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Summary: The Wound of Knowledge: a study of Mystical Christianity
Review: Wounded in Knowledge:
Salvation by Knowledge of the Father through His only begotten: john 17:3. This knowledge is never intimate unless through the instruction of the Holy Spirit: john 14:26. Acquiring the Holy spirit is only through abiding in love: John 14:23. This gift of the Holy spirit requires kenosis, mortifying our negative passions, which leaves the disciple in complete darkness: Ps. 73:22, The realization of ignorance, delving in Divine darkness that leads to the wound of love (real knowledge); Ps 73:21.History of Loving Knowledge:
The Passion of my God; starts with faith, spirituality, belief (doctrine) which is represented in the Philippians Christological hymn. His first patristic example was Ignatius of Antioch, allegedly the kid who offered the five loaves to Lord Jesus. His masterful statement is, p17: "Thus martyrdom comes as a natural culmination of a far more prosaic process of unselfing (kenosis); "The shadow of the Flesh": The tour of the Mystics:
Starting with Philo the mystical Jew, Irenaeus, and the Apophatic Alexandrines: Clement, Origen, in a fascinating virtual tour. Throughout the book, Bp. Williams became absorbed in mystical expressions: End without End (Arian Crisis, and Athanasius), The glamour of the heart (Augustine of Hippo), Acrobats and jugglers. Rowan's Mystical Circus
The City? The desert (Antony, Macarius, and the desert fathers). He refers here to D.Chitty's book: The desert, a city. The Monastery is the third development in his account, John Cassian now carries to the West this monastic ideal of Pachomian system of 'Organized Spirituality,' where Benedict relaxes the rule, then Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century), returns back to the serious desert tradition of self mortification. Ecstasy and understanding:
Here R. Williams contrasts the Apophaic tradition of the great Syrian mystic of pseudonym; Dennis the Areopagite with the Cataphatc Aristotelian theology of Thomas Aquinas, a back shift from Neo-Platonism of the East. Johannes Elkhart, another Dominican was dubbed heretical by those who could not perceive his mystical language. The End Of Christendom:
The Sign of the Son of Man: Luther and Ockham, reformation and its dogmas: Faith, and Sola Scriptura. In the secret stair: Williams recounts in the "Way of Denial," from a similar spiritual experience of john of the Cross and Luther, both being in hell, but broke off differently through an apophatic versus Luther's cataphatic solution. Now John+ and associate Teresa of Avila, both embodied their vocation, threough Carmelites failure.
"Oh who my grief can mend! Come, make the last surrender that I yearn for," Theological History; NT to Luther and John+:
A long subtitle, for a fast virtual tour. In less than 180 pages you join the party of the Mystics and say with Abbot Chapman: The unperceived, infused contemplation occupies the mind, and it can't think of something else;..." Alas, the party is over but never my longing for the company of the holy mystics. Author: Archbishop Williams:
Dr. Williams started with this book's experience: an ecumenical journey to discover ancient Christian tradition, through delving into the patristic door. Living the faith, is part of his pilgrimage, reflected in his contribution to "Anglican quest for holiness," and continues with his book: The Making of Orthodoxy. He is unique in being the only theologian to have been Professor of Divinity at both Oxford and Cambridge universities. His depth of knowledge and evident spirituality have made him a sought after Church figure and became a spokesperson for Christianity since he was elected Archbishop of Canterbury. He never gave up on his belief in ecumenical values that bind all Christians.
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