Mystical Union
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198722380.013.21
Summary
This chapter traces how Christian thinkers understood mystical union with God from biblical times to the late 1600s. Three main models emerged: the union of spirit, where a person and God share the same will, often described erotically; the Trinitarian model, where a human participates in the inner life of the Trinity; and the union of indistinction, where the person merges with God beyond all distinction. The term 'mystical union' itself was rarely used for most of this period.
Study at a glance
| Design | historical analysis |
|---|---|
| Population | Christian theological texts from the biblical period to the end of the seventeenth century |
| Key finding | Three main models of mystical union—unitas spiritus, Trinitarian, and indistinction—emerged in Christian thought, though the term 'mystical union' was rarely used for most of the period. |
Abstract
This chapter follows the evolution of the three main models of Christian understanding of mystical union from the biblical foundations down to the crisis of mysticism at the end of the seventeenth century. Although the technical term ‘mystical union’ was rarely used for most of this period, many Christian thinkers spoke about becoming one with God through grace. Three main models emerged. The first is unitas spiritus (union of spirit), based on 1 Corinthians 6: 17, according to which God and the person unite in spirit by willing the same thing. This was often expressed in erotic terms. The second model is Trinitarian—a union in which a human comes to share in the inner life of the three Persons of the Trinity. The final model is the union of indistinction in which union is understood as a merging with God that leaves all distinction behind, at least on some level.