The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition Andrew Louth

245 Pages·2008·2.37 MB·English

THE ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTICAL TRADITION
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The Origins of the Christian
Mystical Tradition
From Plato to Denys
2ndedition
ANDREW LOUTH
1
3
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Preface
Theoriginofthisbookwasaseriesoflectureson‘MysticalTheology
in the Fathers’ given in the Faculty of Theology at the University of
Oxford.ShortlyafterwardsMotherJane,SLG,verykindlyaskedmeif
I would repeat the course at the Convent of the Incarnation in
OxfordforthebenefitofthoseSistersoftheLoveofGodwhowished
tohearthem.Agratifyinglylargenumberdid.Sincethenthelectures
have been revised and rewritten and later stages of the book have
beengivenastalksattheConventoftheIncarnation,andalsotothe
Sistersof thePreciousBlood, atBurnham Abbey. Iowe avery great
deal to these opportunities of sharing my thoughts with them and
respondingtotheirquestionsandcriticisms.Thecircleofindebted-
ness extends much wider, but there are various particular debts of
which I am especially conscious. In the chapter on Philo, I received
help and encouragement from Dr C. T. R. Hayward, now at the
University of Durham, and Robin Lane Fox, now at New College;
Dr O. M. T. O’Donovan, now at Wycliffe College, Toronto, read an
earlyversionofthechapteronAugustineandmademanyacuteand
helpfulobservations;SisterJocelynMary,SLG,gavememuchhelpin
understanding the doctrine of the Dark Night in St. John of the
Cross. Naturally, none of them is responsible for the use I have
madeoftheirideas.Iwasalsogreatly helpedbybeing abletocount
on the accurate and intelligent typing of Mrs Anne Borg. But my
greatestdebtistoSisterEdme´e,SLG,whohassufferedallthestages
of the fashioning of this book: I owe more than I can tell to her
encouragement and criticisms, which have saved me from many
asperitiesofstyleandobscuritiesofthought.
The final form of the book retains one particular feature of the
original lectures: extensive quotation from the philosophers and
Fathers discussed. This was intended to give the original hearers
some sort of feel for the thought and vision of these ancient
vi Preface
writers. I beg the reader not to skip them: they are the most
important part.
Oxford,
FeastofSSCyrilandMethodius,
1980.
AndrewLouth
Preface to the Second Edition
The text of the second edition is virtually the same as the first. All
Ihavedoneistotaketheopportunitytocorrectafewmisprints.To
do more would have been to embark on rewriting a book now a
quarter-of-a-century old and, as the afterword makes clear, this
would have resulted in a very different book, and not a second
edition at all. One change I would have introduced in a more
extensiverevisionwouldhavebeentheuseofmoregender-inclusive
language,butinmyexperiencethisinvolvesmorethananintroduc-
tionofchangesto‘man’and‘mankind’andwould,Ithink,haveled
into deeper waters of revision that I have neither the time nor the
inclinationtoembarkon.Ibegthoseoffendedbytheseusagestobe
indulgent.
Durham
FeastofSt.NicolasKavasilas,
2006.
AndrewLouth
Acknowledgements
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to
reproducethefollowingcopyrighttranslations:
JohnBurnaby:ExtractsfromDeTrinitate,BooksVIII–X,XIVandXV
from Augustine: Later Works, vol. VIII, The Library of Christian
Classics (1955). Reprinted by permission of SCM Press Ltd.,
London,andTheWestminsterPress,U.S.A.
F. H. Colson et al: Extracts from Philo’s Works (10 vols. 1929–62).
Reprinted by permission of The Loeb Classical Library (Harvard
UniversityPress:WilliamHeinemann).
F. M. Cornford: Extracts from The Republic of Plato, translated by
F.M.Cornford(1941),by permissionofOxfordUniversityPress.
R.P. Lawson:ExtractsfromOrigen: TheSongofSongs,Commentary
andHomilies,(Vol.26,AncientChristianWritersSeries,1957).
Reprintedby permissionofthePaulistPress,NewYork.
StephenMackenna:ExtractsfromPlotinus:TheEnneads(1969).
ReprintedbypermissionofFaber&FaberLtd.,andPantheonBooks,
aDivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.
Extracts from From Glory to Glory by Jean Danielou, translated by
Herbert Musurillo. Copyright (cid:1) 1961 by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Reprintedby permissionofthepublisher.
F. J. Sheed: Extracts from The Confessions of St. Augustine (1944).
Reprintedby permissionofSheedandWardLtd.
Contents
Introduction x
I. Plato 1
II. Philo 17
III. Plotinus 35
IV. Origen 51
V. NiceneOrthodoxy 73
Athanasius 75
GregoryofNyssa 78
VI. TheMonasticContribution 95
EvagriusofPontus 97
TheMacarianHomilies 110
DiadochusofPhotice¯ 122
VII. Augustine 128
VIII. DenystheAreopagite 154
IX. PatristicMysticismandSt.John
oftheCross 174
DivineDarknessandtheDarkNight 176
X. TheMysticalLifeandtheMysticalBody 186
PlatonismandMysticism 186
TheCommunionofSaints 194
Afterword(2006) 200
Bibliography 215
ExtraBibliography 221
Index 223