No free will? [reprise]

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space.   ~~~~~   Paul Revere for our time? On my reading, Yuval Noah Harari has made telling a deadly serious cautionary tale his mission. In his books, Sapiens, and Homo Deus,—full disclosure: I'm still reading through Homo Deus (I'm processing my provisional understandings of … Continue reading No free will? [reprise]

Six kinds of human [reprise]

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space.   ~~~~~ Sapiens (wise)? For illustrations in my two most recent blog posts I've quoted passages from a (NY Times bestselling) book by historian Yuval Noah Harari entitled, Sapiens. The subtitle is: A Brief History of Humankind. Any work so ambitious necessarily uses … Continue reading Six kinds of human [reprise]

E X P E R I E N C E [reprise]

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space.   G-d in experience? An essential piece of any conception of mysticism is experience. What are we talking about when we use the word experience? Because objections to mystical religion often quickly surface—e.g., the perennial difficulties with experience: discernment and falsifiability/authority. What … Continue reading E X P E R I E N C E [reprise]

Second-hand religion? [reprise]

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space.   'Mysticism,' so what? [pt. 2] The institutional form[s] of second-hand religion may fittingly be thought of as a "dead man walking." Please allow me to explain.   'Forms' and being/doing church Sadly, in my lifetime the Church (the one on the ground in … Continue reading Second-hand religion? [reprise]

Chiaroscuro [reprise]

a mystical möbius— curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space. . Chiaroscuro? A technical term within the art realm, chiaroscuro deals with a relationship between light and dark. Shadow, the interplay of light and form, allows the artist to convey depth in a two-dimensional illustration. Analogously, we, as humans, are only able … Continue reading Chiaroscuro [reprise]

Jesus, the mystic [reprise]

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space. 'Divine darkness' [cont.] Last week we began unpacking the history of the way of negation (apophatic way). We began with Pseudo-Dionysius (5th or 6th century C.E.) and the image of 'Divine darkness.' Prior still, Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-c.395 C.E.) was perhaps the … Continue reading Jesus, the mystic [reprise]