Living the Word
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 Kevin L. Hughes
For over a thousand years of Christian practice, reading scripture was woven into mystical theology as a transformative spiritual journey, not merely a literary technique. Henri de Lubac argued this 'spiritual interpretation' was a spiritual itinerary. However, by the later Middle Ages, the professionalization of scripture in schools separated scriptural understanding from the soul's encounter with God. 'Spiritual exegesis' became narrow doctrinal exposition, 'mystical' referred to subjective experience rather than scriptural wisdom, and 'allegory' turned into literary criticism. The chapter sketches a possible path to retrieve this lost approach.