“He was not tall, but short, marvelously beautiful, with a face which shone as though he were one of the highest of the angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Seraphim…. I saw in his hands a long golden spear, and at the point of the iron there seemed to be a little fire. This I thought that he thrust several times into my heart, and that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew out the spear he seemed to be drawing them with it, leaving me all on fire with a wondrous love for God. The pain was so great that it caused me to utter several moans; and yet so exceeding sweet is this greatest of pains that it is impossible to desire to be rid of it, or for the soul to be content with less than God.” - The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (Peers, 197)
Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific discoveries of the past century. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013) and a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013).
Website: → Unsettled Christianity
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The mystics certainly have a lot to teach my Presbyterian self.
Laura, is they have much to teach you, them I am hopelessly lost. (compliment to be sure)
I have found great comfort in them, in these souls, and I hope to continue to learn from them.
Yes, I find a simultaneous comfort and challenge in the Mystics. I think their thought feels pretty foreign to almost all Western Christians.
their sense of wonder… and openness are pretty foreign to me still. But they challenge us to draw so close to God to fully experience theosis.