Ps-D: Mystical Theology Wrap up

Mystical Theology is, at its core, an essay on theological and spiritual method.  This explains a lot of what may be seen as its shortfalls (it’s 4 pages with extensive footnotes in my edition).  There is no developed logos theology, there is no exploration of Christology (the hot topic of the day), there is minimal interaction with scripture and the tradition of the church, there is no discussion of methods of prayer, meditation, or liturgical matters.  There is a brief mention of a word that has been translated as “contemplation” in chapter 1 (137), but the author never explains what it means.  Affirmation, negation and unknowing are the author’s primary concerns, and all are about how one talks about God, not what one says about God.

The social changes occurring in the U.S. right now in regard to greater acceptance (or at least visibility) of openly homosexual people in the culture at large has led to polarazation in the churches.  Dialogue has become shrill and uncompromising from all sides of every issue.  Some have become more entrenched and dogmatic in approaching their own doctrinal tradition, some have abandoned their own tradition for the ideology of a political party, some have adopted a hollow, uncritical “anything goes” approach or given up talking to “the other side” all together and focused all their energy on high-stakes denominational politics.

The God of Mystical Theologyis a very scary thing.  This is a God that is not gendered, that is not politicized, not known or knowable, not even knowledge itself.  This is a God that dwells in a dark cloud of unknowing.  We are as able to comprehend this God about less than the earthworm living in the soil underneath my hydrangea could comprehend the internet.  My hydrangea itself is able to know quantum physics better than we can know God.  It is much easier to relate to a “domesticated transcendence” than the God who dwells in darkness and unknowing.  That God cannot be “named and claimed”.  That lion is not tame. 

Yes, there are many “issues” that are very important.  But God is not in our opinions no matter how good they may be.  When we realize this we are forced to approach dialogue with meekness and humility.  We put aside the high-stakes politics, the polemics, the dogmatism and the ideology.  Unknowing may be the only way to move forward on anything and maintain the unity of our churches, or, God willing, restore the visible unity of the church so we can live up to what God has called us to do, proclaim that the Source has begun the reconciliation of the cosmos to itself.

Starting next week, Pseudo-Dionysius’ Ecclesiastical Hierarchy from the same collection.

~ by Josh on May 3, 2007.