What is a Christian mystic?

[Alyssum]

Many years ago I read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I thought it was a very good book, so good in fact that I never got rid of it. It sits on my shelf with other books that have spurred me on in my Christian walk.

Recently I read "somewhere" that "someone" thought Brother Lawrence was a Christian mystic. (Now I wish I could remember where I read it and who that "someone" was who said it. ) Even more recently I heard the term "Christian mystic" again.

What in the world is a Christian mystic?

 

[Rhamiel]

someone who has direct intereacction with God, either through visions or just through feeling His Spirit move through you in a very personal way

though the term can have many differant meanings

 

[Alyssum]

someone who has direct intereacction with God, either through visions or just through feeling His Spirit move through you in a very personal way

The Holy Spirit moving through a person in a way that is contrary to Scripture? Is that what you are saying? Then it would not be the Holy Spirit, but perhaps someone's emotions or another "spirit" altogether. Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly.

 

[Rhamiel]

The Holy Spirit moving through a person in a way that is contrary to Scripture? Is that what you are saying? Then it would not be the Holy Spirit, but perhaps someone's emotions or another "spirit" altogether. Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly.

really, in a sense, all of christianity is a mystic religion
it is experianceing God in a personal way, not agianst scripture, all of the good mystics had the highest respect for the Bible and a great love of it
here is a link that might help you more
Christian mysticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Alyssum]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for the article.

 

[phoenixdem]

Why is a Catholic giving theology lessons to Baptists?

 

[Alyssum]

Why is a Catholic giving theology lessons to Baptists?

What is your understanding of what a Christian mystic is?

 

[desmalia]

Then it would not be the Holy Spirit, but perhaps someone's emotions or another "spirit" altogether. Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly.

Actually this response answers your initial question. "Christian Mysticism" is the name of what has been practiced by some Catholics and Jewish peoples for a very long time and is becoming popular in Protestant circles these days as well, but it's not Christian. It's more related to Eastern Pagan Mysticism than anything Christian. You will see it more currently in things like "contemplative prayer" which involves emptying your mind and possibly focusing on a small chant. Personally I would toss the Brother Lawrence book in favour of something more biblical.

 

[Alyssum]

Actually this response answers your initial question. "Christian Mysticism" is the name of what has been practiced by some Catholics and Jewish peoples for a very long time and is becoming popular in Protestant circles these days as well, but it's not Christian. It's more related to Eastern Pagan Mysticism than anything Christian. You will see it more currently in things like "contemplative prayer" which involves emptying your mind and possibly focusing on a small chant. Personally I would toss the Brother Lawrence book in favour of something more biblical.

Thank you, desmalia.

 

[freezerman2000]

To me, a Christian mystic would be someone like the prophets of old.

 

[Trogool]

Actually this response answers your initial question. "Christian Mysticism" is the name of what has been practiced by some Catholics and Jewish peoples for a very long time and is becoming popular in Protestant circles these days as well, but it's not Christian. It's more related to Eastern Pagan Mysticism than anything Christian. You will see it more currently in things like "contemplative prayer" which involves emptying your mind and possibly focusing on a small chant. Personally I would toss the Brother Lawrence book in favour of something more biblical.

Obviously no, it is a little more broad than that. Christian mysticism has been around since about the 3rd century. It isn't all pagan by a long shot. I'd keep Brother Lawrence.

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

There is nothing Christian when it comes to Christian Mysticism. God never tells us to empty our brains and repeat a word or phrase over and over. You are opening yourself to evil spirits when you do that. Instead read your Bible and study it. There are plenty of resources on the internet that can give you all the dangers of this practice on the internet.

 

[Rhamiel]

There is nothing Christian when it comes to Christian Mysticism. God never tells us to empty our brains and repeat a word or phrase over and over. You are opening yourself to evil spirits when you do that. Instead read your Bible and study it. There are plenty of resources on the internet that can give you all the dangers of this practice on the internet.

a lot of new age stuff is going under the name Christian Mysticism
and it is very very dangerous

I have not read the book the OP mentions, but I do not think it is this New Age type of Mysticism

I am not trying to debate, i just want to make sure you are not mistaken about what the OP is talking about
the words Christian Mysticism might have a very differant meaning depending on who uses them even now, much less back in the 1600's when Brother Lawrance was alive

 

[IisJustMe]

What in the world is a Christian mystic?

According to the website The Christian Mystic Explained ...

"A person concerned not with knowing the letter of the Word, or religious dogmas, but with knowing the Spirit of the Word, which is to say living from within the experience of God’s word at the very core of being. A mystic, quite simply, is a lover of God who pursues the beloved from a deep realization that life as a Christian is evolving as the soul moves toward its fullness and destiny in relationship to God."
​

A Buddhist who reads the Bible, in other words. It's New Ageism. If you don't care to know the letter, or the doctrines (rudely described as "dogma" here) you can't possibly know the motivation for what the word says, or its proper application. Here is another great indicator of where their spiritualism lies, from the same website:

To travel into the world of the Christian mystic, one must discard concepts such as ego, pride and spiritual materialism in favor of adopting a sense of humility and hopeful expectation. It is to begin a great and stirring adventure that moves the soul from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God.
​

Straight out of the Buddhist handbook.

​

 

[phoenixdem]

You might try this article for info.

christian mysticism : definition of christian mysticism and synonym of christian mysticism (English)

 

[Alyssum]

Thank you all for your responses. The websites that give a description of Christian mysticism are very eye opening. Now if I hear the term "Christian mystic" I have a bit of an understanding.

 

[Keachian]

According to the website The Christian Mystic Explained ...

"A person concerned not with knowing the letter of the Word, or religious dogmas, but with knowing the Spirit of the Word, which is to say living from within the experience of God’s word at the very core of being. A mystic, quite simply, is a lover of God who pursues the beloved from a deep realization that life as a Christian is evolving as the soul moves toward its fullness and destiny in relationship to God."
​

A Buddhist who reads the Bible, in other words. It's New Ageism. If you don't care to know the letter, or the doctrines (rudely described as "dogma" here) you can't possibly know the motivation for what the word says, or its proper application.

Personally I think that you're misconstruing what that site is saying, albeit it isn't saying it very well, as you say it's impossible to begin to come to an understanding of the Spirit of the word without knowing the letter of the word, from my point of view what they're trying to describe in part here is the process which starts in Lectio Divina, a form of Bible reading where one meditates upon scripture.

Here is another great indicator of where their spiritualism lies, from the same website:

To travel into the world of the Christian mystic, one must discard concepts such as ego, pride and spiritual materialism in favor of adopting a sense of humility and hopeful expectation. It is to begin a great and stirring adventure that moves the soul from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God.
​

Straight out of the Buddhist handbook.

I'm not really sure that that is, we are called to follow Christ and while they don't point to Christ here (somewhat disconcerting) as the basis for our discarding of ego and pride and picking up the virtues of humility and hopeful expectation (cf. Phil 2) I don't think the accusations of Buddha on the Cross are viable:

To start, it is enough to understand that a "Christian Mystic" is a person who wholly accepts the lordship of Jesus through humility and finds the biblical teachings, life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to present for them, the only way to grow in relationship with God.

Briefly, it would be misleading to simply assume that the way of Christ is easy. To embrace the Christian mystic tradition is to invite misunderstanding, abuse, and, to a great extent, persecution topped off with intense spiritual warfare. Yet, no journey is without difficulty and, in this case, one has the encouragement of Paul, who stated, "Not I, but Christ who lives in me."​

 

[MrJim]

Some folks will ascribe to "mysticism" anything beyond academics~that is, for some Christianity is simply a logic-based faith stripped of anything mysterious. Even the local Lifeway Bookstore (Baptist) sells books like Brother Lawrence's book (he was a monk) and The Dark Night of the Soul (by St John of the Cross, a Dominican monk). A faith stripped of mystery is simply philosophy.

As Rhamiel has stated though there is a lot of really weird weirdness out there under the guise of "Christian Mysticism"~veneered evil...this is the kind of area where you'd need to have an older, wiser elder/pastor's guidance...but recognize even the act of prayer has a sense of mystery to it.

 

[Angeldove97]

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Please make sure that any comments that you are sharing DO NOT PROMOTE any unorthodox beliefs of Christianity that would go against CF's Statement of Faith. If you're not sure, bring up your ideas in the Unorthodox Theology forum.

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​

 

[branchofthevine]

If we are not careful though we will cut off intimate prayer by calling it mysticism. When a Christian prays in their prayer closet, they are to be alone with God. To know Gods presence and to in a sense meet with Him there. It is as important to experience God in secret prayer as it is to read and understand scripture. I think people like Andrew Murray, AW. Tozer, and Leonard Ravenhill are good examples of this in our modern day. Certain Jesus' prayer life was more mystic than what we seem to make out prayer to be (at least from what I've seen), maybe mystic isn't the best term, but we are certainly to be in His presence every day. To be filled with God's Spirit, and also to be still and know He is God.