Loyola Marymount University B.A. Religious Studies – RS160: Exploring Christian Mysticism – Fall 1976

In 1976, in one of my first undergraduate courses I had the privilege to study under the guidance of Fr. Herbert Ryan, who had determined that it was foolish to expect undergrads to write position papers on questions that have overwhelmed scholars for centuries. Instead, he believed that it was more important that students learn how to do research, and therefore assigned semester-long research journals, during which the student would actively investigate a chosen subject and then write about the process and progress. At the end of the semester and journal the student would write a single journal entry on how he might approach writing a research paper on the subject studied were he to write said paper. The following research was my submission for RS160: Exploring Christian Mysticism for my Religious Studies degree at Loyola Marymount University. Enjoy. (2023-11-16).

What is Mysticism?

It has previously been said that “Religion is the human response to the Holy;” this human response can be termed as mysticism. Mysticism can, likewise, be described as being in union with Das Heilige, or the Holy.

This union is not an encounter, as running into a wall might be considered an encounter. But this union is perceived solely from within the individual. What is meant by the phrase: “Perceived solely from within the individual”, is that this knowledge, this experience, is not ingested through any of the sense organs outside or inside the physical body but this knowledge is “poured” directly into the very spirit of the individual. The mystical experience is a very high form of intuitive knowledge.

Link to PDF version: https://archive.org/download/1976LMURS160ExploringChristianMysticismHandouts/1976%20LMU%20RS160%20Exploring%20Christian%20Mysticism%20essays.pdf

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