The Mystical in the Work of Saint Nicholas Velimirović
August 1, 2020 DOI: 10.2478/ress-2020-0020 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
St. Nikolaj Velimirović, a major Serbian theologian, expressed his mystical experiences through poetic language rather than academic theology. He was drawn to India's ascetic traditions and developed the concept of Universal Man (Svečovek) to describe a universal unity. Later, he turned to Eastern Orthodox Christology, finding in the Church Fathers' teachings a testimony of encountering Christ through love and truth.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Velimirović used poetic language to convey his mystical experiences and developed the idea of Universal Man, later grounding his thought in Eastern Orthodox Christology. |
Abstract
Abstract St. Nikolaj Velimirović is known as one of the most influential Serbian theologians of the twentieth century. In his work he shows an admirable spiritual strength and contemplative depth that one would not expect from a thinker who was involved in all important ecclesiastical, political and cultural events of his era. He deliberately replaces the language and methods of academic theology with the language of poetry. This enables him to appropriately express the strength of his own mystical experience. He was fascinated by the ascetic and religious tradition of India and tried to explain his idea of a universal unity of all with the idea of Universal Man (Svečovek). Gradually he turns to the theological and ascetic tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy. There he finds, in the Christology of the Eastern Church Fathers, the testimony of the same experience of meeting Christ in love and truth.