The Modernist Interest in Mysticism. Friedrich von Hügel’s Contribution to the Discourse on ‘Religious Experience’ around 1900

Friedrich von Hügel's interest in mysticism was shaped by liberal Protestant scholars such as William James, Rudolf Eucken, and Ernst Troeltsch, rather than solely by Catholic theology. Placing his work within the broader discourse on religious experience around 1900 reveals how von Hügel developed his concept of the "mystical element" of religion from a Catholic perspective. The article argues that Roman Catholic Modernism should be studied more in connection with its scientific context outside Catholic theology.

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Abstract

The article analyzes from the case of Friedrich von Hügel what the special interest of Roman Catholic Modernism in mysticism was about. Different from major tendencies in modernist research, it places his work in the framework of the discourse on “religious experience” around 1900. This way it becomes visible that von Hügel’s account of mysticism was shaped to a great extent by scholars from a liberal Protestant background, such as William James, Rudolf Eucken, and Ernst Troeltsch. In engaging these scholars, von Hügel was able to develop his own concept of the “mystical element” of religion from the perspective of a Catholic believer. The case of von Hügel suggests that Roman Catholic Modernism in general should be studied more in connection with its scientific setting outside Catholic theology.