Dualism is a major component of Patriarchy where domination and control trump co-operation and partnering.
Dorothee Soelle believes that authentic mysticism “comes closest to overcoming the hierarchical masculine concept of God” and that mysticism is a kind of “thirst for real liberation.” Mysticism for her is baked into feminism and marks the opposite of patriarchal consciousness.
She defines mysticism this way:
The mystical certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God grows when we ourselves become one with love by placing ourselves, freely and without guarantee of success, on the side of love.
Soelle understands a healthy mysticism to be the best antidote, detoxing us from a dangerous “masculine concept of God.” Mysticism leads to “real liberation,” or prophetic action. The certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God builds courage and freedom and a willingness to risk love and justice-making.
Indeed, for Soelle, mysticism offers the authentic language of religion itself, which is very different from “the stolen language in which a male God ordains and imperial power radiates forth.” Her fuller definition of mysticism is this:
I am completely and utterly in God, I cannot fall out of God, I am imperishable. ‘Who shall separate us from the love of God?’ we can then ask with Paul the mystic: ’neither death nor life, height nor depth, neither present nor future’ (Romans 8:35 and 38).
Soelle is not alone in calling Paul, the first writer of the Christian Bible, a mystic. New Testament scholar Dominic Crossan declares that for Paul, “one cannot be a Christian without being a mystic.”All followers of Christ are to be mystics and prophets and I think that holds for followers of most religions who are truly seeking to line up with Spirit.
Soelle also links sexual experience to mysticism as of course the “Song of Songs” book in the Hebrew Bible does. She cites a woman who shared how she first experienced God in the ecstasy of making love and concludes that: God is
…that oceanic feeling of not being separate from anything or hindered by anything, the happiness of being one with everything living, the ecstasy in which the old “I” is abandoned and I am new and different.
God is our experience of God. Ecstasy is Thomas Aquinas’s name for the experience of God (and mine I might say) just as “oneing” is Julian of Norwich’s name and “Breakthrough” is Meister Eckhart’s naming for the same. Eckhart: “In breakthrough I learn that God and I are one.”
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations, pp. 278-290.
And Fox, Meditations with Meister Eckhart, pp. 65-69.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner image: Dance of oneness. Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
In what breakthroughs, ecstasies or oneings have you tasted the Divine?
Recommended Reading
Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations
As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry.
“Our world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice. This revolutionary book does just that. Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations. Study and practice these teachings. Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” — Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth.
Meditations with Meister Eckhart: A Centering Book
A centering book by Matthew Fox. This book of simple but rich meditations exemplifies the deep yet playful creation-centered spirituality of Meister Eckhart, Meister Eckhart was a 13th-century Dominican preacher who was a mystic, prophet, feminist, activist, defender of the poor, and advocate of creation-centered spirituality, who was condemned shortly after he died.
“These quiet presentations of spirituality are remarkable for their immediacy and clarity.” –Publishers Weekly.
16 thoughts on “Authentic Mysticism as an Antidote to Patriarchy”
Dorothee Soelle believes that authentic mysticism “comes closest to overcoming the hierarchical masculine concept of God” and that mysticism for her is baked into feminism and marks the opposite of patriarchal consciousness. Soelle says, “The mystical certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God grows when we ourselves become one with love by placing ourselves, freely and without guarantee of success, on the side of love.” John Dominic Crossan declares that for Paul, “one cannot be a Christian without being a mystic.” Then you say, “All followers of Christ are to be mystics and prophets and I think that holds for followers of most religions who are truly seeking to line up with Spirit.” And finally, “Soelle also links sexual experience to mysticism as of course the “Song of Songs” book in the Hebrew Bible does. She cites a woman who shared how she first experienced God in the ecstasy of making love, and you have stated the same in a number of your books. You ask us: “In what breakthroughs, ecstasies or oneings have you tasted the Divine?” In making love with my wife earlier this evening…
Matthew’s question relating to mysticism reminds me of the months of suffering I experienced when my beloved grandmother died.
I was inconsolable with the grief that she would no longer be in my life as guide, mentor, comforter and blood connection to the rest of my family. The difficulty was compounded by being a so called practising Christian as I couldn’t find the peace I needed, until one very pertinent moment when I heard a voice saying ‘God is Love, and He (She) would never cause so much grief. Love will always survive.’
My foundation of faith began and now, fifty years on I still remember that moment and the truth of it.
Jan, Thank you for your comment. My grandson lost his mother when he was only one year old (he is seven now). From that time I think his grandmother has been the greatest influence in his life. They too have a bond like you spoke of with your grandmother. And as I read your comment, I just thought to myself that my grandson too will probably grieve as you have some day not too far off. But you are right: “Love will always survive.’
‘Menism’ and Feminism are not antidotes for each other. If we want to quote St. Paul go to Galatians 3:28.
A poem, just written and inspired in meditation last night. Feel free to taste, ‘chew on’ and contemplate.
“When Two Souls Meet”
In the light of our hearts, we reside in stillness.
We experience the calm and motionless within everything.
We carry no wounds or even a drop of agitation.
Nary a word is spoken and none to be heard.
Like a gentle breeze we meander and the inevitable occurs.
Another soul is in our approach, one calm and still as we are.
The presence of another soul draws us together.
We get very close but have no need to touch.
Imagine the wispy hair on your arm standing on end.
Very gently it extends to meet the other.
Entering into a heartfelt caress, in presence as one, in the still and silence.
That is all that there is, and it is everything, when two souls meet.
— BB.
Bill, that was a beautiful poem !!!
Today’s DM is so very beautiful. I wept when watching the video about Julian of Norwich. When the sister revealed the little acorn nut and spoke the revelations of Julian, an intuited memory arose. Many years ago I painted what is called my Adult Spirit Shield, which represents the maturation of my spirit. Painted on this shield is the hand of God, which I am sitting in. I am casting out seeds from a gourd, as I’m carried along.
For me personally, the experience of Mystical Oneing With has been subtle and gentle, unfolding in the synchronisty of things, in which I intuit connections being made… whether this be something in nature that I encounter, or insights of revelations, those aha moments that often validate and confirm things coming together into a greater measure of wholeness. Sometimes it’s the sense of being touched in a comforting, consoling, loving way; as if I’m being held, just as I am. Sometimes it’s words of wisdom that seems to come from someone other than myself, that small still voice within. Often this Mystical Oneing With emerges during moments of contemplation, meditation and reflection… evolving through my writing or other creative expressions. The key to this Mystical Oneing With, is to simply trust your own experience, because it is unique to each one!
Jeanette, I love how you end your comment today–it is so inspiring! “Often this Mystical Oneing With emerges during moments of contemplation, meditation and reflection… evolving through my writing or other creative expressions. The key to this Mystical Oneing With, is to simply trust your own experience, because it is unique to each one!” I like how you give a number of concrete examples of how one can enter into the Oneing experience !!!
I recall praying my way through a period of confusion many years ago. An answer seemed to come in a steady stream of serendipities which I found to be grounding but even more confusing. What can these meaningful connections actually mean? The answer came in another synchronicity – seeing theoretical physicist F. David Peats’ book Synchronicity: The Bridge Between Mind and Matter at a book store. A connexion can be made between Mind/Matter and Divine/Human.
Gwen, Today you write: “I recall praying my way through a period of confusion many years ago. An answer seemed to come in a steady stream of serendipities which I found to be grounding but even more confusing. What can these meaningful connections actually mean? The answer came in another synchronicity…” I end your comment here because I just wanted to share something about synchronicity or serendipties. You mention F. David Peats’ book Synchronicity, in addition I thought I might just point you in the direction of Carl Jung, who is the one who developed the concept of synchronicity, and defined it as “meaningful coincidences.”
Thank You Richard,
Peats highlights Carl Jung’s contribution to the understanding of synchronicity. I was involved in Jungian studies at the time but hadn’t come across his insights as yet.
Even the most wise mystics throughout time have had to learn it’s all about “surrender to LOVE”…
https://henrinouwen.org/meditations/god-longs-to-bring-me-home/
Patrick, You are sure right about that !!!
Our Beloved Cosmic Christ Consciousness~Our Beloved Holy Spirit Sophia~Our Loving Diverse Oneness~co-Creation~Evolution~ All in All~I Am Presence~Divine Love…within and among us in our daily lives with Sacred Mother Nature, and our sacred multidimensional-multiverse Cosmos….
🔥💜🌎🙏
Years ago, I had a spontaneous, classic “Neoplatonic” mystical experience. It’s a mysticism that’s frequently misrepresented as “dualistic”, as opposed to the “pure, transcendent, loving, unitive, nondualistic” mysticism of “good” mystics. But I know from personal experience and later research and recognition of my experience in Neoplatonic mystical literature — Neoplatonism is NOT dualistic.
The error comes from analyzing the SURFACE features and missing the inner core, like missing the bones and sinews of a body and analyzing it only by skin and facial features. A Neoplatonic mystic’s contemporary worldview is ALWAYS woven into how they frame their mysticism. Mystics who lived in an extremely dualistic society, such as Augustine and Plotinus, had a harder time teasing out their society’s dualism so that they could fully integrate the CORE non-dualistic Oneness and Love intuited from the deeper Neoplatonic Path and its mystical revelation. They also wove their dualism into their understanding of traditional ascetic practices of focused renunciation and meditation, fusing Path and dualism (and thereby elevating elements of dualism into “sacred practice”). But if you look at the “bones” underneath Neoplatonism in its many expressions, you can see the same transcendent, Loving, Nondualistic One infusing all of it.
THAT mysticism is the one I’ve been unfolding ever since my “mystical experience.”
Melinda, Thank you for your well thought out comment. In our worlds there are many paths–different schools of philosophy, religions, denominations, theologies and spiritualities.–as well as different forms of mysticism. The one that Matthew and I align ourselves with is the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality. This is not to exclude Neoplatonism or any other form of mysticism–in Catholicism, for example, they have literally hundreds of saints who were mystics, and yet we only uphold–for the most part–those who Matthew calls the “creation mystics.” Also, I personally don’t think dualism is a bad word–it is how this world works–the only way it works. But I know that the goal of most mystical paths is union with God, or as Julian of Norwich called: “Oneing with God.”
It’s not easy expressing what happens to us in those rare, mystical “thin places” (the breakthroughs and oneings) that bring us closer to the divine. I’ve attempted in poetry, and once also in prose, in a 1200-word short story, called “Lightning.” Written in 2008, it is the very last writing on this page of my website: https://www.mickishelton.com/what-i-m-writing