A history of mysticism / Richard H. Jones.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jones, Richard H., 1951- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mysticism--History.

Mysticism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (526 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2024]

Summary:

A history of the world's mystical traditions.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Abbreviations

Preface

The Problem of Understanding Mystics

The Danger in Having a Mystical Experience

Postmodern Concerns

Classifications and Essences

Doing Cross-Cultural History

The Contextual Approach versus Perennial Philosophy

The Scope of This Book

1. Mysticism and Mystical Experiences

Other Altered State of Consciousness Experiences

Mystical Paths

Mystical Knowledge

The Diversity of Mystical Experiences

Extrovertive Experiences

Introvertive Experiences

Extrovertive Mystical Experiences

Mindfulness

Introvertive Mystical Experiences

Depth-Mystical Experiences

Mystical Enlightenment as a State of Consciousness

The Enlightened State

Enlightenment, Conceptualizations, and Language

Mystical Metaphysics

The Mystical Traditions of the World

2. The Prehistory of Mysticism

Shamanism

Shamanic Altered States of Consciousness

Psychedelic Drugs in Religious History

Shamanism and Mystical Experiences

Shamanism is not Primitive Mysticism

3. Mysticism in Classical Greek Philosophy

Was There Mysticism in Early Greek Philosophy?

The Pre-Socratics

Socrates

Plato

After Plato

Plotinus

Later Neoplatonism

Philosophical Texts as Spiritual Exercises

Key Themes

4. Jewish Mysticism

Philo Judaeus of Alexandria

The Hekhalot Visionary Texts

Cosmogonic Speculation

Early German Pietists

Early Kabbalah

Classical Kabbalah

Hasidism

Modern Era

The Question of Unitive Mystical Experiences

5. Christian Mysticism

The New Testament

Desert Monastics

The Christian Path

Greek Influence

Early Middle Ages

Eastern Orthodoxy

Late Middle Ages

Meister Eckhart

Antinomianism

The Reformation Period

6. Islamic Mysticism

The Quran

Muhammad.

Early Asceticism and the Rise of Sufism

Early Sufi Ways of Life

Rabiah and Love Mysticism

Knowledge and the Annihilation of the Self

Sufi Theorists

The Persian Poets

Sufi Orders

Influence, Decline, and Revival

7. Hindu Mysticism

The Vedic Background

The Upanishads

Knowledge in the Upanishads

Yoga in the Upanishads

Renunciation

Brahman/Atman

Theism in the Upanishads

Samkhya

Yoga

Advaita Vedanta

Shankara

Advaita after Shankara

The Bhagavad Gita

Bhaktism

Ramanuja

Dualistic and Non-Dualistic Bhaktism

Tantrism

Modern Hinduism

8. Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Mysticism

The Buddha

Early Buddhist Beliefs

Early Buddhist Meditative Practices

Nikaya Schools and Abhidharma

Mahayana

Compassion and Insight

Prajnaparamita and Madhyamaka Philosophy

The Yogachara School

The Status of the Phenomenal Realm

Buddhism and Social Action

Tantric Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism Today

9. Chinese Mysticism

The Early Chinese Worldview

The Confucian Backdrop

The Daoist Reaction

The Daoists' Dao

Language and the Dao

The Dao and Mystical Experiences

Zhuangzi on the Enlightened State

Wei Wuwei

Governing by Wuwei

Daoist Values

Daoist Religion

Neo-Daoism

Chinese Buddhism

The Chan/Zen Meditation Schools

Chan and "Beyond Good and Evil"

Neo-Confucianism

10. Mysticism in the West Today

The Climate against Traditional Mysticism Today

New Age Mysticism

Scientific Studies of Mysticism

Secular Mysticism

A Mystical Revolution?

What Are the Prospects for Traditional Mysticism Today?

Appendix: Correcting Some Misunderstandings about Mysticism

Mystical Experiences and Mystical Enlightenment

Mystics and Knowledge Claims.

The Problem of Language

The Question of Mystical Union

Mysticism and Morality

Women in Mysticism

Conclusion

Notes

References and Further Reading

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781438497167

1438497164

OCLC:

1427666286