’n Reformatories-filosofiese evaluering van (semi-)mistieke spiritualiteit

Authors

  • B. J. van der Walt North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

Iemand se visie op en standpunt oor ? mistieke en semi-mistieke lewensbeskouing en praktyk word tot ? groot mate bepaal deur sy/ haar religieuse, lewensbeskoulike en (in die geval van wetenskaplikes) filosofiese uitgangspunte. Hierdie feit verklaar die groot, dikwels botsende, verskeidenheid omskrywings en tipologieë van en houdings teenoor hierdie verskynsel. Soos wat reeds in die vorige vier bydraes oor hierdie onderwerp duidelik geword het (vgl. Van der Walt, 2015b, 2015c, 2015d en 2015e), is sommige hedendaagse sekulêre denkers positief en ander negatief teenoor mistiek ingestel. In hierdie artikel sal blyk dat hierdie twee teenoorgestelde standpunte ook onder Christene voorkom. In die lig van die toenemende gewildheid van ? mistieke soort spiritualiteit – nie net onder akademici nie, maar ook in nie-akademiese kringe – word Christene dus met die volgende aktuele vraag gekonfronteer: Het ? mistieke uitkyk en lewensgevoel – ook al is dit in die verlede teologies geregverdig en word dit vandag weer as egte Bybelse vroomheid gepropageer – enige reg van bestaan in die lig van ? Skrifmatige of Reformatoriese filosofie? Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord steun die skrywer op die filosofiese pionierswerk wat alreeds deur twee Nederlandse Christelike denkers uit die vorige eeu gedoen is. Hulle blootlegging van veral die ontiese en antropologiese uitgangspunte van die (semi-)mistiek, stel ? mens in staat om ? grondige evaluering van hierdie oeroue en kontemporêre vorm van spiritualiteit te maak.
Hierdie ondersoek verloop dus soos volg. Ter inleiding word eers ? blik terug gewerp op wat die skrywer se navorsing tot sover opgelewer het en die probleem wat dit oproep. Daaruit blyk onder andere die eeuelange verskil van standpunte onder Christene asook die onduidelikheid tot op vandag oor wat mistiek presies sou behels. Daarna volg die beskrywings en evaluerings van die mistiek en semi-mistiek deur proff. H.W. Obbink en D.H.Th. Vollenhoven. Die derde hoofafdeling vat eers die tipiese trekke van die (semi-)mistiek saam, om dan ten slotte die groot en beslissende verskil tussen hierdie tipe spiritualiteit en die Bybelse boodskap van ware vroomheid te benadruk.

A Reformational-philosophical evaluation of (semi-)mystical spirituality
To a large degree one’s view on and evaluation of a mystical and semimystical way of life is determined by one’s religious and worldviewish orientation and, in the case of scholars, also by one’s philosophical presuppositions. This explains the great, often conflicting, descriptions and typologies of and positions taken toward mysticism, a phenomenon of growing popularity in both scholarly and non-academic circles. Already from the previous four contributions on this topic (cf. Van der Walt, 2015b, 2015c, 2015d and 2015e) it was clear that some contemporary secular theories reveal a positive attitude, while others are negative about mystical spiritualities.The article will testify to the same difference of positions among Christians. Therefore thinking Christians are confronted with the following urgent question: Should a mystical view of life and practice – notwithstanding the fact that in the past mysticism was theologically condoned and is today still propagated as biblicallysound piety – be acceptable in the light of a Scripturally-obedient, Reformational philosophy? To provide an answer to this question the present writer relies on the pioneering work of two Dutch Christian thinkers from the previous century. Especially their insights about the ontic and anthropological philosophical basis of mysticism open the possibility to a thorough understanding and evaluation.
In this investigation, therefore, the following route will be followed. The introduction provides a brief review of the author’s previous research as well as the problem that confronts us. It also testifies to the diverging viewpoints among Christians through the ages as well as to the present lack of clarity about what mysticism really entails. The second main sections focus on the  descriptions and evaluations of proff. H.W. Obbink and D.H.Th. Vollenhoven. The next part first summarises the typical characteristics of (semi-)mysticism and then concludes by emphasising the clear and decisive difference between this type of spirituality and the biblical message of genuine piety.

Published

2016-05-31

How to Cite

van der Walt, B. J. (2016). ’n Reformatories-filosofiese evaluering van (semi-)mistieke spiritualiteit. Tydskrif Vir Christelike Wetenskap | Journal for Christian Scholarship, 52(1), 91-118. Retrieved from https://pubs.ufs.ac.za/index.php/tcw/article/view/392

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Section

Artikels | Articles

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