Mystical Theology: The Ecstasy of God (CT2002Z)

Content

This unit introduces students to texts and figures at the limits of theological knowledge and experience. A diversity of mysticisms will be explored, including those within authorised theological traditions as well as experiential and bodily mysticisms that transgress official theological discourses and practices. Attention will be given to the relationship between mysticism and various forms of life in the world—including politics, ecclesiology, and the arts.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

This unit requires students to complete two Undergraduate Foundation level units in Systematic Theology.

Pedagogy

Direct instruction, provocation, and self-directed learning approach to learning discipline specific skills (demonstrating an understanding of concepts in theology, reading, and reflecting on a range of theologians, and engaging in the process of re-constructing theology for the contemporary context, and classroom dialogues) through workshops as well as lectures, tutorials with targeted learning activities, and formative and summative assessment tasks.

Indicative Bibliography

• Franke, William. On What Cannot Be Said, 2 vols., Notre Dame, 2007.
• Hollywood, Amy. Sensible Ecstasy: Mysticism, Sexual Difference, and the Demands of History. University of Chicago, 2002.
• McIntosh, Mark. Mystical Theology: The Integrity of Spirituality and Theology. Blackwell, 1998.
• Sell, Michael. Mystical Languages of Unsaying. University of Chicago Press, 1994.
  
• Steenbuch, Johannes Aakjær. Negative Theology: A Short Introduction. Cascade Books, 2022.
• Prevot, Andrew. 2023. The Mysticism of Ordinary Life: theology, philosophy, and feminism. Oxford.

Assessment