DOCSLIB.ORG

Walach Hugo of Balma and Mystical Union.PDF

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Walach Hugo of Balma and Mystical Union.PDF Studiesiru Spirituality 19, 199-225.doi: I0.2143ISIS.19.0.2043680 @ 2009by Studiesin Spiritualiry.Allrights reserved. Hennro \íer-c.cH A MEDIEVAL CARTHUSTANMONK'S RE,CIPE TO MULTIPLEKENSHO Hugh of Balmat Approach to Mystical Union and Some Striking Similarities to Modern ZenTeachingl Expertus i nfaI li bi liter nouit. [\7ho hasexperience has flawless knowledge.] JohnDuns Scotus SUMMARY- The CarthusianHugh of Balma (flourishedaround 1260) is one of the most important and least known writers of the Christian mystical tradition. He held that a unification of the soul wirh God was possible,following the Pseudo-Dionysianway of letting go of all mental operations.The result of this union is experientialknowledge of God. After describingwhat is meant by this concept it is contended that this is rather similar to some Zen rcachingsin modern times, thus opening up a bridge betweenthe traditions. \(/hat Hugh had in mind is pure recep- tiviry similar to enlightenedmindfulness in the Soto tradition, while at the sametime acknowledgingthe fact that dramatic experiencesof enlight- enment might also be possible.The relationship bervveenthese nvo tra- ditions and the open questionsis discussed.One of them certainly is the question about the nature of this final realiry Kensho, experiential realisation of onek true nature, is at the heart of Zen Buddhist teaching. Although in essenceineffable, this term denotes an immedi- ate experience of the true realiry of the world. as well as the human mind, and some descriptions of such experiences have been published.2 At its core is the realisation of connectiviry and interdependence of all beings and the insight that I wish to expressmy gratitude towards those friends and scholarswho have helped me under- stand Hugh of Balma'stext and come to grips with its pitfalls, or helped otherwise: Dr. James Hogg, Dom Hubert Maria Blijm OCart, Dom Augustin Devaux OCart, Dr. \Tolfgang Augusryn, Prof. Erhard Oeset Dr. Claudius Sieber. I would not have been able to at least par- tially understand Hugh's writing and its connection to Zen teaching were it not for what I have learnedin my Zen training with Niklaus Brantschen SJ and many talks and informal gather- ings with Pia Gyger SIKW Prof, Klaus Jacobi, Freiburg gave helpful advices which improved the manuscript. P Kapleau, The threepilkrs of Zen: Tèachingpractice, enlightenmenr,New York 1969. 200 HÁMLD'SrAIÁCH A MEDIEVAL CARTHUSIAN MONK'S RECIPE 201 there cannot be individual salvation without, or even at the cost of,, the salva- of the Christian mystical tradition,s and, among others, the source of the anony- likely tion of other beings.3 Hence the first of the Four Vows begins with the vow ro mous |4'hll5,h century rreatise Cloud of Unhnowing,whose author very out save all beings.aThe method to attain realisation of one's narure traditionally is came from the environmenr of an English charterhouse. It has been pointed Zazen, sitting in silent meditation, abstaining from wilful cognitive activity, that The Cloud is most akin to Zen teachings.e Hugh of Balma also influenced - Herp, mindfully observing the breath until the mind becomes clear as a sdll lake. Sit- the Dutch mystical writers of the 14'h and 15'l' century Ruusbroec, - ting in still meditation without actively engaging in rational, cognitive activiry Grote - directly and thus the whole lay movement of the modern devotion or imaginative work has been a common denominator of different traditions in deuotio moderna- which was so influential as the forerunner of reformist ideas.lO Buddhism, particularly of Zen. But most notably, through the Spanish author Garcia de Cisneros, the Vita \írhile theZen tradition places much emphasis on rhe right method of med- Christi of Ludolph of Saxony, as well as through early Spanish translations and itation source for the Spanish mystics, Teresaof Avila, and the experience of Kensho, as well as on the deepening of this expe- ^St.printings, he *", an important rience in daily life, the Christian mystical tradition has not been very method- of the Cross Ign"rius of Loyola,rr the founder of a distinct mod- lohi "nd ological. It placed more emphasison'grace', the notion that the final e*perience ern tradition of a Christian experiential approach' is not attainable by one's own efforr alone, but is freely given by God, who Hugh of Balma is probably the writer closest to Zen teaching. Thus, he might offered himself in the mystical experience of union to the soul.s Although the be ablà to firnction boih as a textual but also as a contextual bridge berween Zen context and the theological interpretation of what actually happens in the mys- Buddhist and Christian teachings.By looking at possiblelinks we might be able tical experience, or Kensho respectively, is rather difFerent, it has been observed to better understand what Hugh's teaching, little understood up to now, actu- in by different writers that the experiences themselves seem to be remarkably sim- ally meant, and we might also be able to find a description of what happens ilar.6This has been discussedwith referencero Meister Eckhart, one of the best deep meditation in terms of \(/estern thinking. known German mystical writers of the middle ages: both his paradoxical for- In the following I would like to give a brief aPer1uof Hugh of Ba-lmasteach- his mulations and his diverse pleas for puriry of mind, abstinence from thinking, ing, before pointing our some of the similarities and dissimilarities berween others' and his teaching that within the soul there is a spark of the soul, seem akin to tei'ching and the íen tradition, thereby using both traditions as the in Zen teaching.T Practically unknown is the fact that, around l2ío, approxi- irrt.rpr."t"nt. I am going about this task with an experiential backgr.ound tradi- mately two generations before Eckhart, and probably one of his sources of inspi- both tradirions, h*i"g practised imaginative rypes of meditation in the years' ration, there lived a literally unknown writer, who later became known as rhe tion of Saint Ignatius iidZr" meditation of the Sanbo Kyodan line for studied Carthusian monk Hugh of Balma. He was one of the most important writers and with a scholarly background in Hugh of Balma's writing, having 'Buddhist R.L.F Habito, philosophy as experientalpath: A journey through the Suta Nipata', 8 (Jberrahme [Jmgestaltungdes Platonismus durch die Vàter, in:, InternationalPhilosophical Quarterly 28 (1988), 125-139. E. v. Ivanka, Plato Christianu, t und R. Aitken, Zen als Lebenspraxis,Miinchen 1988. Einsiedeln1964. 'Affectus e English spirituality, New York 1965; \í. Zwingmann, illuminati amoris: Uber das Offenbarwerden der Gnade und die \7alsh , The Cloud of Unknowing in pre-Reformation J.-Arrony-.rr, (The unhno*i=rg, ed., trans. & introd. J. \íalsh, New York 1981 Erfahrung von Gottes beseligenderGegenwarr', in: Citeaux lB (1967), 193-22G;J. Sudbrack, The cloui of 'Western and oneing: A study of conflict in the Die uergesseneMystih und die Herausforderungdes Christentums durch Mw Age,\Wiirzburg 1988. Classicsof Spiritualiry); R.\7. Englerr, Scattering 'Die 1983 (Analecta Cartusiana 105); H. Dumoulin, Zen Erleuchtung in neuerenErlebnisberichten, in: Numen: International works of the author o7ft, Cioud.of Unhiowing, Salzburg '\Williám Maurice Chaunry, and the Cloud of Unknowing', in:. Spiritu- Reuiewfor the History of Religions 10 (1963), 133-152; K. Albert, Die ontologischeErfahrung, M.G. Sargent, Exmewe, 'Original Kocijancic-Pokorn, audi- Ratingen 1974; A. Ammann, Die Gottesschauim palamitischen Hesychasmus:Ein Handbuch der atitat heuL und.gestern. Bd,. 4, Salzburg 1984, 17-20; N. tradition and the Carthu- Spiit byzant i n i sc h en M1 sti h, \Wiirzburg I 9 86. ence of The Cloud of Unknowirrg', irriJ. Hogg (Ed.), The mystical H. Ho[, Scintilla animae, Bonn 1952; S. Ueda, Die Gonesgeburtin der Seeleund d.erDurch- sians.Yol. I , Salzburg 1995, 60-77. 'Der ,,Nicht-Mystik', r0 Histoire de la spiritualité chrétiennr. Vol. II La spi- bntch nrr Gottheit, Giirersloh 1965; Idem, Zen-Buddhismus als unter J. Leclercq, F. Vandeibroucke 8c L. Bouyer, gebedbij Hendrik Mande: besondererBeriicksichtigung desVergleichs zur Mystik Meister Eckharts',in j G. Schulz (Ed.), ritualité iu -oyrn age,Paris 1961; T. Mertens,'Het aspiratieve 'Das (1984),300-321. TïansparenteVeh: FestschrtfifiirJean Gebser,Bern-Stuttgart 1965,291-313; Idem, Nichts Invloed van Hugo de Balma?" int ons geestelijhErf 58 rr in: NouuelleReuue ThéologiqueTB (1956),937' bei Meister Eckhart und im Zen-Buddhismus, unter besondererBeriicksichtigung von The- J. Beyer,'Saint ignace de Loyola chartreux', pablo 'Amor en la vida mística segón Hugo de Balma" in: ologie und Philosophie', in: D. Papenfuss& J. Sóring (Eds.), Tïanszendenzund-Immanenz. 951;-F. d. Maroto, y conocimiento Philosophieund Theologiein der ueriindertenrWelt, Stuttgan 1978, 257-266. ReuistaEspiritualidad 24 (1965), 399-447. 202 HARÁLD STATACH A MEDIEVAI CARTHUSIAN MONI('S RECIPE 203 the historical background of his writing and having translated German.l2 his rexr inro text witness is an anonymous text dated I371, stemming from Tiier charter- house, and it is only 100 years later that texts bear Hugh (even Henry) of Balma, I will be making a cruciar presupposition: I suppose that from an experien_ tial point of view experience, or Palma, Carthusian, as author. ah.-r.lrres are similar if not idendcal.13 humans But since I have argued extensively that the traditional version of who this author was are cultur"f b.i.rgr, and rangu"g. ir-;;;ïr,rr. prime consdtuents culture' it is not of is not very plausible.l6 This received view runs roughly as follows.rT There is possible ,á h"',r. .*p.ii.rr..s without reflection, description, and nobody in the extensive Carthusian documents and archives known by the name finding a framework for them in terms of known conceprs of religion' \xzhile ph'osophy and of Hugh of Balma who would fit the time of the writer.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pseudo-Dionysius and CG Jung
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Goldsmiths Research Online ! ∀# ∀ ∃%% &∀∋ (∀ ! % )∗+)% ! ∀# ∀ ∃%% &∀∋ % , % − . ! % / ! !00 %∋%%∀102++20 ∋ ∋ , % ∀∀/ ∀ ∋ / ∀% ∀∋ ∀ / / ∃∋ / 3% ∋ ∋ ∀ ∋ 4 5 / # / 3 ∀ 0 6∀ / ∀/ 3∀ 3 ∀% # 7∀ # / / ∋ ∀ ∋ ∀∋ 3 ∀ ∋ ∋ 3 13 ∋ ∀ ∋ % 8 ∀ 6∀ ∀ ∀ / ∀∋ ∋ ∋ % ∀ / 4 5 / ∋ ∀ ∋ ∀ ∃ 7 / ∀ / ∀ ∀ ∀ ∀ ∀ % (∀ ∀ / ∀ % / 3 3 % / ∀ ∀ ∋ ∋ 6∀ / ∀/ 3∀ 13 ∋ % !00 #∋%∋ %%∀1 ∃ ! /# 9∋%%∀1 Apophatic Elements in the Theory and Practice of Psychoanalysis: Pseudo-Dionysius and C.G. Jung by David Henderson Goldsmiths, University of London Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ! ∀! I declare that the work in this thesis is my own. David Henderson Date: ! #! Acknowledgements I am grateful for the help I have received from my supervisors over the time I have been working on this project: Robert Burns believed in the value of the original proposal and accompanied me in my exploration of the work of Dionysius and neoplatonism. Brendan Callaghan supported me when I was in the doldrums and was wondering whether I would reach port. Roderick Main gave me encouragement to finish. He read my work intelligently and sympathetically. I regret
    [Show full text]
  • Dionysian Mystical Theology in the Commentaries of Thomas Gallus (D.1246)
    Experiencing the Word: Dionysian Mystical Theology in the Commentaries of Thomas Gallus (d.1246) The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37925651 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Experiencing the Word: Dionysian Mystical Theology in the Commentaries of Thomas Gallus (d.1246) A dissertation presented by Craig Henry Tichelkamp to The Faculty of Harvard Divinity School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology In the Subject of Theology Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts November 2017 © 2017, Craig Tichelkamp All rights reserved Dissertation Advisor: Professor Amy Hollywood Craig Henry Tichelkamp Experiencing the Word: Dionysian Mystical Theology in the Commentaries of Thomas Gallus (d.1246) Abstract The mystical theology of Thomas Gallus, “the last great Victorine,” was inseparable from his theology of sacred literature. This dissertation analyzes Gallus’s major works: his commentaries on the Song of Songs and the Corpus Dionysiacum (CD). I argue that Gallus’s mystical theology emerges from his analysis of constitutive theological tensions in the CD about God, language, and mystical perfection. That is, in navigating the CD’s conceptual apertures, Gallus is even more thoroughly Dionysian than has been previously estimated. At the same time, Gallus’s mystical theology is an original creation—distinctively Augustinian and Victorine, and informed by his complementary interpretation of the Song as depicting the union between the soul and the Word.
    [Show full text]
  • Mystical Theology
    THE CLOf/£'-AUTHOR'S REMAKING OF THE PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS' MYSTICAL THEOLOGY The Cloud of Unknowing and its companion texts were among the outstanding accomplishments of the flowering of English spiritual writing that occurred in the late fourteenth century. As a prelude to his final poetic evocation of contemplative fulfilment in The Cloud itself, the anonymous author formulates the paradox on which his instruction is based. Although the intellect as a spiritual faculty can know all created spiritual things, he writes, except through its failing it cannot know God, who is both spiritual and uncreated. He elucidates with a quote from the Pseudo-Dionysius' On the Divine Names: 'I>e moste goodly knowyng of God is ^at, ^e whiche is knowyn bi vnknowyng' (125.11—12).' He then takes the opportunity to comment on this source, on citing authorities, and on intellectual presumption: & trewly, who-so wil loke Denis bookes, he schal fynde J^at his wordes wilen cleerly aferme al [jat I haue seyde or schal sey, fro [je higinnyng of Jjis tretis to Jje ende. On none o|Derwise Jjen JDus list me not alegge him, ne none oJDer doctour for me at Jjis tyme. For somtyme men J3ou3t it meeknes to sey nou3t of ^€\K owne hedes, bot 3if j^ei afermid it by Scripture & doctours wordes; & now it is tumid into corioustee & schewyng of kunnyng. To [see it nedijj not, & Jserfore I do it nou3t. For who-so haj? eren, lat hem here, & who-so is sterid for to trowe, lat hem trowe; for elles scholen ^ei not.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Mediæval Philosophy
    UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARIES Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/historyofmediv01wulf Maurice de Wulf History of Mediaeval Philosophy by Maurice de ^u_lf Professor at the University of Louvain Professor Emeritus of Harvard University Member of the Academie Royale de Belgique Translated by Ernest C. Messenger, Ph.D. (Louvain) Sometime Lecturer in Philosophy at St. Edmund's College, Ware Member of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Volume One From the Beginnings to the End of the Twelfth Century NEW YORK DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. : : Nihil Obslat Thomas McLaughlin. S.T.D. Censor deputatus. Imprimatur J* Joseph Butt, Vic. Cap. Westmonasterii, die 9 Aprilis, 1935. English translations of History of Mediaval Philosophy : Translation of the second French edition by Dr. Coffey of Maynooth 1 volume, London 1909 Translation of the fifth French edition by Dr. E. C. Messenger 2 volumes, London 1926 Translation of Volumes One and Two of the sixth French edition by Dr. E. C. Messenger London 1935 and 1938 Present definitive translation of the sixth French edition by Dr. E. C. Messenger 3 volumes. Volume One 1952 COPYRIGHT 1952 BY DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. PRINTED AND BOUND IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE SIXTH FRENCH EDITION The sixth edition of our History of Mediceval Philosophy remains faithful to the general plan of preceding editions. It sets forth the general movements and rhythms involved in the succession of philosophic systems, the characteristic features of which are first of all outlined. The analytic or monographic method is thus combined here with the synthetic or comparative method, and we shall endeavour to justify the use of both.
    [Show full text]
  • Mystical Theology
    THE CLOUD-AUTHOR'S RDIAKING OF THE PSEUDO-DIONYSillS' 'IYSTICAL THEOLOGY Ch"nl Tu,lor .t/~diulJI. (c!1'1I1J1.' 2{)O(1: 75.2: /\cmkmic Rese~n.'h Libn.lt") pg.2/)2 THE CLOUD-AUTHOR'S REMAKING OF THE PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS' MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 'T'he C/olld of Unknowing and its companion texts were among the outstanding accomplishments of the flowering of English spiritual writing that occurred in the late fourteenth century. As a prelude to his final poetic evocation of contemplative fulfilment in The Child itself, the anonymous author formulates the paradox on which his instruction is based. Although the intellect as a spiritual faculty can know all created spiritual things. he writes, except through its failing it cannot know God, who is both spiritual and uncreated. He elucidates with a quote from the Pseudo-Dionysius' 0" the Dilline Namer: 'Pe moste goodly knowyng of God is pat, pe whlche is knawyn hi vnknowyng' (up l-U),l He then takes the opportunity to comment on this source, on citing authorities, and on intellectual presumption: & trewly, who-so wil lake Denis bookes, he scha! fynde pat his wordes wilen cleeriy aferme aI pat I haue seyde or scha! sey, fro Fe biginnyng of l>is ttetis to l>e ende. On none operwise pen pus list me not a1egge him, ne none ope! doctour fot me at l>is tyme. Fot somtyme men pou3t it meeknes to sey nou3t of peire owne bedes, bot 3if pci afermid it by Scripture & doctout8 wordes; & now it is tumid into corioustee & schewyng of kunnyng.
    [Show full text]
  • Hugh of Balma on Mystical Theology Acknowledgements
    HUGH OF BALMA ON MYSTICAL THEOLOGY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany: re lat. mss. 5.828 and 18.590 and 18.587. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna: re lat. ms. 1727. Bibliothèque Municipale, Grenoble, France: re lat. ms. 863. Stadtbibliothek, Trier, Germany: re lat. ms. 158/1254. Stiftsbibliothek, Melk, Austria: re lat. ms. 103/1719. National Széchenyi Library, Budapest, Hungary: re lat. ms. 387 (previously of the Hungarian National Museum). Universitätsbibliothek, University of Graz, Austria: re lat. ms. 262. Hill Monastic Microfilm Library, St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN: re micro- films of Melk 103/1719 and Graz 262. HUGH OF BALMA ON MYSTICAL THEOLOGY A Translation and an Overview of His De Theologia Mystica by JASPER HOPKINS Library of Congress Control Number: 2002107345 ISBN 0-938060-51-1 Printed in the United State of America Copyright © 2002 by The Arthur J. Banning Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402. All rights reserved. iv PREFACE I first became interested in Hugh of Balma through Nicholas of Cusa’s exchange of letters with the Abbot and monks of the Benedictine Monastery at Tegernsee, Germany (Bavaria).1 In this regard I initial- ly appended an English translation of a segment of Hugh’s De The- ologia Mystica to the end of my book Nicholas of Cusa’s Dialectical Mysticism: Text, Translation, and Interpretive Study of De Visione Dei. During the intervening period I decided to translate into English the whole of Balma’s treatise and to do so from Latin Manuscript 1727 of the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna, Austria—a manuscript that I have examined on site. Since a printed version of the text of this manu- script exists,2 I have taken the liberty (as an aid to the reader) of re- ferring to the page numbers and the line numbers in that edition.
    [Show full text]
  • Harald Walach
    92624_SIS_19(2009)_12_Walach 01-12-2009 13:45 Pagina 199 Studies in Spirituality 19, 199-225. doi: 10.2143/SIS.19.0.2043680 © 2009 by Studies in Spirituality. All rights reserved. HARALD WALACH A MEDIEVAL CARTHUSIAN MONK’S RECIPE TO MULTIPLE KENSHO Hugh of Balma’s Approach to Mystical Union and Some Striking Similarities to Modern Zen Teaching1 Expertus infallibiliter novit. [Who has experience has flawless knowledge.] John Duns Scotus SUMMARY — The Carthusian Hugh of Balma (flourished around 1260) is one of the most important and least known writers of the Christian mystical tradition. He held that a unification of the soul with God was possible, following the Pseudo-Dionysian way of letting go of all mental operations. The result of this union is experiential knowledge of God. After describing what is meant by this concept it is contended that this is rather similar to some Zen teachings in modern times, thus opening up a bridge between the traditions. What Hugh had in mind is pure recep- tivity, similar to enlightened mindfulness in the Soto tradition, while at the same time acknowledging the fact that dramatic experiences of enlight- enment might also be possible. The relationship between these two tra- ditions and the open questions is discussed. One of them certainly is the question about the nature of this final reality. Kensho, experiential realisation of one’s true nature, is at the heart of Zen Buddhist teaching. Although in essence ineffable, this term denotes an immedi- ate experience of the true reality of the world as well as the human mind, and some descriptions of such experiences have been published.2 At its core is the realisation of connectivity and interdependence of all beings and the insight that 1 I wish to express my gratitude towards those friends and scholars who have helped me under- stand Hugh of Balma’s text and come to grips with its pitfalls, or helped otherwise: Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • A Complete Reception of the Latin Corpus Dionysiacum: the Commentaries of Denys the Carthusian
    K e n t E m e r y , Jr . A COMPLETE RECEPTION OF THE LATIN CORPUS DIONYSIACUM: THE COMMENTARIES OF DENYS THE CARTHUSIAN In this essay, I shall discuss (I) the fundamental role of Dio­ nysius the pseudo-Areopagite in the thought and writings of De­ nys the Carthusian; (2) Denys’ library of Dionysian materials; (3) why Denys used the translations of Eriugena; (4) the nature and style of Denys’ commentaries; (5) Denys’ treatment of the « fore­ most difficulties » arising in Dionysius’ teaching; (6) Denys’ ex­ position of Dionysius’ words concerning the mysterious figure of Hierotheus, who is the exemplar of the communication of theo­ logical wisdom. I. D i o n y s i u s C artusiensis a n d D i o n y s i u s A r e o p a g it a Denys the Carthusian (Dionysius Cartusiensis, 1402-1471), Chartermonk of Roermond, was the most prolific Latin writer of the Middle Ages. He wrote commentaries on every book of sacred Scripture; encyclopedic commentaries on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, which report and adjudicate the arguments of the most important thirteenth-century Scholastic theologians, from William of Auxerre through Durand of Saint-Pourpain and Duns Scotus; commentaries on the works of John Cassian and the Scala parodist of John Climacus; a large Summa de vitiis et virtutibus and over 900 sermons; a line-by-line commentary on Boethius’ De consolatione philosophiae, which interprets its literal philosophic meaning and then its allegorical theological meaning; scores of philosophical, theological, moral, devotional and monastic treati- 198 K.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblical Exegesis in the Summa Halensis 11
    The Summa Halensis Veröffentlichungen des Grabmann-Institutes zur Erforschung der mittelalterlichen Theologie und Philosophie Münchener Universitätsschriften Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät Founded by Michael Schmaus †, Werner Dettloff † and Richard Heinzmann Continued in collaboration with Ulrich Horst Edited by Isabelle Mandrella and Martin Thurner Volume 65 The Summa Halensis Sources and Context Edited by Lydia Schumacher ISBN 978-3-11-068492-6 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-068502-2 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-068510-7 ISSN 0580-2091 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licens-es/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; Detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Lydia Schumacher, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com Acknowledgements This volume contains some of the proceeds of aseries of conferences held in 2018 which receivedfunding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the Euro- pean Union’sHorizon 2020 researchand innovation programme (grant agreement 714427: ‘Authority and Innovation in EarlyFranciscan Thought’). The conferences wereheld in TrinityCollegeand All Soul’sCollege, Oxford, and I am grateful to the staff at these colleges for providinguswith such exceptional hos-
    [Show full text]
  • Sufism: a New History of Islamic Mysticism
    SUFISM Susm A NEW HISTORY OF ISLAMIC MYSTICISM Alexander Knysh PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON & OXFORD Copyright © 2017 by Princeton University Press Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to Permissions, Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TR press.princeton.edu All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Knysh, Alexander D., author. Title: Susm : a new history of Islamic mysticism / Alexander Knysh. Description: Princeton ; Oxford : Princeton University Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identiers: LCCN 2017016916 | ISBN 9780691139098 (hardcover : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Susm—History. | Mysticism—Islam—History. Classication: LCC BP189 .K695 2017 | DDC 297.4--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016916 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available This book has been composed in Miller Printed on acid-free paper. ∞ Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my ever-curious grandson Alexander Knysh Jr. CONTENTS List of Illustrations · ix Transliteration and Dates · xi Acknowledgments · xiii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1 How and Why Susm Came to Be 15 CHAPTER 2 What’s in a Name? How Denitions of Susm Have Become a Site of Polemical Partis-Pris 35 CHAPTER 3 Discourses 62 CHAPTER 4 Susm in Comparison: The Common Ferment of Hellenism 124 CHAPTER 5 Practices, Ethos, Communities, and Leaders 137 CHAPTER 6 Susm’s Recent Trajectories: What Lies behind the Su-Sala Confrontation? 176 CONCLUSION 231 Abbreviations · 235 Notes · 237 Bibliography · 341 Index · 371 ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS 2.1.
    [Show full text]