A Phenomenology of Mystical Experience in 17th-Century English Religious Poetry
English and American Studies in German November 6, 2003 Franz Wöhrer
The article examines how 17th-century English religious poetry conveys mystical experience through a phenomenological lens. It argues that poets like John Donne and George Herbert use language and imagery to evoke states of union with the divine, challenging the boundary between human and transcendent. The analysis draws on philosophical phenomenology to interpret these poems as records of lived religious experience rather than mere doctrinal expression. The work suggests that such poetry offers a unique access to the structure of mystical consciousness, emphasizing embodiment, temporality, and the ineffable. This approach repositions early modern devotional verse as a serious contribution to the study of religious experience and aesthetics.