Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill's Mysticism
This book represents a study of Evelyn Underhill’s premier work on mysticism, using Hegel’s dialectics and Kant’s theory of the sublime as interpretive tools. It especially focuses on two prominent features of Underhill’s text: the description of the myst
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Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill's Mysticism
Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill’s Mysticism
Peter Chong-Beng Gan
Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill’s Mysticism
Peter Chong-Beng Gan Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang, Malaysia
ISBN 978-981-287-483-2 ISBN 978-981-287-484-9 DOI 10.1007/978-981-287-484-9
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015935426 Springer Singapore Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer Science+Business Media Singapore Pte Ltd. is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
For my family, and especially for Sandra
Preface and Acknowledgements
Mystics are a class, or perhaps one of several like classes, of individuals who single-mindedly devote their lives to the pursuit of what they regard as the most important thing in all reality. Some may assume that for theistic mystics, those who identify God as this topmost important item, life is simplified a hundredfold when every nitty-gritty molecule of human existence is collapsed into a singular orientation to God. Fortunately or unfortunately, the mystical life is far from simple, and neither is it easily condensable into a sagely descriptive statement. Incidentally, even amongst this community of theistic mystics, diversity of beliefs, systems, and practices prevails. As deserving as it is to cast an analytical eye over a broad set of expressions of theistic mysticism, I have decided to narrow my gaze and transfix it on the mysticism of the Christian tradition. Even though Christian mysticism is not a homogenous, monolithic entity, it does lend itself to an investigation based on a range of its modalities as formulated by key representatives of this tradition. It is with this consideration in mind that I turn to Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness, which I feel provides a helpful cover
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