Nate Cummings

IDS 254

12-5-16

Final paper

Mysticism in Religion

Mysticism isnt about belief but about internal truth. The mystic doesnt believe; the

mystic knows through deep intellectual and spiritual experience. Mystic truth is the opposite of

statements of belief and creeds. The mystic goes inside and experiences the divine within. This

quote by Dr. Janice Neuleib perfectly encapsulates what a true mystic is, and what they believe.

Mysticism can be found in the minds of many people and the teachings of almost any religion

throughout the world. Three of the worlds major religions, being Christianity, Hinduism, and

Buddhism all greatly stress the ideas of mysticism.

In Christianity these ideas can be studied by looking at many of the religions great

thinkers and theologians, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bernard of

Clairvaux. The mystical beliefs of Christianity are not only in the minds and writings of historical

figures, but according to these figures, all around humanity in all of creation. Hinduism, because

it is one of the worlds oldest religions, can follow its mystical roots to the very foundations of

the religion. The Vedas and the Upanishads are two of the earliest mystical writings that the

human race has, and clearly lay out the mystical beliefs that flow through the teachings of

Hinduism. Mysticism is truly embodied by Buddhism and the beliefs to look inward in the
teachings of the faith. Buddhism stresses the focusing of the mind to come to a higher state of

understanding and perception of the world. Buddhism, in general, is mainly focused on the idea

of attaining a mystical mindset.

Outside of the influence that mysticism had on the teachings of each of these religions,

it also greatly affected the artwork and became the main topic of the artwork for the artists.

Finally, mysticism seems to have gone away, or out of the mind of many religious people so

each person in the class was asked whether the mystical side of religion, or the strict factual

side of religion was more enjoyable, and whether or not mysticism is dying out in the world

today.

When writing about Christian mysticism, Evelyn Underhill had a very unique quote,

similar to the quote earlier, that sheds a light on what mysticism truly is. "Mysticism, according

to its historical and psychological definitions, is the direct intuition or experience of God; and a

mystic is a person who has, to a greater or less degree, such a direct experience -- one whose

religion and life are centered, not merely on an accepted belief or practice, but on that which

the person regards as first hand personal knowledge". The Christian mystic does not simply

follow codes and beliefs set forth by the leaders of the faith, nor does that person blindly follow

creeds for no reason. For many, the term mystic brings out thoughts and ideas of cults, and

mythological beings, but this is far from what the Christian mystic truly is. The letter of the

word and the dogmas of the religion, while still extremely important, are not the main focus for

Christian mystics. Instead a mystic looks to know the spirit of the word, and truly discover the

deep symbolic meanings of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Simply put, loving and

pursuing the love for God, which comes from the understanding of the evolution of the soul as
the mystic moves further in the relationship with God. The mystical life certainly is not easy, as

many mystics come to leave some ideas behind. Ego, pride, and spiritual materialism, are

widely considered three dimensions of a mystics life that must be let go. These notions are

replaced by humility and a deep understanding of the Bible, and the living words and teachings

of Christ that are within the writing. A person begins to realize that the Kingdom of God that

Jesus promised us is not out there somewhere, but within everything on earth. God cannot be

comprehended by the human mind and thought, there must be a deeper understanding of the

love of God and the feeling of Gods kingdom here on earth and Gods presence in everything.

The ideas of true Christian mysticism can be found in many examples but St. Francis, Thomas,

and Bernard are all three excellent embodiments of the life of a Christian mystic.

St. Francis of Assisi is widely considered one of the most mystical saints and theologians

of the Christian faith. Many who followed St. Francis during his life wrote an enormous amount

of texts on the life and spirituality of the revered saint. Yet these texts can only be so

descriptive, and it is nearly impossible to know his true spiritual practices or realizations due to

the fact that Francis did not leave any specific texts related to his life. The texts that are written

about Francis certainly show the love and humility that was put forth at all times, but during

meditation and prayer Francis sought solidarity and privacy. Many times Francis would describe

the relationship had with God as a love affair. Seeking intimacy, Francis would go far away into

remote places to be alone with God. The love for contemplation and prayer caused him to

consider leaving the active life of preaching and caring for the poor, so that more time could be

spent with God. Francis not only loved God, but trusted God with everything.
 Prayer was the main focus of Francis life. He not only found an extreme amount of

comfort within communication with God through prayer, but he would truly talk to God and put

his burdens and emotions within Gods hands. Francis is so widely considered to be one of the

greatest mystics of the Christian faith because of the emphasis that he put on prayer. His prayer

life was, and is still is, a main focus of Christian mystics. St. Francis always put his prayer life first

in an attempt to remain constantly in the presence of God. While going about his normal day he

would pray without ever wavering, constantly keeping an open communication with God. This

open communication with God brought Francis to intense physical forms of ecstasy and passion

for God and the Holy Spirit. Often times Francis was noted to ride through a town after prayer,

locked in a complete bodily trans. Francis was not in pain, but simply so deep in prayer and

meditation that he was outside of his own physical body. These ecstatic trans were not only

limited to Francis as it is reported that many of the men he traveled with, along with Francis,

would be lying on the ground in a completely unconscious meditative state. Even near the end

of Francis life, prayer and meditation were the focus. Francis spent three weeks deep in

mediation on Mount La Verna as he reflected on the Passion of Christ. Francis wanted to

experience, and take part in the suffering of Christ. As a result of the deep prayer and desire to

share in the suffering Francis had the Stigmata of Christ appear on his body. Though Francis was

much more mystical than many others in the faith, these experiences never diminished his

beliefs in the orthodox side of his faith but rather made these beliefs even stronger.

The mysticism of Francis was not strictly kept to inner thoughts and prayer, but

explicitly shown in his reverence and love towards nature. Firmly taking on the idea that Gods

kingdom is everywhere on this earth and that God is in everything, Francis loved nature deeply.
He not only saw God in everything but treated nature as if it was a sacrament from God himself.

Many times during deep prayer Francis would be found holding an animal in his hands, always

keeping Gods creation close. Other times Francis would ridicule brothers for trying to put out a

fire that was burning the cloak that Francis was wearing, telling them not to harm the fire

because Francis saw it as a brother in Gods creation. Francis would also be noted to be careful

of the way he treated the rocks that he walked on, out of love for Christ, because Christ is

referred to as the Rock. Some see the way Francis acted towards nature as mildly extreme, but

this never bothered Francis as it was all done out of a deep and personal love for God.

Francis brought about a very mystical view on the Bible that many of the faithful had

never considered. Francis studied the ideas of the Bible in a very experiential way. While

certainly not lost in knowledge of scripture, he believed the Bible needed to be understood as

teachings to be lived out and experienced. Francis was extremely wary of the scholars in his day

and warned people against the scholarly aspects of the religion. Francis saw book learning as a

temptation to man, saying that we are simply trying to show the knowledge that we have by

being able to quote scripture. He firmly believed that knowing the Word of God should not be

the end, but rather a way to enhance our spiritual life. In some of the writings that Francis did

leave he says, A man has been killed by the letter when he wants to know quotations only so

that people will think he is very learned and he can make money to give to his relatives and

friends. A religious has been killed by the letter when he has no desire to follow the spirit of

Sacred Scripture, but wants to know what it says only so that he can explain it to others. In

many ways Francis writings should be taken into consideration in todays world, especially

within Catholic schools, in which many of the religious who teach, simply have knowledge of
scripture so as to lecture and prove knowledge. Francis truly brought out the idea that studying

the Word, and religion in general, should not be an act to gain knowledge, but rather be a

spiritual exercise to help push the mind towards a prayerful life which should be lived out, and

reflected upon. Just as Francis sought to avoid being held down by scripture, he fought against

the ideas of legalism and specified rules within religion. Francis sought to have his friars be

completely free religiously, to encourage an open and imaginative spiritual life. In response to

some followers who asked for guidelines and rules Francis said, My brothers, my brothers, God

called me to walk in the way of humility and showed me the way of simplicity. I do not want to

hear any mention of the rule of St. Augustine, or St. Bernard, or of St. Benedict. The Lord has

told me that he wanted to make a new fool of me in the world, and God does not want to lead

us by any other knowledge than that. God will use your personal knowledge and your wisdom

to confound you. Clearly Francis states his disdain for the rules in other orders, and simply

asked that the friars live a simple, charitable, and humble life, as anything else would get in the

way of their prayer and open spirituality. Francis found a perfect method to make ensure the

friars lead a spiritual and wholesome life while having complete freedom in the methods used

to lead that life.

The spirituality of St. Francis can only be described as the personification of mysticism.

While there were many other mystics in the world, St. Francis truly showed a deep

understanding of the spiritual world. Through his prayer life, reverence towards nature and all

of Gods creation, and interpretation of the Word, Francis brought an extremely deep

understanding of mysticism to the Catholic faith, and is the true definition of a Christian mystic.
 While St. Francis may have lived a strict mystical life, there are other saints throughout

the history of Catholicism that have just as much of an impact on mysticism in the Church. St.

Thomas Aquinas is one of the most brilliant doctors of the faith and wrote heavily on what it is

to be a Christian mystic and have a deep understanding of the love of Christ. Thomas focused

heavily on the love that Christ has for each one of us, and the personal connection that he felt

to Christ. Before Thomas received the Eucharist for the last time he said, I now receive you

who are the food for my final journey, and for the love of whom I have studied, kept vigil, and

struggled; indeed, it was you, Jesus, that I preached and you that I taught. As evident in this

quote, Thomas held nothing higher in his life than the love and sacrifice that he believed Jesus

made for him. He sought to teach this love and passion for Christ to all people, and spent years

composing volumes of texts, to teach, study, and feel the love that Christ gives. Unlike many

other scholars, Thomas did not write on what it was like to have religious experiences and

community, but rather the human experience and the mystical bond that we all share with

Christ. Thomas centered his writings around three main ideas: Being-mysticism, Bridal-

mysticism, and Knowledge-mysticism.

Thomas wrote very heavily on the ideas of creation and the mysticism that binds

everything back to the creator, God. Thomas saw that the power and life of God can be very

clearly seen in everything that was created in the world. St. Paul wrote to the Romans and said,

Ever since the creation of the world Gods invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity,

has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made., Thomas truly took these words

from St. Paul to heart. He firmly believed in a reverence for everything on earth, and looked to

be submissive to a completely transcendent God. Thomas appreciated creation with such

reverence because he believed it to be the perfect basis for analogical knowledge of the

supernatural. The deep knowledge that Thomas sought to attain at all times from creation, is

the center piece of his writings on Being-mysticism.

Bridal-mysticism is focused on the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the unity between

God and the human race that the incarnation solidifies. Thomas would describe the incarnation

as a supreme moment of alliance between God and man. Jesus was given a human and a divine

nature, without one nature causing a division with the other. To Thomas the incarnation

showed that a personal relationship with God and humans is possible. Each and every human

becomes an adopted son or daughter of God thanks to Jesus human and divine nature. To

Aquinas Bridal-mysticism emphasizes the communication between the human race and God.

Everyone can speak to God, but only the people who are the sons and daughters of Christ can

refer to God as Father. This possible communication between humans and God is the

foundation for all true Christian mysticism.

Finally, Thomas focuses on Knowledge-mysticism and the perfection of the human

mind, which comes from faith. Thomas wrote that through the divine gift of grace, God can

move the human will to higher truths that go further than reason, or logic. In one of Aquinas

shorter texts, he paraphrases and slightly changed a biblical passage from Hosea, he says, I will

espouse thee to me in faith, in order to emphasize the mystical dimension of Christian belief.

Thus, Aquinas taught that the virtue of faith and the gift of grace will bring humans closer to

God and enhance mystical experiences.

 Thomas Aquinas, one of the Churchs most celebrated doctors, took an extremely

scholarly look into mysticism. His views and teachings on mysticism have helped many reach

conclusions about the spirituality of the human race the unity we share with God. Thomas was

truly an inspired teacher of mysticism, and hoped to help others achieve the love for God that

he felt.

Last, as he is considered to be a mild mystic, Bernard of Clairvaux deeply impacted the

mystical ideas of the Christian faith, and the monastic life. St. Bernard was widely respected as

a great theologian, monk, and mystic by many men, even ones such as Martin Luther and John

Calvin. The monastery founded by Bernard, soon founded a daughter institution and at the time

of his death had aided in the foundation of seventy monasteries. As far as a classification for

mysticism goes, Bernard was on the milder side compared to men such as St. Francis, but that is

not to say he didnt follow some mystical beliefs very seriously. Many times Bernard stated that

Reality and meaning are found in the spiritual, that contemplation trumps intellectual dispute,

and that experience trumps understanding. Bernard took the saying Credo ut experiar very

seriously, and that saying translates to I believe that I may experience. Simply looking at this

statement it seems as though Bernard was heavily involved in mysticism, but Bernard would go

on to make clear that he believed there are limits to experience. Many mystics that came after

Bernard believed that the Bible gave very little to the spirit compared to the direct revelations

they claim to have received. Bernard wrote the book called On Loving God which stresses his

idea of God first loving the human race, and that God deserves to be loved very much, yea,

boundlessly, because He loved us first, He infinite and we nothing, loved us, miserable sinners,

with a love so great and so free. Bernard strongly believed in the knowledge gained from
experiencing the love of God, yet balanced that belief with a commitment to scripture which

would keep him grounded in thought.

Bernard was not the scholar that St. Thomas Aquinas was, nor was he the complete

experiential mystic like St. Francis, but his ability to see the worth in both mysticism and

scholastic life made him one of the most influential theologians of his time. Medieval theology

was all over the place with beliefs, but Bernard helped many center the ideas of the church at

the time.

Hinduism, when compared to Christianity, had a slightly different look at mysticism

throughout history and in many ways, paved the way for the mystical mindset in religions all

over the world. Hinduism first gave humanity the idea that deep within each person is the self,

which is God. Hinduism lays out instructions on how to become one with the God that is within

each person, along with the idea that there are multiple paths to reach that God, and there will

be a path which suits each person. This inner path in Hinduism is rather clearly laid out, but to

an untrained eye the path seems hidden behind great gods, goddesses, and superstitions. Many

believe that Hinduism, which has no founder, came originally out of the religion of nature

worshipers. The early Hindu thinkers produced two major works which lay the ground work for

the religion, and mysticism in general. The Vedas contain prayers to a multitude of gods, which

makes Hinduism seem very polytheistic, until later when the Upanishads describe the belief

that God is something within each person. Traces of mysticism from the Upanishads can be

found in religions all over the world. The Upanishads clearly state, that which is Supreme
Brahman, the Self, the great support of the universe, subtler than subtle, eternal, that alone

thou art. Thou art that alone., this statement of belief shows, each person is Brahman.

The Vedas and the Upanishads clearly lay out groundwork for the beliefs of Hinduism,

and contain some core beliefs. The Vedas is a collection of ideas which contain hymns,

melodies, sacrificial formulas, and charms to be recited and practiced while performing yoga or

meditating. The Vedas present many gods, which are mostly related to nature and natural

forces such as storms, fire, and wind. Vedic texts contain multiple creation stories, most of

which seem to disagree with the other, also stating multiple gods as the possible greatest god

of them all. The Upanishads are much more of the core of Indian philosophy. They are an

incredible collection of writings that were taken down from oral traditions long ago. Many of

the fundamental teachings of Hinduism are found within the Upanishads. Teachings such as

karma, samsara, moksha, atman, and the Brahman are all found within the Upanishads. To go

along with these core teachings, the writings lay out the doctrines of self-realization, yoga, and

meditation. These writings are supposed to push the human intellect to the very limit and past.

They describe spiritual vision and show strong philosophical arguments, but most importantly

lay out the idea that only through strict personal effort can one reach the truth and find the

inner Brahman.

Hinduism laid the roots for mysticism in all religions throughout the world. The Vedas

and the Upanishads, lay the work for those roots of mysticism to spread. Through creative ideas

of gods and superstitions that lead each person to find the inner God, Hinduism became one of

the most mystical religions throughout much of history.

 Buddhism has many similar mystical thoughts to Christianity and Hinduism. We are to ty

to come into union with God, and this God is strictly inside each one of us. The difference in

Buddhism is the lack of an overall deity. Buddhists to not pray to be in union with a higher

deity, nor do they use a higher deity to point towards the inner God, it is a simple belief of the

God within. The goal of this simple belief is extremely difficult to achieve though. The ultimate

goal for a Buddhist is to reach Nirvana, which is a goal completely centered around the use of

mystical thinking. Buddhism all started when Gautama Buddha left his home life in search for

answers to life. After studying for six years Buddha decided that the answers he was given were

not clear enough and he went on a search for his own answers. While meditating under a tree

Buddha reached enlightenment. This enlightenment was rapid, totally unexpected, and allowed

Buddha to experience and perceive his life in a completely new way. This state of

enlightenment is not one like a Christian point of view, the enlightened does not become one

with God, or find a new communication with God, but instead find the existence of ones self.

The enlightened experience that many experience can be referred to as satori. Satori is a quick,

instant experience where the person gains a new perspective on everything. One experiences

new perspectives, joy, and peace through satori. D.T. Suzuki described satori as The eye by

which I see God is the same as the eye by which God sees me., meaning that the ideas one has

is merely a perception of things and in satori those ideas and perceptions are one in the same.

Satori makes all thoughts, ideas, and perceptions final. There is no questioning of the

experience or perception, insights are not argued, there is no logical explanation for these

insights, they simply are. Another state of experience called dyhana, is focused on removing

feelings, perceptions, and ego. The main focus is to remove all ideas and thoughts and reach
true emptiness, an emptiness which Buddhist philosopher William James refers to as happy

living in this existence. There is to be no attachment to anything in Buddhist mysticism. There

is no attachment to a greater deity as in many other religions, and no attachment to the past or

present, simply focused on now. Buddha taught that, without letting ones ego get in the way,

the mind is what creates mystical experiences, and one must be liberated to fully gain these

experiences. Buddhism believes that there is no need for statues or paintings of the Buddha,

because all that is needed are his teachings and present existence. Finally, the goal of Buddhism

is to reach Nirvana. Nirvana is similar to heaven but is instead a state of non-existence. There is

no return to this world, no existence after, just complete inner peace. Buddhist mysticism is

simple and rapid, at one point ones focus changes from thinking about the future, to being

conscious.

While all three religions have strong ideas of mysticism in the religion, it seems that

Buddhism is a religion completely based around mysticism. Mysticism is still a central point for

many religions all over the world, whether that mysticism is deity focused like Christianity,

inner focused with gods to guide as in Hinduism, or the strict inner focus on perfecting

consciousness as in Buddhism, mysticism helps many people gain a grasp on this life.

Though mysticism impacts the personal life of the people that follow the ideas, it can

have effects on the material world. One perfect example of this would be the mystical focused

art produced by each of the religions. In Christianity art started off using the Roman style,

which was highly focused on physical beauty of the human physique. Once many of the

mystical ideas came to Christian artists, the art faded away from physical beauty, and instead
focused on the symbolic nature of the paintings. One example of the symbolism breaking

through into Christian artwork was the change in the eyes. Eyes became much larger; eyes

were seen as a gateway to the soul. Hinduism, is focused heavily on statues of the gods that are

supposed to lead each person down their personal path. There are a multitude of gods and

statues to these gods in Hinduism, and in Hindu temples. The pluralism of these deities is

accepted due to the idea of an infinite number of possibilities. The gods are usually depicted

with multiple arms, or faces, especially when being shown in combat with evil forces. The

multiplicity of the arms shows the immense power that the gods are supposed to have, and the

multiple faces shows the varying aspects of the character of the deity. Finally, Buddhist art

started as simple images and symbols for the Buddha and for meditation. After years, Buddhists

developed the statues of the Buddha at different points in his life. The first form of the Buddha

in the symbols was the Buddha footprint along with the Buddha eyes. These symbols were put

all over Buddhist shrines for the early parts of the religion. The mystical beliefs of each religion

are shown within their art, whether it was a movement towards symbolism, a path towards the

inner God, or a focus on the simple inner thought channeled through meditation.

During the presentation, the class was asked to answer two questions: Whether each

person preferred the mystical/fantasy side of religion, or the strict factual side of the religion,

and whether mysticism is dying out in religion today? Each student then emailed their answers

after class and these were the responses:

Tejas Patel:
#1. I do not enjoy mystical side because I enjoy factual representation. I am a challenged person

when it comes to imagination and fantasy. For this reason, I stay grounded with reality.

#2. I believe that mysticism is not dying out because movies and novels are adapting a lot of

things that are mystical in nature, for example sci fi movies like Avatar, etc.

Chris Budde:

#1. I am more of a strict factual interpretations kind of guy. Ive always been really interested in

the sciences and how the scientific method works, so its hard for me to understand mystical

characters and stories in religions. Even when I was growing up as a Catholic, I didnt enjoy the

teachings that much.

#2. Through my limited perspective, Id say that as technology and science become more and

more rooted into our daily lives, we will lose that sense of imagination and mysticism that

religions can offer. In developed countries, yes; in developing countries, I can see the process

taking much longer, but it is inevitable.

Matthew Lenser:

#1. When I went to a Lutheran middle school, the only part of religion class I enjoyed was

hearing about the stories of adventure in the bible. I could care less about forgiveness and sin I

was way more interested in the battles and fights. I guess its because I have a short attention

span and those kinds of stories were actually exciting to learn about.
#2. I thought it was because science can explain pretty much everything in the world, but I just

saw David Blaines show on Netflix and I honestly was a little freaked out. I don't care if its fake

or not, if he was pulling those illusions in Jesus time I think there would probably be a religion

for him too.

Nicholas Murphy:

#1. I'm more interested in the strict, factual side of religion. I've always been a very math and

science focused person, so logical proofs of existence and reasoning have been most affective

for swaying my opinions. The mystical side of religion is great and all, it offers great aesthetics.

It just isn't the reason I like studying my religion.

#2. I think if either of the two factors from question is dying out, it's the strict interpretations.

Americans, at least, don't like being told how to live their lives. A great number of people

believe in a religion but don't practice regularly. That makes me think that the spirituality

aspect is thriving more than the strict interpretations. Mysticism seems to be doing fine

(though maybe not thriving).

Daphne Smith:

#1. Honestly, I can't really answer this question that well. I'm an atheist so I really don't prefer

either for myself, but I think things would be better if more people embraced the mystical parts
of religion, then maybe people would be less uptight about forcing their beliefs on others and

would feel less restricted in their religion.

#2. I do believe that mysticism is dying out in the world and I think that's because of the

relevance of science and empirical evidence that's growing stronger in every generation. I mean

our generation had the scientific method drilled into us since early grade school so it would be

hard to emphasize science and mysticism at the same time.

Morgan Maydew:

#1. I do enjoy the mystical side of religion rather than the rules and interpretations. This is

because I find the rules mandating that you must do something because a book says so stiffing

and boring. To me, religious experiences are about wonderment, about not having all the

answers, and about being vastly strange and exotic. We are meant to be awestruck and amazed

by religion, not controlled by it.

#2. I think that mysticism is not dying out, it is just evolving over time. The traditional sense of

mysticism is fading, but I feel that it is alive and well in our media, in the stories that we tell,

and the art that we create. People aren't being religious by going to church, they are being

religious by creating beautiful things that astound others.

Emily Marx:
#1. I am more interested with the factual side of religion. Mysticism is interesting to me, but

because I have never had a super mystical religious experience, the factual and concrete side of

religion, is what I am drawn to and can depend on. Mystical/fantasy seems difficult to depend

on and therefore I tend to be less interested in this aspect of religion.

#2. Yes, I do. Many people in our culture today are drawing away from religion, and are turning

to their own understanding of the world, and do not believe in the mystical/fantasy side of

religion. Many people want to rely on science and factual knowledge, and view mysticism as

insubstantial and something you cannot rely on.

Jessaka Arrasmith:

#1. Honestly I don't really enjoy it. I like to be able to make sense of things and with this side I

can't.

#2. I do think it is dying out.

Matt Hermes:

#1. I would say that I enjoy the fantasy side more. My training in music has brought me the

ability to easily connect to things emotionally and describe them more accurately, so religion is

an excellent place to say that has happened.

#2. I would say that mysticism is, in fact, dying out because I had never heard a use for the word

until your presentation. Maybe there is something taking its place, but I definitely think that it is

less common the modern world.

Evie Hansen:

#1. I think I like the mystical/fantasy side of religion because you can kind of interpret it the way

you want. I barely went to church as a kid and thought it was super boring to learn about how

'this guy did this thing and you should do this because he did this for you' and all that because

I've always wanted to do my own thing.

#2. I think religion in general is dying out, or at least in the US it is. I think more people our age

are branching out to other mystical religions like Buddhism. I'm guilty of doing it but have

thought it was a neat concept since I was in like 5th grade because Lisa Simpson did it and have

recently decided to identify myself as a Buddhist.

Aarrieus Greer:

#1. I enjoy the mystical fantasy side because its more interesting to me and you can give your

own opinion with regards to the mystical fantasy stories. Also, they can be interpreted in many

ways and make you take a second to think. Additionally, factual stuff is boring.

#2. I dont think that it is dying out due to all the sci-fi movies coming out such as Guardians of

the Galaxy, Thor, The Avengers, and Star Wars. I do think the actual practice or belief is dying
because I dont know anyone that says there going to mysticism church. Also, not too many

people are as interested in mysticism as Catholic, Lutheran, and Baptist religions.

Beau Ott:

#1. I prefer the mystical/fantasy side because I think that religions that get too caught up in

facts and laws become too legalistic. I think that religions that focus on peace and

understanding, rather than strict moral codes and sins, are more attractive.

#2. I actually don't think mysticism is dying out in the world today; I think it is just changing

shape. I am currently writing my senior thesis on Pentecostalism, which is definitely a less

legalistic form of Christianity. While in some ways it fits into broader fundamental and

evangelical Christianitys, it places a strong emphasis on divine healing and speaking in tongues;

in other words, it is a more emotive and improvised spiritual experience rather than a legalistic

one. I think these types of religions are experiencing a boom in growth, but I'll reserve my

concerns about this trend for a different paper.

Christian Raether:

#1. I like the mystical side because I feel more spiritually connected to God. I'm a big believer in

signs and gifts from God. Sure some are coincidence but I feel like these
#2. I'd say more people are not believing and becoming less religious in general. Most, even

religious people, seek out explanations for things and don't think that it was a sign from God. As

we've talked about, a lot of us don't go to church during school so I think that has an effect on

this phenomenon as well.

Tanerra Dooley:

#1. I think that I enjoy more of the strict factual interpretations in religion. I think it should be

based off of what actually exists. It is more interesting to believe in something that you know is

a fact instead of just the spiritual aspect of religion.

#2. I believe that mysticism is dying out a little bit in the world today. It is not as prevalent as it

used to be. I think people are more focused on the factual side of religion, like mentioned in the

first question.

Aleksandra Wolan:

#1. I don't believe any aspect of religion is factual. It's all fantasy to me but I do think some

stories are interesting.

#2. Maybe in Catholicism. I think in terms of Buddhism mysticism is still alive but maybe that is

because I am removed from this particular religion so it appears mystic to me.

Jenal Ortiz:

#1. Im interested in the strict factual interpretations. I like structure in my life

#2. I do think its dying out just because I've never heard of it before.

Brandon Veenedaal:

#1 Although I find the fantasy side of religion extremely thought-provoking, my interest is on

the factual interpretations simply because it is more fact based information, and I prefer that

over chasing fantasies.

#2 I think we have lost interest in the fantasy side because people are more interested in the

truth, and they seek factual based concepts.

Evan Morris:

#1. I prefer the mystical side of religion because even though its not real it can give people a

sense of wonder and can teach a lot of lessons.

#2. I believe mysticism is dying out in the united states for sure, although the entire world I feel

like might not being dying out as much.

Noah Tang:
#1. I really enjoy the mystical aspects of religion to connect with God through an experience. I

connect on a deep level with Saint Francis of Assisi, and what he does I feel whenever I am out

in nature.

#2. Yes, I feel that due to modern technology and the advent of mega churches, mysticism is

dying.

Molly McMahan:

#1. I am more invested in the mystical and fantasy side of religion because it intrigues me more.

#2. I do feel that mysticism is dying in the modern world because people look more into the

literal sides of things over the fantasy side.

Ellie Phillis:

#1. I like the mystical/fantasy side of religion. I also grew up in a catholic school, and I feel I

never learned about this side of religion. I was always taught straight out of the bible and what

not.

#2. I don't know a lot about religions today, I do not partake in one, so I cannot answer that

question.

Amelia Stevens:
#1. I prefer the mystical side of religion. I find it easier to believe in and submerse myself in. It

also made it more exciting as a little kid and was what first initially drew me in the religion. I

feel as though the strict factual interpretation turns it into just like a history lesson, which to me

is a lot harder to be excited by.

With all of the responses it became very clear that for the most part, much of the class

preferred the mystical side of religion, and also the majority of the class believed that mysticism

is dying out in the world. Some students enjoyed the mystical side while still thinking that it is

dying out, and some struggle with the mystical aspect but believe that the world is still strongly

mystical. Three responses in particular were extremely intriguing, first the response from Nick

Murphy. Nick considers himself to be a math person, and enjoys being able to have proof in

what he sees, so the mystical side of religion does not stand out to him, as with many other

students who said they enjoyed the factual side. Nick made an interesting point though, in

saying that mysticism is not the side that is dying out but instead the strict factual side. He

makes the claim that current generations do not enjoy being told what to do and that the strict

rules laid out in many religions are starting to turn people away from that side of religion. This

was truly an unexpected answer, as even those who said they did not believe that mysticism

was dying, did not say that they see the factual side dying. Second, Aarrieus Greer gave an

interesting answer to the same question. He does enjoy the mystical side, saying that the

factual side can be boring, but said he does not see the mystical side dying out. He states that

with the growing number of mystical films such as Thor, and The Avengers, society is still

pushing a mystical mindset. Where Aarieus differs from much of the other responses in saying
that, while a mystical mindset isnt dying out, he believes the practice of mysticism is. Aarrieus

makes an extremely valid point that very few times to people say they are going to practice the

mystical side of their faith. Finally, Beau Ott gives an interesting insight to both questions. For

the first question Beau says that many religions are getting to caught up in the legalistic side of

faith, but instead should be looking at the peaceful, insightful parts of their religion. He goes on

to answer the second question by saying that mysticism is not dying out nut instead finding

new ways to form inside religion, and that the religions which are emphasizing the mystical side

are starting to boom across the world.

There were plenty of responses that were not expected, especially having the majority

of the class being so interested in the mystical ideas, yet believing that the mysticism is dying.

Beaus point as to where religions are going in the future should stir plenty of ideas in the

leaders of the different religions as the leaders notice that to stay relevant in the world,

religions may need to change towards the attitude of the people.

Mysticism is an extremely intriguing part to all religions that has played such a dynamic

role in the forming of any religion in the world today. The mystical ideas in religion have

produced great thinkers, set the groundwork for religions, or are simply the entire basis for the

religion. Mysticism has also played a large part in the shaping of some parts of society as

evident through the way it impacted the art of the religions. Finally, though a growing number

of people enjoy the mystical side of the religion, the practices of mysticism seem to be dying

out in the religious world today, but if a resurgence in mystical ideas comes to religions, there

will be a reformation in religions all over the world.

 Honors Project Portion

Throughout the research into different sects of Christianity it became rather clear that

many of the sects in the religion have faded away slightly from mysticism and asking questions

concerning some beliefs of the faith. As the research continued, a sect of Catholicism popped up

repeatedly, this sect is called The Emerging Church.

The Emerging Church looks at the phrase Sola Scriptura with an immense sense of

suspicion. They are seen as an un-churched population with the Christian message. The Church

puts more emphasis on what the beliefs are, compared to how you practice those beliefs. Many

emerging church gatherings can be very informal. This meaning, the group may gather at home,

or gather in an open mic area, and they will choose to worship how they see fit. The Emerging

church places emphasis on a few key points, but due to the openness of the religion, not all

Emerging Church members believe these points. They will look to use technology to enhance

their beliefs, they will gather with candles, icons, and images while praying or participating in

worship, and push the idea of an experience and feelings over absolutes. Much of these ideas

then go on to disagree with many of the Catholic churchs beliefs. The Emerging church looks to

build relationships instead of proclaiming the Gospel, along with shunning the use of traditional

worship such as sitting in pews and listening to traditional church music. Much of the Emerging

Churchs beliefs can be boiled down to a re-examination of the Christian church in society, the

Bible and its teachings, traditional doctrines, and Christianity in the world. As made very clear

through much of the writings from the leaders of this movement they seek to de-emphasize the

creeds and doctrines in the Christian Church in favor of a much looser style of worship and belief.
Some doctrines that have been rejected according to the church would include the Trinity, the

deity of Christ, and the resurrection.

The Emerging Church is truly a reaction against the modern, traditional, absolute

structure of the church today. The Emerging church places great emphasis on meeting people

where they feel comfortable, establishing relationships with these people, and then showing

them the ideals of the religion once the person has already brought those ideas into their own

life. This can be seen in the way Jesus taught, and acted with his disciples. Jesus sought to be

personally active in each of his disciples lives, he grew very close to them and taught by example

instead of by facts or knowledge.

The Emerging church certainly has its own set of issues, being that they have no set

doctrine, and thus can be very difficult to follow. The ideas to question so many of the Catholic

Church doctrines certainly allows for a free movement of beliefs throughout the Emerging Church

but this can certainly become a downfall to the religion because it can lead to friction and

misunderstanding throughout the followers.

The Catholic Church should be wary of the Emerging Church and the beliefs that it

preaches, but could also seek to gain some insight, and more followers by incorporating some of

their ideas. Certainly the Catholic Church should not start denying the doctrines that form the

core belief of the religion such as the resurrection or the trinity, but the mindset of the Emergent

Church could be extremely beneficial in attaining and retaining members of the Catholic Church.

Many young adults in the world today turn away from such intense structure of the religions

throughout the world, that focus on sin and repentance and rules. The Catholic Church must
adapt to this mindset of the individual if it would like to attract greater numbers of believers. The

freedom to express your beliefs, that is so evident in the Emerging Church, is why many have

joined, but with no structure, as stated previously, problems will arise.

 My Responses

To Molly McMahan:

Q: What religion do I follow and is it the one you grew up following?

A: I am a Roman Catholic but Im a very liberal Catholic. I dont particularly buy into everything that they

preach but I follow the main dogmas and the main ideas of the religion. The parts I disagree with are

the strict rules, and its not as much of a disagreement with them as much, for me I enjoy being able to

follow my own rules of the religion besides the main dogmas.

Q: Which saint are you from the Myers test?

A: I am Saint Zinzendorf and I think that is perfectly accurate. I like to be the center of attention and

some of the other services do kind of bum me out. I have always been outgoing and just having fun for

the most part.

To Morgan Maydew:

A: I was superstitious about the curse of the goat for the cubs as a kid and really believed that's

why they wouldn't win, now I've obviously grown past that.

To Daphne Smith:

A: I consider the biggest flaw in modern religion is the belief that one religion is the correct one

and that only believers of that religion will be saved.

To Nicholas Murphy:

A: Forgiveness plays a huge part in my religion but reconciliation is a touchy subject for me. We

do need to be forgiven by God the same way that if we hurt someone we need forgiveness from
them. It won't necessarily be what makes the difference between being saved but if we seriously

go out to hurt god we need to try and forgiven for that

To Noah Tang:

A: An experience I've had with death was when my grandpa was on his death bed, he called me

over to his bed side and grabbed my hand and smiled. I was never that close to him but that

was a very intense moment for me, especially because I was in grade school when it happened.

I'm a Catholic so my religion says that we have a judgement after death and we go to heaven or

hell or purgatory. I don't fully believe in that idea, but I obviously have no idea what would

happen after death.

To Beau Ott:

A. Something sacred to me on a personal level would be my relationship with my family,

baseball (specifically the cubs), and my favorite music such as kanye west, frank ocean, or

chance the rapper.

If Jesus came to me in a dream he'd look like any other middle eastern man of that time period.

I don't think he'd be this glowing godlan, he'd be like any other human at the time but there

would be a sense of divinity about him.

I make a personal connection with God and with prayer by just talking to him. I often find myself

praying for things I want, and then knowing that's not how this works and instead just outright

pray like I was talking to another person.

To Evan Morris:

A: I don't think any of Greek mythology is unbelievable. Thinking about what they knew about

the world at the time makes sense for them to believe what they did. I find their religion very
interesting and while much of what they believe has been disproved by science I still find it

technically believable.

To Alexis Garnett:

A: According to the god quiz I am Hermes which I found very fitting. I think we compare

ourselves to the gods because they are gods. They have these fantastic abilities and

personalities so if you can relate to them it makes you feel slightly god-like.

To Jake Lapa:

Q: Should religion matter to the Catholic Church when it comes to donating?

A: No absolutely not. If we look at what Jesus preached and what catholics say they believe we

should love and donate to all.

Q: Should the Catholic Church sell valuables?

A: Yes, they absolutely should and then they should use some money as a donation and some

of it to sponsor artists to paint and make magnificent works of art again for the world to

appreciate.

To Emily Marx:

A: I believe in a god because some being started the world and the universe. There is intelligent

design but I have no idea what it is or what that God might be like.

The thing that holds me back from fully believing in people or god is the fact that people give

you a reason not to trust them. There are plenty of people that will be horrible right away and

after dealing with them enough you learn to stop trusting them, and because people are in

charge of religions that leads me not to trust them too. Religions are tricky because they're man

run, and if you're catholic you are saying you believe in a zombie man who magically gets rid of
sins. It sounds ridiculous and many people in the religion don't look at it that way they take it too

far and push people away.

To Tanerra Dooley:

A: I've felt a lot of pressure to never make mistakes. From a young age a lot of people have all

told me that I'm not going to screw up because of who I am and I have success in my future.

Knowing that, I always feel a bit of pressure to live up to those expectations people set for me

and I in turn set in myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself in the same way.

My religion recognizes salvation as a Christian catholic by following the morals and ideals of

Christ.

To David Lackajs:

A: I celebrate Christmas and halloween so in a way yes I do celebrate some pagan holidays but

no seriously religious ones.

Absolutely not. It was clear at the time that the church was, pretty much, another kingdom and

all they were doing was trying to conquer while masking it behind religious reasons.

To Brandon Veenedaal:

A: I'd pick either, a cubs or packers symbol, or some of the symbols that came out with the

release of blonde by frank ocean. And for a religious symbol I'd pick the cross.

If I had my own religion, I'd pick no specific symbol. The same way Kanye West made a cover

art for Saint Pablo and said it could be any art you want it to be, I'd do the same. I'd show a

symbol but it wouldn't be the only one and every one would be free to choose their symbol of

the religion.

To Tejas Patel:
A: Honestly, I'm really not doing that much to tackle water pollution. What I'm actually excited

about is seeing what Leonardo DiCaprio is doing. The more big names and people with the

money to do so start trying to tackle the issue many of us will follow suit.

To Sarah Bermingham:

A: I really don't have any food rules. I'm Christian so during lent I don't eat meat on Fridays but

other than that I don't have any rules about what I will or won't eat. If I think it looks good and it

tastes good, I'll probably eat it.

And I think more religions went away from animal sacrifice because society started to go away

from seeing that as acceptable. Religions are made by people, and if everyone starts to dislike

the practice either that religion will die or they'll change.

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