Or are both avenues equally good?
I'm looking for objective thoughts on this because frankly, I'm anything but objective when it comes to these matters. I've had far too many bad experiences with the mystical side of faith (spent a couple of years immersed in the charismatic movement - IHOP, Bethel, etc). I was naïve when I got sucked into it and it took a while to claw my way out, or rather for God to rescue me from it.
So I prefer the rational approach to Christian faith, but I've known some genuinely amazing people who have not done anything wrong or damaging, but are more involved in the mystical side of Christianity than anything else.
One girl in particular, our moms have known each other for decades, I haven't seen this girl in several years but I had always figured her for a rational person. She went to my church (a PCUSA church) went to college, did many of those things that I definitely did not find to be indicative of the charismatic flavor of Christianity. Yet, I come to find out last month that she goes/went to Bethel's School of Supernatural Ministry. It didn't add up to me.
Does the mystical side of Christianity, at this point in time, tend to be more or less beneficial than the rational side? Or vice-versa?
Thoughts?