Mystical Theology at the Heart of Theology

Christians, believing that God reconciled the world through Christ, practice theology as faith seeking understanding to respond to God's initiative. This chapter argues that mystical theology is central to the Christian theological life. In its ancient, broad sense, mystical theology is not a specialized field focused on spiritual experiences but rather the entire Christian theological mindset when it aims to recognize and deepen understanding of God's hidden self-communication in all things, working toward reconciliation, healing, and perfection. The chapter provides two theological rationales for this centrality: one based on the theology of creation and another on soteriology.

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Abstract

Believing that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, Christians have found themselves engaging in theology, conceived as faith in search of understanding, in order to reflect upon and better respond to God’s initiative. This chapter offers a theological account of why mystical theology is at the heart of the Christian theological life. Understood in its ancient expansive sense, mystical theology is not a sub-discipline, attending to particular states of spiritual experience; rather it is the Christian theological mind itself whenever it seeks to recognize and understand more deeply the hidden (i.e. mystical) self-communication of God in all things, at work to achieve their reconciling, healing, and perfecting, their greatest possible participation in God. From among many possible theological rationales for the central role of mystical theology, the chapter offers one grounded in the theology of creation and another in soteriology.