Christian Mysticism

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Christian Mysticism

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Christian Mysticism

2 Feb 2018

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Just like Eastern mystics and Sufi mystics, there are Christian mystics too! Their main practice is 'contemplation'. Textual descriptions of contemplation suggest that the practice is quite similar to Eastern 'mantra-based meditation'.

I haven't studied Christian contemplation or meditation in any detail. It would be awesome if somebody were to compare these techniques with Indian spiritual traditions like Sufi / Bhakti / Advaita Vedanta / Buddhist meditation. Below are some pointers to get started.

The Cloud of Unknowing

The classic text for Christian contemplation is The Cloud of Unknowing, written in the 14th century by an anonymous spiritual teacher. Detailed instructions about the technique may be found in The Cloud of Unknowing — Annotated by Joseph Mariconda. I haven't studied this book or its method in detail. However, I find glimpses of similarities between Christian contemplation and Eastern 'mantra-based meditation' fascinating!

Christian Contemplation

Excerpts from Wikipedia article on Christian contemplation:

“Christian contemplation refers to several Christian practices which aim at 'looking at', 'gazing at', 'being aware of' God or the Divine.”
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“The central practice is contemplative prayer, in which a meaningful word or a short sentence, is repeated with full attention. It is distinct from vocal prayer (the recitation of words) and, strictly speaking, from meditation (a form of mental prayer, also called methodical prayer, based on discursive reflection).”
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“Contemplative practice is a longstanding and integral part of the Christian churches. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches it is known as Hesychasm or stillness.”
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“Theosis or unity with God is obtained by engaging in contemplative prayer, the first stage of theoria, which results from the cultivation of watchfulness (nepsis in Greek). In theoria, one comes to see or 'behold' God or 'uncreated light,' a grace which is 'uncreated'.”

Apart from 'Christian contemplation', there is also 'Christian meditation' which is different from Eastern meditations. In the East, 'contemplation' refers to thinking about a saying or a prayer, analyzing it, evaluating it, understanding it and absorbing it. In the East, 'meditation' refers to focusing on something like breath, an image or a mantra so that mind-chatter stops and thoughts cease. Thus 'Christian meditation' and 'Christian contemplation' probably correspond to 'Eastern contemplation' and 'Eastern meditation', respectively! Only somebody who is familiar with both approaches may be able to compare the two.

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