History

 

Historical Development of Mysticism

• Early Influences Early Christianity adopted terms from Hellenistic mysteries but later rejected secrecy, changing the meaning of mystes. Over time, mystes, or mystic, came to refer to those who practiced doctrinally acceptable forms of religious ecstasy.
• Christian Mysticism From late antiquity onward, Christians contemplated God's presence through prayer. Experiencing ecstasy, or rapture, while thinking of God was called a "spiritual marriage." Later, the term unio mystica, meaning "mystical union," became common.
• Jewish Mysticism Kabbala, a Jewish mystical practice from the 12th century, greatly impacted Judaism. Kabbalists changed Jewish practices into mystical rites, such as interpreting sexual activity in marriage as a way to unite aspects of the divine through meditation.
• Islamic Mysticism Sufism was incorporated into Islam, a religion that previously wasn't ecstatic. Early Sufis were more focused on being disciplined than mystical, and the earliest Sufi mystics were often isolated individuals. As Sufism grew, it developed in two ways: some people joined Sufi orders, which are structured groups teaching Islamic mysticism, while others formed informal groups for learning, prayer, and meditation.
• Modern Interpretations Contemporary Judaism sees the influence of Kabbala and Hasidism in modern thought and spirituality, although not as strongly as in the past. Mysticism has also influenced outside communities, with "Christian Kabbala" emerging in the 15th century, interpreting Kabbalistic documents to support Christian beliefs.

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