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The Shape of Spiritual Direction in the Mystical Theology of Jan Van Ruusbroec

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The Shape of Spiritual Direction in the Mystical Theology of Jan Van Ruusbroec THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA The Shape of Spiritual Direction in the Mystical Theology of Jan van Ruusbroec A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy By Greg Voiles Washington, D.C. 2016 The Shape of Spiritual Direction in the Mystical Theology of Jan van Ruusbroec Greg Voiles, Ph.D. Director: James Wiseman, O.S.B, S.T.D. This dissertation considers the trinitarian mystical theology of the late-medieval mystical theologian Jan van Ruusbroec and how his trinitarian thought forms and animates his written spiritual direction. It particularly examines the relationship between Ruusbroec’s trinitarian mystical theology and his post-Brussels written spiritual direction, which offers guidance to specific communities and persons in their pursuit of union with God through the life of prayer, worship, and service. In order to render a coherent account of this relationship and its primary characteristics, the work argues that one must read Ruusbroec as a mystical theologian. As a mystical theologian, Ruusbroec’s thought displays the natural integrity of theology and spirituality, as assumed by the majority of the theological masters of the Christian tradition, from its origins to the High Middle Ages. After dealing with the biographical details of Ruusbroec’s life and historical, cultural, and theological contexts, the study makes a foray into the works of Ruusbroec to show the primary characteristics of the Brabantine’s trinitarian mystical theology, the core of which is his teaching of essential love, the perfect, eternal simultaneity and harmony of activity and rest of the life of the Trinity. The study then goes on to offer interpretations of three of Ruusbroec’s most important writings of spiritual direction from his post-Brussels period. It shows that the Augustinian canon’s written spiritual direction in these writings is intricately shaped by his trinitarian mystical theology. His spiritual direction is, so to speak, harmonically related to the “firm melody” that is his trinitarian mystical theology. Finally, the study offers some possible paths forward for future research, based upon what the dissertation has found. The purpose of this work is to make a contribution to Ruusbroec scholarship that continues to illumine the shape, scope and beauty of his mystical theology as well as to contribute to the broader theological scholarship that has been, over the past five to eight decades, bringing to light the integrity of “spirituality” and “theology” within the Christian tradition. This dissertation by Greg Voiles fulfills the dissertation requirement for the doctoral degree in Spirituality approved by James Wiseman, O.S.B., S.T.D., as Director and by Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D., and Joshua Benson, Ph.D. as Readers. __________________________________________ James Wiseman, O.S.B., S.T.D., Director __________________________________________ Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D., Reader __________________________________________ Joshua Benson, Ph.D., Reader ii Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................................. v Chapter 1: The Life and Times of Jan van Ruusbroec and Methodology .............................. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 I. The Life and Times of Jan van Ruusbroec .................................................................................. 3 B. Theological Formation Beyond the Chapter School ............................................................ 18 C. The Brussels Years as Chaplain Priest (1317/18–1343) ..................................................... 28 D. The Years as Priest in Groenendaal (1343–1350) ............................................................... 36 E. The Prior of the Groenendaal Monastery (1350–1381) ....................................................... 43 F. The Heresy of the Free Spirit ............................................................................................... 46 II. Methodology: The Integrity of Spirituality and Theology: Reading Ruusbroec as Mystical/Contemplative Theologian ............................................................................................. 58 III. The Contours of Spiritual Direction in the Christian Tradition .............................................. 72 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 85 Chapter 2: Swimming in the Flowing, Ebbing Sea: The Lineaments of Ruusbroec’s Trinitarian Mystical Theology ................................................................................................... 89 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 89 I. Ruusbroec’s Historical-Theological Context ............................................................................ 92 II. The Flowing, Ebbing Sea: The Trinitarian Shape of Ruusbroec’s Mystical Theology ......... 106 III. Exemplarist Anthropology .................................................................................................... 137 IV. The Mystical/Contemplative Way ........................................................................................ 148 A. The True Contemplative/Mystical Path .............................................................................. 150 B. Counter-position to False Mysticism .................................................................................. 173 C. The Common Life ............................................................................................................... 178 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 185 Chapter 3: Cantus Firmus and Symphonic Harmony I: The Trinitarian Shape of Ruusbroec’s Spiritual Direction in Van den Geesteliken Tabernakel ................................... 186 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 186 I. Van den Geesteliken Tabernakel ............................................................................................. 189 A. Date, Textual-Historical Considerations, and Occasion ................................................... 190 B. Structure and Content ......................................................................................................... 198 C. Spiritual Direction in the Tabernakel ................................................................................ 205 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 236 Chapter 4: Cantus Firmus and Symphonic Harmony II: The Trinitarian Shape of Ruusbroec’s Spiritual Direction in Vanden seven sloten—The Seven Enclosures, and Een spieghel der eeuwigher salicheit—A Mirror of Eternal Blessedness ...................................... 238 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 238 I. Vanden seven sloten ................................................................................................................ 239 A. Date, Occasion, and Structural Considerations ................................................................. 241 B. Spiritual Direction in Vanden seven sloten ........................................................................ 249 III. Een spieghel der eeuwigher salicheit .................................................................................... 274 A. Date, Occasion, Structural Considerations, and Content .................................................. 275 iii B. Spiritual Direction in the Spieghel ..................................................................................... 298 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 321 Chapter 5: Swimming in the Flowing, Ebbing Sea Under Ruusbroec’s Direction: Concluding Summary, Contribution, and Paths for Future Research ................................ 323 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 323 I. Concluding Summary .............................................................................................................. 324 II. Contribution ........................................................................................................................... 338 III. Possible Paths for Future Research ....................................................................................... 339 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 341 Bibliography……………………...............................................................................................342 iv Preface In this work I explore the trinitarian mystical theology of the late-medieval Brabantine contemplative theologian Jan van
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