaching" that God saves some?
From the "Christ Consciousness" page.
quote:
God impels seeking through love, not fear that is why he sent us his son and Christ Consciousness.
There is no such thing as "Christ Consciousness". There is Christ Jesus our Lord. God did not send "Christ Consciousness", He sent His son Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, to died to save us from our sins.
Soma, you need to leave behind these false teachings on that website, and turn to the real God of the Bible and to Jesus. Repent of encouraging these false teachings, and believe on Jesus and gave His life for you to cleanse you of real sins.
_____________________________
there is no justice in the rhetoric of class hatred
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/5/2008 12:43:22 PM
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drussell52
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Soma, hi. My name is David and interested in the book title you recommend concerning Christian mysticism. Sounds from your description that it is somewhat metaphysical or may follow the trend of the Unity Church philosophy, i.e. metaphysical.
Inquiring from curiosity, does the author refer to Jewish mysticism as a forerunner?
I guess the term "mysticism" raises the hair on the back of my neck as my mind assumes what that means and, haven't read the book.
I won't go off on a tangent, but your post caught my attention,
do reply when time permits and say a little more please.
David
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/5/2008 9:17:38 PM
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henny
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Mysticism can be fun and worthwhile, although the term itself doesn't connote any systematic type of writing or thinking -so it doesn't mean much as a category, really. To me it usually just pertains to Christian writings that focus in some way on ecstatic experiences of God, which for me is the most interesting aspect of mystical writings, as in most of them you can see a continuous struggle to render what is always outside of language (i.e. said experience of God) into representation. So all the best mystical writings will always demonstrate a certain apophatic straining, which I think forces them to do things conceptually and stylistically that are much more interesting and worthwhile than your typical dogmatic Christian screed (and I think sections of the Bible actually demonstrate this sort of straining, and thus could also be deemed "mystical" according to my own working definition of the term).
Although, I'd avoid most modern "mystical" stuff as usually it's written to cash into cheap, feel good, New age-isms, and I've yet to see anything that's really compelling or rigorous intellectually and spiritually (including, after a quick perusal, the book linked to above, which really seems to be mysticism of the bland, easy, new-agey, sort).
Jewish mysticism is a whole complicated story all its own, but if you are going to get into Christian mysticism, I'd recommend starting with some of the Medieval Catholic mystics like Julian of Norwhich and Margarete Porete.
Then when you are done with them you can graduate to the protestant mystics like Jacob Boehme (aka Jakob Behmen).
Behmen is my favorite, and a lot of people argue that he's the foundation of German philosophy (i.e. Hegel stole a lot from him, and several people have argued that strains of postmodernist thought are really just Boehme's unique take on negative theology repackaged in secular terms), so he's definitely worth reading even if your interest in him is purely secular.
But he's valid as a theologian, I think, and his explanation for the existence of evil is interesting (it's too complicated to explain here, but he ties it to the self-manifestation of God in a way that makes the possibility of evil inevitable, but also does not make God, as a discreet identity, directly responsible for it, just as it also maintains the possibility of free will and choice in humanity). Most modern evangelicals would probably see him as heretical (although most modern evangelicals see basically everything as heretical -so that doesn't mean much), but he does keep the basic 3 in 1 structure of the trinity intact, as well as maintaining all the main points of Christianity (i.e. the fall, Christ's redemption, etc) throughout his writings (even if he does very different things with it). He does psychologize heaven and hell (As well as the functions of the trinity) somewhat, though, which is probably where most evangelicals would part ways with him, as it leads him to the belief that heaven and hell are mental states of existence which are possible right now on earth, as oppossed to holding cells of punishment or pleasure we only get to after we die (and one of the most interesting things about him, is that in outlining the trinity and the functions of heaven and hell he is also sort of outlining a basic psychological take on the human mind, its drives and functions, and how we all come to be discreet "selves" -all hundreds of years before the existence of Freud). Although from everything I've read of him, he still maintains the idea of an eschatological heaven and hell, they just aren't as mundane as the traditional Christian view of these things.
But I think as long as one approaches said mystics as theologians and philosophers who are trying to solve basic questions that have always plagued man about the nature of God, existence, etc, as oppossed to taking their writings as "gospel," there's no harm in reading them. I also think one needs to maintain a level of critical distance and engagement with the texts to be able to tell who exactly has something worth while to say and who is just a mindless, quick fix, charlatan.
So basically it's no different than Christians reading philosophers of any variety, even if they aren't Christian. There's a lot to gain from doing this, but you can't do it stupidly.
< Message edited by henny -- 6/5/2008 9:40:28 PM >
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/7/2008 2:46:12 AM
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soma77
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Christian mysticism has nothing to fear. The goal is to deepen the relationship with Jesus and and to understand God in Spirit. The book explains a path to union with God through the mind, some use stages of prayer to go deeper in the spiritual experience, but I liked the book because it used Christian terminology to explain a spiritual experience.
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/11/2008 8:06:39 AM
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jazzact13
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I'm not going to belabor the point, soma, but only repeat what I said above. You will find nothing Christian in that man's works or his teachings. He may use Christian terminology, but it is not Christianity he is teaching, but a false Gospel about a false Christ. He teaches lies, and it will not go well if you are caught in them, too.
_____________________________
there is no justice in the rhetoric of class hatred
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/11/2008 3:24:00 PM
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soma77
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Fear keeps alcoholics drinking, addicts addicted, and sinners stuck in sin. In fearing the mind, psychology, philosophy and enlightenment one never gets to feel the true joy of the real light of Jesus.
The number one command in Scripture is, “do not be afraid.”
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/11/2008 7:06:09 PM
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JesKlu
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quote:
ORIGINAL: soma77
Fear keeps alcoholics drinking, addicts addicted, and sinners stuck in sin. In fearing the mind, psychology, philosophy and enlightenment one never gets to feel the true joy of the real light of Jesus.
The number one command in Scripture is, “do not be afraid.”
Actually, that isn't the number one command in scripture. The number one command in Scripture is "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6)
And about the book, it is not Christian, it denies man's sinfulness.
Your sister in Christ Jesus,
Jessica
_____________________________
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/12/2008 2:52:35 PM
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soma77
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It does not deny man or woman's sinfulness. It does help one to stop sinning. I think Jesus died for us so the least we can do is to try and stop sinning for him. To know our mind and how to overcome our desires is not wrong.
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/15/2008 4:46:52 PM
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zuzuspetals
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Salvation does not come from within us, or from our own minds. Salvation comes from what Jesus did on the cross, when we seek him and REPENT of our sin, that is our only chance of not sinning. It is not within our minds!!
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RE: Book on Christian Mysticism - 6/16/2008 9:21:22 PM
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soma77
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repent©ö Definition
re¡¤pent (ri pent¡Ç)
intransitive verb
1. to feel sorry or self-reproachful for what one has done or failed to do; be conscience-stricken or contrite: often with of
2. to feel such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intention, etc. as to change one's mind about: often with of to repent of one's generosity
3. to feel so contrite over one's sins as to change, or decide to change, one's ways; be penitent
We repent in our minds. Don't be afraid of your mind. Jesus doesn't want a follower that has his/her mind in the gutter.
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