https://www.scribd.com/book/268418014/Mystical-Tradition-Judaism-Christianity-and-Islam-Transcript
Mystical Tradition: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Luke Timothy Johnson, Ph.D. Professor, Emory University
Course No. 6130
3.9 37 reviews
63% would recommend
Professor
Course Overview
Reviews (37)
Questions (0) and Answers (0)
Luke Timothy Johnson, Ph.D.
I strive to make philosophy accessible and lovable to everyone. If everyone embraced philosophy, the world would be a much better place.
InstitutionEmory University
Alma materYale UniversityLearn More About This Professor
Course No. 6130
3.9 37 reviews
63% would recommend
Professor
Course Overview
Reviews (37)
Questions (0) and Answers (0)
Luke Timothy Johnson, Ph.D.
I strive to make philosophy accessible and lovable to everyone. If everyone embraced philosophy, the world would be a much better place.
InstitutionEmory University
Alma materYale UniversityLearn More About This Professor
Course Overview
Mystical experiences and practices-including dramatic visions, direct communication with the divine, intense spiritual quests, and hermetic lifestyles-are commonly associated with Eastern cultures. They are thought to be far removed from the monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
But consider the following:Many of the most important figures in the Jewish Bible had experiences that can be interpreted as mystical, including Moses's conversation with God as the burning bush and Ezekiel's vision of the heavenly throne-chariot.
Jesus Christ, as a figure believed to be the incarnation of God, can be seen as representing the ultimate goal of mystical thought, the unification of human with divine.
The Islamic prophet Muhammad is believed to have experienced the call of God directly through the angel Gabriel, and throughout his life he reported incidents of mystical encounters, including the divine revelation of the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam.
In these examples, we encounter a surprising truth: that each of the great three Abrahamic religious traditions-those religions that trace their origins back to the patriarch Abraham-holds the seeds for deep mystical contemplation. But what do most of us know about these mystics and the tradition they sustained?
In Mystical Tradition: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, you explore this spiritual, literary, and intellectual heritage in these great faiths as it unfolds over three millennia. In 36 enlightening, thought-provoking lectures, award-winning Professor Luke Timothy Johnson of Emory University offers nearly unprecedented access to these seldom studied traditions.
What Is Mysticism?
But what do we mean when we speak of Western mysticism? As Professor Johnson shows, there is no single or simple definition of mysticism. In some traditions, it is rooted in intellectual discipline. In others, it's based in devotion to prayer and fasting. In still others, it's defined by ecstatic experience-a glimpse of the divine given as a gift from above.
Just consider these diverse instances of mysticism:The writings of Jewish Kabbalah mystic Rabbi Abulafia, whose work includes practical directions for the achievement of religious ecstasy
The practice of hesychasm, through which medieval Christians recited the "Jesus prayer" to invite divine revelation
The theological texts of Jalal ad-Din Rumi, a Muslim scholar who explored the mystical implications of love through breathtaking poetry
Mystical Tradition introduces you to the many faces of mysticism, from renowned scholars to simple people striving for personal enlightenment, throughout the centuries. You also contemplate questions about the nature of mysticism itself: How are we to understand mysticism-as literally true, as poetically true, or as a delusion? What is the future of mysticism? As it becomes detached and popularized apart from its religious faiths, can mystical observances retain their original character?
The course also offers a thought-provoking perspective on the nature of human spirituality. As Professor Johnson demonstrates, mystical strains of thought have permeated and influenced these three great religions for centuries, despite opposition from-and, in some cases, persecution by-the mainstream religious community. As you come to see, this persistence in the face of persecution reflects something about human nature: the need to pursue ultimate knowledge and union with a transcendent power.
A Unique Opportunity
For most students, this is a unique opportunity. Many of the sources Professor Johnson draws on are unavailable to general readers. Some of them have only recently been translated into English. Professor Johnson's course offers a first-time glimpse into this tradition.
A noted religious scholar and former Benedictine monk, Professor Johnson offers an intriguing, enlightening look into these seldom studied traditions and illuminates the rich and complex relationship between mystical contemplation and the Western traditions of faith.
But perhaps most importantly, he invites you to join him as you ponder a new way to understand faith, religion, and the essence of humanity. Explore with Professor Johnson the intriguing and enriching insights that await you in Mystical Tradition: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Hide Full Description
36 Lectures
Average 30 minutes each
1A Way into the Mystic Ways of the West
2Family Resemblances and Differences
3The Biblical Roots of Western Mysticism
4Mysticism in Early Judaism
5Merkabah Mysticism
6The Hasidim of Medieval Germany
7The Beginnings of Kabbalah
8Mature Kabbalah—Zohar
9Isaac Luria and Safed Spirituality
10Sabbatai Zevi and Messianic Mysticism
11The Ba'al Shem Tov and the New Hasidism
12Mysticism in Contemporary Judaism
13Mystical Elements in the New Testament
14Gnostic Christianity
15The Spirituality of the Desert
16Shaping Christian Mysticism in the East
17Eastern Monks and the Hesychastic Tradition
18The Mysticism of Western Monasticism
19Medieval Female Mystics
20Mendicants as Mystics
21English Mystics of the 14th Century
2215th- and 16th-Century Spanish Mystics
23Mysticism among Protestant Reformers
24Mystical Expressions in Protestantism
2520th-Century Mystics
26Muhammad the Prophet as Mystic
27The House of Islam
28The Mystical Sect—Shi'a
29The Appearance of Sufism
30Early Sufi Masters
31The Limits of Mysticism—Al-Ghazzali
32Two Masters, Two Streams
33Sufism in 12th–14th Century North Africa
34Sufi Saints of Persia and India
35The Continuing Sufi Tradition
36Mysticism in the West TodayHide Full Lecture List
What's Included?
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☆☆☆☆☆4 out of 5 stars.
Ozymandias
· 9 years ago
Vital introduction to crucial aspect of Faith
The purpose of studying this course was to gain an understanding of the place of mysticism within each of the Abrahamic Faiths.
Professor Johnson gave an insightful introduction of what is an absolutely essential tradition within each of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Mysticism is the label he has given to the views, writings and actions of those believers who have claimed a direct apprehension of the Divine Realm; not the actual Divine in itself perhaps but attributes of the Divine that stand outside the physical world.
The mystics' claims are that Reason/rationality alone cannot allow us to reach such metaphysical knowledge; rather it is "illumination" or "Intellect" that is the pathway to this gnosis.
Professor Johnson shows two important lessons from the mystical tradition:
a) it is an essential feature of all three Abrahamic Faiths and
b) there is tremendous similarity across all 3 Faiths in the nature of the knowledge/gnosis that mysiticism reveals.
I have given "only" a 4 star because:
- clearly this is course that offers only a "bird's eye" view of the subject. Inevitable of course given it covers 2000+ years of history across three Faith traditions!
- the Professor's depth of knowledge of mysticism within Islam is nowhere near that of his in the other two Faiths. He acknowledges this and the lectures on Islam remain valuable introductions. But if you have read works on Sufism(which is the mystical tradition in Islam) by Louis Massignon, Anne Marie Schimmel or SH Nasr then you will note one or two not entirely accurate descriptions.
Despite the above the course is recommended as the extent of mysticism within each Tradition may not be well known outside scholarly circles and the commonality of vision amongst mystics across each of the 3 Faiths is even less well known.
I for one would absolutely purchase seperate courses (either 24 or 36 lectures) on mysticism within each Faith to augment the valuable introduction afforded by these lectures.
Format
Audio
Recommends this product
✔ Yes
Was this helpful?
Yes · 122No · 4
☆☆☆☆☆4 out of 5 stars.
Ozymandias
· 9 years ago
Vital introduction to crucial aspect of Faith
The purpose of studying this course was to gain an understanding of the place of mysticism within each of the Abrahamic Faiths.
Professor Johnson gave an insightful introduction of what is an absolutely essential tradition within each of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Mysticism is the label he has given to the views, writings and actions of those believers who have claimed a direct apprehension of the Divine Realm; not the actual Divine in itself perhaps but attributes of the Divine that stand outside the physical world.
The mystics' claims are that Reason/rationality alone cannot allow us to reach such metaphysical knowledge; rather it is "illumination" or "Intellect" that is the pathway to this gnosis.
Professor Johnson shows two important lessons from the mystical tradition:
a) it is an essential feature of all three Abrahamic Faiths and
b) there is tremendous similarity across all 3 Faiths in the nature of the knowledge/gnosis that mysiticism reveals.
I have given "only" a 4 star because:
- clearly this is course that offers only a "bird's eye" view of the subject. Inevitable of course given it covers 2000+ years of history across three Faith traditions!
- the Professor's depth of knowledge of mysticism within Islam is nowhere near that of his in the other two Faiths. He acknowledges this and the lectures on Islam remain valuable introductions. But if you have read works on Sufism(which is the mystical tradition in Islam) by Louis Massignon, Anne Marie Schimmel or SH Nasr then you will note one or two not entirely accurate descriptions.
Despite the above the course is recommended as the extent of mysticism within each Tradition may not be well known outside scholarly circles and the commonality of vision amongst mystics across each of the 3 Faiths is even less well known.
I for one would absolutely purchase seperate courses (either 24 or 36 lectures) on mysticism within each Faith to augment the valuable introduction afforded by these lectures.
Format
Audio
Recommends this product
✔ Yes
Was this helpful?
Yes · 122No · 4
☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆1 out of 5 stars. DavidF · 11 years ago
Islam and Judaism not accurately portrayed
The instructor of this course is not an expert in Judaism or Islam. His attempts to explain Hebrew and Arabic terms are laughably amateurish. As an expert in these languages and religions looking for a fun lecture, I was not satisfied. At one point, the professor accidently uses the wrong name for one of the medieval Jewish figures (Yehudah He-Hasid), getting it mixed up with a modern figure (Eliezer Ben Yehudah). In the lecture in which he tries to explain Arabic etymologies, the instructor gaffs at every turn. He even incorrectly tells the audience that a certain Arabic word (shirk) is the source for a familiar English word (shirk).
The unit on Christianity is good, but that is the instructor's area of research.
The Teaching Company strikes out with this production.
Recommends this product ✘ No
Was this helpful?
Yes · 135No · 15
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