The Mysticism of Thomas moore - ost.edu

THE MYSTICISM OF THOMAS

MOORE:

A SOULFUL APPROACH TO

SPIRITUALITY

BOOKS WRITTEN

2018-2014 GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF JOHN (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2018)

AGELESS SOUL: THE LIFELONG JOURNEY TOWARD MEANING AND JOY (NY: ST.

MARTIN’S PRESS, 2017)

GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF MARK (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2017)

GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF LUKE (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2017)

THE SOUL OF CHRISTMAS, CINCINNATI: FRANCISCAN MEDIA, 2016

SOUL MATES, REV.ED (NEW YORK: HARPERCOLLINS, 2016)

CARE OF THE SOUL, 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, REV.

(NEW YORK: HARPERCOLLINS, 2016)

GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW (WOODSTOCK, VT:

SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2016)

A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN (NEW YORK:

GOTHAM/PENGUIN, 2014

2010-2000 CARE OF THE SOUL IN MEDICINE (CARLSBAD, CA: HAY HOUSE, 2010)

THE GURU OF GOLF AND OTHER STORIES ABOUT THE GAME OF LIFE (CARLSBAD, CA:

HAY HOUSE, 2010)

WRITING IN THE SAND: JESUS AND THE SOUL OF THE GOSPELS (CARLSBAD, CA: HAY

HOUSE, 2009)

A LIFE AT WORK, NY: BROADWAY BOOKS, 2008

DARK NIGHTS OF THE SOUL. NY: GOTHAM BOOKS, 2004;

PAPERBACK MAY 2005

THE LOST SUTRAS OF JESUS. CO-AUTHOR WITH RAY RIEGERT, BERKELEY: SEASTONE

2003

THE SOUL’S RELIGION. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 2002

QUAND LE MONDE RETROUVE SON ÂME, TOURNAI, BELGIUM: LA RENAISSANCE DU

LIVRE, 2001 (COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ORIGINALLY IN ENGLISH)

ORIGINAL SELF. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 2000

1998-1982 THE SOUL OF SEX. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1998

THE BOOK OF JOB. NY: RIVERHEAD BOOKS, 1998

EDUCATION OF THE HEART. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1996

THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF EVERYDAY LIFE, NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1996 (BESTSELLER 1 WEEK)

MEDITATIONS ON THE MONK WHO DWELLS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1994

SOULMATES. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1994 (NYTBR BESTSELLER 22

WEEKS)

CARE OF THE SOUL. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1992. (BESTSELLER IN HARDCOVER 44 WEEKS,

PAPERBACK 145 WEEKS)

A BLUE FIRE: SELECTED WRITINGS OF JAMES HILLMAN. NY:

HARPERCOLLINS, 1989

DARK EROS. DALLAS: SPRING PUBLICATIONS, 1990

RITUALS OF THE IMAGINATION. DALLAS: DALLAS INSTITUTE, 1983

THE PLANETS WITHIN: MARSILIO FICINO’S ASTROLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. LEWISBURG, PA:

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1982; HUDSON, NY: LINDISFARNE PRESS, 1982

PRIMARY BOOKS

A SHORT BIO

• BORN IN DETROIT, MI, 1940

• AT 13 HE JOINS A SERVITE PREP SEMINARY

• AT AROUND 26, HE LEAVES THE SEMINARY BEFORE

TAKING FINAL VOWS

• EARNS BA IN MUSIC COMPOSITION AT DEPAUL

UNIVERSITY, 1967

• M.A. IN MUSICOLOGY, MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, 1969

• M.A. IN THEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR, 1972

• PH.D IN RELIGION, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, 1975

• ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT SOUTHERN

METHODIST UNIVERSITY, 1976-1983

• ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT LESLEY UNIVERSITY

IN BOSTON, 1986-1990

• PUBLISHED A BLUE FIRE WITH JAMES HILLMAN,

1989

• PUBLISHED CARE OF THE SOUL, 1992

• LECTURER, AUTHOR, CONSULTANT, 1991-

PRESENT

INTRO INTO THE THOUGHT OF JAMES HILLMAN

• GOAL: TO REIMAGINE THE PERSON, PROFESSION OF

PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE WORLD THROUGH IMAGINAL SOUL

• METHOD: IMAGINATION HEEDING THE SOUL’S MYSTERIOUS

PLURALITY

• KEY IDEAS:

• SPIRIT/SOUL DISTINCTION

• SOUL AS MYSTERY AND MULTIPLE

• POLYTHEISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

• IMAGINATION AND EXPERIENCE AS EPISTEMOLOGICALLY

PRIVILEGED

MOORE’S UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION

• THE LOSS OF SOUL IN THE WORLD GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE

LOSS OF RELIGION IN THE WORLD

• ALL “FORMAL” RELIGIONS ARE SPECIAL AND POSSESS TWO THINGS:

BEAUTY AND WISDOM

• HIS RELIGIOUS PROGRAM IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR ALTERNATIVE TO

“FORMAL” RELIGION

• RELIGION IS A VERB

• CAN BE DONE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, ECCLESIAL OR SECULAR

• HIS PROGRAM NECESSITATES ETHICAL DEMANDS

• THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE ROOTED IN THE MYSTICAL

MOORE DRAWS FROM THE MYSTICAL WELLS

• KATAPHATIC MYSTICISM • DIONYSIAN MYSTICISM

1) KATAPHATIC MYSTICISM

A) PSYCHOLOGICAL

SPIRITUAL EMOTIONS- OUTWARD EVENTS

HAVE SPIRITUAL RESONANCE

GOES FURTHER- THEY ARE GIVEN TO YOU

FATE OF EVERY PERSON TO SUFFER

TURMOIL- CALLED TO FOLLOW YOUR

DESTINY

B) ORDINARY MYSTICISM

ANYONE CAN BE A MYSTIC- SOUL MYSTIC

“YOU MAY NOT EXPERIENCE A REGULAR

LOSS OF EGO AND ABSORPTION IN THE

DIVINE, BUT NOW AND THEN YOU MAY

FEEL LIFTED OUT OF YOUR BODY AND

COME LOST IN A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

OR SCENE IN NATURE.”

-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 42

C) PANTHEISTIC

GOD IS LITERALLY PRESENT EVERYWHERE, WE

NEED ONLY TO SEE HOW

“IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SEE THE GODS

IN THE EVERYDAY, OR THE SPIRITUAL IN THE

MUNDANE. YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOURSELF

TO LOOK WITH A SPECIAL KIND OF

IMAGINATION, THE KIND DEVELOPED IN

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE.


2) DIONYSIAN MYSTICISM

1) HE TELLS US!

MEISTER ECKHART IS THE “PIOUS MYSTIC”

WHO HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN MOORE’S

RELIGIOSITY


NICHOLAS OF CUSA IS ONE OF MOORE’S

FAVORITE THEOLOGIANS


2) COINCIDENTIA OPPOSITORUM

CUSA’S DE DOCTA IGNORANTIA

DEEPER INTO GOD THE MORE REASON

BECOMES INADEQUATE/INCAPABLE

-JESUS’ ONTOLOGY

-HILLMAN’S SOUL/SPIRIT SPLIT

-CONT’D ON NEXT SLIDE

3) GOD BEYOND GOD

“IF IT COULD BE THAT A FLY HAD REASON,

AND WITH ITS REASON SEEK OUT THE

ETERNAL DEPTHS FROM WHICH IT ISSUED,

I SAY THAT GOD, WITH ALL THAT HE HAS

AS HE IS GOD, COULD NOT FULFILL OR

SATISFY THE FLY. SO LET US PRAY TO

GOD THAT WE MAY BE FREE OF GOD.”

-MEISTER ECKHART, SERMON 52

-CONT’D IN 2 SLIDES

2) COINCIDENTIA OPPOSITORUM, CONT’D

A) HEALS HILLMAN’S SPLIT

• “SPIRIT IS THE ELEMENT THAT WANTS TO

PERFECT, PURIFY, AND TRANSCEND. IT

DIRECTS OUR ATTENTION TO THE COSMOS,

AND THE INFINITE. IT IS ABUNDANT IN

EDUCATION, PROGRESS, AND VISION.


2) POLYTHEISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

• MOORE FRAMES IT IN THE CONTEXT OF

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE- SACRED MOMENTS

• VARIOUS MODES OF ATTENTION TO

CONTRADICTORY EXPERIENCES OF LIFE

• ARCHETYPES

3) GOD BEYOND GOD, CONT’D

• “I’D RATHER NOT USE THE WORD IF IT’S GOING TO BE SO SMALL AND INADEQUATE. AND SO MY

RELIGION HAS THE WORD “GOD” IN IT, BUT IT IS USED SO SPARINGLY YOU’LL HAVE TROUBLE

FINDING IT. I FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO ATHEISTS, BECAUSE MY IDEA OF GOD IS FULL OF

ATHEISM. LIKE ATHEISTS, I RECOIL FROM COMMON APPEALS TO GOD THAT ARE UNREFINED AND

LACK THE PROPER MYSTERY AND AWE. MOST ATHEISTS ATTACK A NAÏVE, TOO-CONCRETE IDEA OF

GOD AND SSUME THAT RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE THAT THE OPPOSITE END OF THEIR CONTINUUM.

FOR THE MOST PART, I AGREE WITH THEM. WE NEED TO GROW UP OUT OF THAT KIND OF

RELIGION. BUT THE MYSTICS AROUND THE WORD ARE NOT SO NAÏVE. GENERALLY, THEY HAVE A

MORE SOPHISTICATED NOTION OF GOD, AND I PREFER THEIRS OVER THE ATHEISTS.”


OBSTACLES TO CLASSIFYING MOORE AS MYSTIC

1) NOT EXPLICITLY RELIGIOUS

• NOT A THEOLOGIAN

• USES PSYCHOLOGICAL LANGUAGE

SATURATED WITH RELIGIOUS IMAGERY

• TRAVERSES RELIGIOUS DIVIDES

2) RELIGIOUS V SPIRITUAL

• SHARP AND UNFAIR DISTINCTION BETWEEN

RELIGION AND SPIRITUAL

• MYSTICISM MAINTAINS BETTER

UNDERSTANDING IN RELIGIOUS SPHERE,

WHILE SPIRITUAL SPHERE AMBIGUOUS

• BEST UNDERSTOOD AS A MISSIONARY

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The Mysticism of Thomas moore - ost.edu