the mysticism of thomas moore - ost.edu
TRANSCRIPT
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.
-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 146
2) DIONYSIAN MYSTICISM
1) HE TELLS US!
MEISTER ECKHART IS THE “PIOUS MYSTIC”
WHO HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN MOORE’S
RELIGIOSITY
-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 15
NICHOLAS OF CUSA IS ONE OF MOORE’S
FAVORITE THEOLOGIANS
-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 33
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.
-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 29
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.”
-A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 15
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