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Joanne Maguire

1 paper in the library · publishing 2020

Papers

Mystics as Teachers

The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 Joanne Maguire

Mystics who write and speak for others act as teachers, challenging the common view that mystical quests are purely individual and idiosyncratic. Teaching implies recipients and superior knowledge based on divine inspiration rather than personal experience alone. In Christian traditions, no single mystical curriculum exists, but many mystics rely on traditional doctrines and practices. This chapter examines mystics as teachers through sources, authority, and methods, all understood as derived from God and mediated through a teacher.