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The Mysticism of Thomas Moore: a Soulful Approach to Spirituality Books Written THE MYSTICISM OF THOMAS MOORE: A SOULFUL APPROACH TO SPIRITUALITY BOOKS WRITTEN 2018-2014 2010-2000 1998-1982 GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF JOHN (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2018) CARE OF THE SOUL IN MEDICINE (CARLSBAD, CA: HAY HOUSE, 2010) THE SOUL OF SEX. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1998 AGELESS SOUL: THE LIFELONG JOURNEY TOWARD MEANING AND JOY (NY: ST. THE GURU OF GOLF AND OTHER STORIES ABOUT THE GAME OF LIFE (CARLSBAD, CA: THE BOOK OF JOB. NY: RIVERHEAD BOOKS, 1998 MARTIN’S PRESS, 2017) HAY HOUSE, 2010) EDUCATION OF THE HEART. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1996 GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF MARK (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2017) WRITING IN THE SAND: JESUS AND THE SOUL OF THE GOSPELS (CARLSBAD, CA: HAY HOUSE, 2009) THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF EVERYDAY LIFE, NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1996 (BESTSELLER 1 WEEK) GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF LUKE (NASHVILLE, TN: SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2017) MEDITATIONS ON THE MONK WHO DWELLS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1994 A LIFE AT WORK, NY: BROADWAY BOOKS, 2008 THE SOUL OF CHRISTMAS, CINCINNATI: FRANCISCAN MEDIA, 2016 SOULMATES. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1994 (NYTBR BESTSELLER 22 DARK NIGHTS OF THE SOUL. NY: GOTHAM BOOKS, 2004; WEEKS) SOUL MATES, REV.ED (NEW YORK: HARPERCOLLINS, 2016) PAPERBACK MAY 2005 CARE OF THE SOUL. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1992. (BESTSELLER IN HARDCOVER 44 WEEKS, CARE OF THE SOUL, 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, REV. THE LOST SUTRAS OF JESUS. CO-AUTHOR WITH RAY RIEGERT, BERKELEY: SEASTONE PAPERBACK 145 WEEKS) (NEW YORK: HARPERCOLLINS, 2016) 2003 A BLUE FIRE: SELECTED WRITINGS OF JAMES HILLMAN. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 1989 GOSPEL: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW (WOODSTOCK, VT: THE SOUL’S RELIGION. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 2002 SKYLIGHT PATHS, 2016) DARK EROS. DALLAS: SPRING PUBLICATIONS, 1990 QUAND LE MONDE RETROUVE SON ÂME, TOURNAI, BELGIUM: LA RENAISSANCE DU LIVRE, 2001 (COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ORIGINALLY IN ENGLISH) A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN (NEW YORK: RITUALS OF THE IMAGINATION. DALLAS: DALLAS INSTITUTE, 1983 GOTHAM/PENGUIN, 2014 ORIGINAL SELF. NY: HARPERCOLLINS, 2000 THE PLANETS WITHIN: MARSILIO FICINO’S ASTROLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. LEWISBURG, PA: BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1982; HUDSON, NY: LINDISFARNE PRESS, 1982 PRIMARY BOOKS A SHORT BIO • BORN IN DETROIT, MI, 1940 • ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT SOUTHERN • AT 13 HE JOINS A SERVITE PREP SEMINARY METHODIST UNIVERSITY, 1976-1983 • AT AROUND 26, HE LEAVES THE SEMINARY BEFORE • ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT LESLEY UNIVERSITY TAKING FINAL VOWS IN BOSTON, 1986-1990 • EARNS BA IN MUSIC COMPOSITION AT DEPAUL • PUBLISHED A BLUE FIRE WITH JAMES HILLMAN, UNIVERSITY, 1967 1989 • M.A. IN MUSICOLOGY, MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, 1969 • PUBLISHED CARE OF THE SOUL, 1992 • M.A. IN THEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR, 1972 • LECTURER, AUTHOR, CONSULTANT, 1991- • PH.D IN RELIGION, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, 1975 PRESENT INTRO INTO THE THOUGHT OF JAMES HILLMAN • GOAL: TO REIMAGINE THE PERSON, PROFESSION OF PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE WORLD THROUGH IMAGINAL SOUL • METHOD: IMAGINATION HEEDING THE SOUL’S MYSTERIOUS PLURALITY • KEY IDEAS: • SPIRIT/SOUL DISTINCTION • SOUL AS MYSTERY AND MULTIPLE • POLYTHEISTIC PSYCHOLOGY • IMAGINATION AND EXPERIENCE AS EPISTEMOLOGICALLY PRIVILEGED MOORE’S UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION • THE LOSS OF SOUL IN THE WORLD GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE LOSS OF RELIGION IN THE WORLD • ALL “FORMAL” RELIGIONS ARE SPECIAL AND POSSESS TWO THINGS: BEAUTY AND WISDOM • HIS RELIGIOUS PROGRAM IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR ALTERNATIVE TO “FORMAL” RELIGION • RELIGION IS A VERB • CAN BE DONE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, ECCLESIAL OR SECULAR • HIS PROGRAM NECESSITATES ETHICAL DEMANDS • THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE ROOTED IN THE MYSTICAL MOORE DRAWS FROM THE MYSTICAL WELLS • KATAPHATIC MYSTICISM • DIONYSIAN MYSTICISM 1) KATAPHATIC MYSTICISM B) ORDINARY A) PSYCHOLOGICAL MYSTICISM C) PANTHEISTIC SPIRITUAL EMOTIONS- OUTWARD EVENTS ANYONE CAN BE A MYSTIC- SOUL MYSTIC GOD IS LITERALLY PRESENT EVERYWHERE, WE HAVE SPIRITUAL RESONANCE NEED ONLY TO SEE HOW “YOU MAY NOT EXPERIENCE A REGULAR GOES FURTHER- THEY ARE GIVEN TO YOU LOSS OF EGO AND ABSORPTION IN THE “IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SEE THE GODS DIVINE, BUT NOW AND THEN YOU MAY IN THE EVERYDAY, OR THE SPIRITUAL IN THE MUNDANE. YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOURSELF FEEL LIFTED OUT OF YOUR BODY AND TO LOOK WITH A SPECIAL KIND OF FATE OF EVERY PERSON TO SUFFER COME LOST IN A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART IMAGINATION, THE KIND DEVELOPED IN TURMOIL- CALLED TO FOLLOW YOUR OR SCENE IN NATURE.” SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE. DESTINY -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 42 -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 146 2) DIONYSIAN MYSTICISM 2) COINCIDENTIA 1) HE TELLS US! OPPOSITORUM 3) GOD BEYOND GOD MEISTER ECKHART IS THE “PIOUS MYSTIC” CUSA’S DE DOCTA IGNORANTIA “IF IT COULD BE THAT A FLY HAD REASON, WHO HAS BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN MOORE’S AND WITH ITS REASON SEEK OUT THE RELIGIOSITY ETERNAL DEPTHS FROM WHICH IT ISSUED, DEEPER INTO GOD THE MORE REASON I SAY THAT GOD, WITH ALL THAT HE HAS -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 15 BECOMES INADEQUATE/INCAPABLE AS HE IS GOD, COULD NOT FULFILL OR -JESUS’ ONTOLOGY SATISFY THE FLY. SO LET US PRAY TO GOD THAT WE MAY BE FREE OF GOD.” NICHOLAS OF CUSA IS ONE OF MOORE’S FAVORITE THEOLOGIANS -MEISTER ECKHART, SERMON 52 -HILLMAN’S SOUL/SPIRIT SPLIT -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 33 -CONT’D ON NEXT SLIDE -CONT’D IN 2 SLIDES 2) COINCIDENTIA OPPOSITORUM, CONT’D A) HEALS HILLMAN’S SPLIT 2) POLYTHEISTIC PSYCHOLOGY • “SPIRIT IS THE ELEMENT THAT WANTS TO • MOORE FRAMES IT IN THE CONTEXT OF PERFECT, PURIFY, AND TRANSCEND. IT RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE- SACRED MOMENTS DIRECTS OUR ATTENTION TO THE COSMOS, • VARIOUS MODES OF ATTENTION TO AND THE INFINITE. IT IS ABUNDANT IN CONTRADICTORY EXPERIENCES OF LIFE EDUCATION, PROGRESS, AND VISION. • ARCHETYPES -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 29 3) GOD BEYOND GOD, CONT’D • “I’D RATHER NOT USE THE WORD IF IT’S GOING TO BE SO SMALL AND INADEQUATE. AND SO MY RELIGION HAS THE WORD “GOD” IN IT, BUT IT IS USED SO SPARINGLY YOU’LL HAVE TROUBLE FINDING IT. I FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO ATHEISTS, BECAUSE MY IDEA OF GOD IS FULL OF ATHEISM. LIKE ATHEISTS, I RECOIL FROM COMMON APPEALS TO GOD THAT ARE UNREFINED AND LACK THE PROPER MYSTERY AND AWE. MOST ATHEISTS ATTACK A NAÏVE, TOO-CONCRETE IDEA OF GOD AND SSUME THAT RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE THAT THE OPPOSITE END OF THEIR CONTINUUM. FOR THE MOST PART, I AGREE WITH THEM. WE NEED TO GROW UP OUT OF THAT KIND OF RELIGION. BUT THE MYSTICS AROUND THE WORD ARE NOT SO NAÏVE. GENERALLY, THEY HAVE A MORE SOPHISTICATED NOTION OF GOD, AND I PREFER THEIRS OVER THE ATHEISTS.” -A RELIGION OF ONE’S OWN, 15 OBSTACLES TO CLASSIFYING MOORE AS MYSTIC 1) NOT EXPLICITLY RELIGIOUS 2) RELIGIOUS V SPIRITUAL • NOT A THEOLOGIAN • SHARP AND UNFAIR DISTINCTION BETWEEN RELIGION AND SPIRITUAL • USES PSYCHOLOGICAL LANGUAGE SATURATED WITH RELIGIOUS IMAGERY • MYSTICISM MAINTAINS BETTER UNDERSTANDING IN RELIGIOUS SPHERE, • TRAVERSES RELIGIOUS DIVIDES WHILE SPIRITUAL SPHERE AMBIGUOUS • BEST UNDERSTOOD AS A MISSIONARY .
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