|
WORKS on PSYCHOLOGY and RELIGION
|
Illuminative Mysteries of the New Testament
Part 1
John S. Uebersax
Note. This article proposes a new set of meditative mysteries, the Illuminative Mysteries, for the Catholic rosary. These are not the same as the similarly-titled Mysteries of Light ( Luminous Mysteries ) proposed by Pope John Paul II. If you arrived at this webpage looking only for information about the Luminous Mysteries, you might try link above, or here.
The main difference between the previously proposed mysteries and those described here is that the present ones focus more specifically on personal spiritual or mental illumination as a prominent feature of the New Testament, Christian and Catholic religious experience.
This article has two parts. Part 1, which presents general background discussion, might not suit the needs and interests all readers; some, therefore, may find it more convenient to proceed directly to Part 2, which lists the proposed mysteries and supplies accompanying scriptural passages and more specific discussion for each.
The present article is written both with a mind towards devotions and philosophical inquiry. In the latter capacity, the consideration of these mysteries provides a way of structuring inquiry; that is, the exercise is potentially productive, even if these mysteries are not used in connection with rosary. It is suggested that by directing philosophical or psychological inquiry towards spiritual matters such as these, one predisposes the mind towards issues of spirituality and faith. This philosophical activity, then, can be a means of trying to love God with all the mind and soul.
Introduction and Background
In October of 2003, Pope John Paul II, in the Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, proposed a new set of five Mysteries of Light or Luminous Mysteries for the Catholic rosary, extending the previously existing set of Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.
One rationale given was to help counter the large interest in the West in various "alternative" religions, including New Age religions and Eastern religions. This is a wise concern, since it does appear that many in the West seek in Eastern and alternative spiritualities things they mistakenly believe are absent from their own Christian tradition.
A case in point is the idea of enlightenment or illumination. The possibility of a sudden, mystical illumination that reveals the profound secrets of life and the universe--samadhi, moksha, or nirvana--holds a strong attraction. Similar kinds of experiences are also described in the Western tradition.
This much said, an examination of the Luminous Mysteries of Rosarium Virginis Mariae raises a few questions. In particular, as we shall see shortly, they seem to contain a mixture of both mystical and non-mystical themes.
My original plan was to propose a slightly revised version of the existing Luminous Mysteries. However, it eventually became apparent that what I was proposing might be better treated as a different set of mysteries entirely. That approach, further, would let me explore ideas without concerns that I may appear unappreciative of the new mysteries proposed in Rosarium Virginis Mariae--although it is clear from the discussion there that (1) the new mysteries there are only suggestions and do not constitute any formal doctrine; and (2) it is both expected and encouraged that such religious devotions should have a substantial "grass-roots" component--such that they originate in spontaneous faith-based practices of individual Catholics, and are not simply imposed by the Church hierarchy.
Further, I wish to both mention and encourage the view that the specific choices of the Luminous Mysteries presented in Rosarium Virginis Mariae may reflect the workings of divine inspiration. Though I raise certain issues about them in the discussion below, these are merely concerns at a superficial logical level of analysis. There may be a deeper meaning and structure to the Luminous Mysteries than a simple psychological or philosophical analysis may easily ascertain.
Thus I propose here an entirely new set of mysteries, the Illuminative Mysteries. While the name is similar to the existing Luminous Mysteries, there is an important difference. Light has many meanings and nuances in the New Testament. By illumination here I mean something specific--the actual experience by which a Christian is illumined, changed, or undergoes a transformation or metamorphosis from one mental state of relative ignorance to another of greater spiritual insight or knowledge. Of course, the entire Christian life can be seen as an ongoing transformation of this kind. But the larger and more gradual process of transformation may be accompanied, punctuated, or effected by more specific, illuminative or insight-gaining events.
Whether this new set of mysteries--each of which corresponds to some specific New Testament event--are good and proper objects of rosary-based meditation in the same way as the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries is something about which I am as yet uncertain. This seems a legitimate possibility. In any case, there seems value in recognizing and trying to understand certain scriptural events as thematically related, and collectively pointing some process of divine illumination which is as yet only partly explained in Christian doctrine. The advantage of a rosary-based method of study is that it potentially activates modes of understanding besides or beyond discursive logic--and to enlist these other modes, whether by means of the rosary or some other method, seems fitting for these things which are rightly called mysteries.
I end this Introduction with a brief summary of my theses concerning mystical illumination and its role in Christianity. I wish the reader to note that I present these as hypotheses only, and for the purpose of stimulating further thinking on this important topic.
Hypotheses
The present article derives from other research of mine that relates broadly to the nature of higher forms of knowledge and related mental states in Christianity and other traditions. Hopefully other articles will present this research in greater detail. However, it may be useful to summarize my current conjectures in the briefest possible terms. These, which I present here only as guiding hypotheses--that is, making no attempt to prove or defend them, or to tie them together in any way more than seems fairly obvious--are as follows:
1. Noesis. There is a human mental ability for (or perhaps more than one) for a special kind of knowledge called noesis. This was recognized by Plato as a distinct kind of knowledge--one superior to the knowledge imparted by rational logical inference (epinoia). Noesis seems innately difficult to describe, due, perhaps in part, to the fact that it is a basically private experience. A rough definition of noesis might be that it is a kind of intuitive, direct experiential knowledge of spiritual, psychological or metaphysical truths.
We choose the word noesis over possible alternatives (nous, gnosis, wisdom, sophia) somewhat arbitrarily. There have been many terms used by different authors, and the individual terms are themselves not used consistently. Choosing the less familiar term of noesis lets us make something of a fresh start, and frees us from potential controversy associated with some of the other terms (see, for example, comments about gnosis and pseudognosticism in Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Orationis Formas, 1989). It may be noted that noesis was the word used in this capacity by William James in his famous chapter on Mysticism in The Varieties of Religions Experience (James, 1902).
Because the results of noesis, unlike other kinds of knowledge, cannot be easily written, this has perhaps hindered the assimilation of this faculty into public levels of human society. There is a resulting tendency for it to be neglected by Christian doctrine--for doctrine must be capable of being written. Nevertheless, we see ample evidence that noesis is recognized by various Christian Saints and writers. An especially good example is St. Augustine, who distinguished between what he called scientiae (knowledge) and sapientiae (wisdom)--the latter corresponding to noesis (On the Trinity, Book 12). Another good source of information on this topic is the work of Nicolas of Cusa (On Wisdom and Knowledge). (See Note 1 below.)
2. Noesis as a general faculty. While it may sometimes manifest itself in dramatic ways--that is, in the major illuminative experiences of mystics, saints and prophets--in many ways noesis is a normal, innate human ability or process that is generally unnoticed, forgotten or unexercised. As I understand it, noesis is a mental faculty--an ongoing ability to direct the mind's attention to a different direction or dimension of inner experience. By means of this faculty, a person may observe or perceive, in a way like vision or a sensory experience, the nature and inner workings of the mind or soul. The illumined person--someone like St. Augustine or perhaps Plato--is, by this hypothesis--simply able to see or perceive such things in a way analogous to how we see external objects like rocks and trees. When Plato mentions seeing things with the "eye of the mind" for example, we should not automatically assume he is merely speaking metaphorically.
What I'm suggesting, then, is that there is an affinity between the profound mystical states reported in religious literature and various experiences of insight, intuition and interior knowledge with which many or perhaps most people are familiar. It could also be that God constantly illumines the mind, but that ordinarily we fail to attend to this. The dramatic "mystical experience" then, could be likened to a sudden re-awakening of this dormant sense, a re-opening of the minds spiritual eye.
We should also note that for Plato, mystical knowledge, and indeed all knowledge, is a matter not of learning anew, but rather of remembering, or anamnesis (literally, un-forgetting), as he put it. If so, the problem might be that we keep forgetting these truths, or perhaps forget to consult them. The Christian view further suggests the existence of mental obfuscations introduced by attachments to sin, and what St. Paul called the reprobate mind. All of these ideas support the notion that noesis is a normal human mental ability.
To further support the idea of noesis as an innate faculty, consider the example of human conscience. These days we have become accustomed to a secular concept of conscience--something little more than Freud's superego; a hypothetical construct; a mere abstract idea or label that fills a box in a theoretical flowchart of the mind's workings. But conscience is not an abstraction--it's an actual phenomenological experience. Nor is it necessarily a mere vague mental voice that nags or reprimands. Rather, it can be a kind of insight in which one suddenly grasps or "sees" that one should or should not do a certain thing.
In a similar way, every soul intent on progress must learn to make discernments. One must discern whether a "spirit" is holy or harmful; one must discern ones own or another's genuine intentions; one must discern between a God-given idea or inspiration from a mere fantasy. Such discernments potentially occur at the level of a direct, sense-like experience. One sees the answer by a kind of mental vision. It is not just a decision or belief reached by abstract reasoning or statistical weighing of evidence.
If these examples are not sufficiently persuasive, consider ones more positive--experiences and times in life where one regains a sense of the undeniable grandeur of the human soul. Take, for instance, the example of witnessing a birth, the coming of a new soul into this world. This is something many readers will have experienced; and those who have may well recall personal, subjective, inexpressible feelings and intuitions of joy attendant to the event. At such times a person is incapable of doubting that there is an immortal soul and a God, and that the purposes of the Creator are good and benevolent. Were we to try to put the essence and revelations of such experiences into words, and to express the insights as a set of propositions, they might include the following:
- There is a soul.
- The soul is immortal.
- The soul is more than rational intellect.
- The soul is by its nature fundamentally related to Love; it is beloved by God, and incapable of not wanting to return this love.
- The true situation of the soul--the mere fact of its existence--is a cause for immense joyfulness.
The madman is not the one who shouts Hallelujah! on the streets for no reason other than that streets, buildings and other people exist. Rightly seen, every one of these things--or, as for Walt Whitman or William Blake, even every blade of grass--is, if seen rightly and truly--cause for joyous celebration.
However, as profound as these experiences can be, their insights generally tend to fade over time. The seed, perhaps, must fall upon prepared soil to take root and to develop into a lasting feature of the personality.
3. Noesis is associated with iconic images or archetypal motifs-- expressed in art, literature, and tradition--of a person reaching a state of enlightenment, illumination or awakening. Here we are really saying two things: (a) that human beings have a general idea, even if vague, that something like enlightenment and illumination exist-- and partly for this reason they seek it; and (b) there is an instinctive tendency to symbolize this idea with images (verbal metaphors, artistic renderings) of light, sudden illumination, etc. One might see Art as an alternative intellectual tradition--one free from certain constraints imposed by the nature of written language. We have, as it were, one Western intellectual tradition of books, and another of art (and I personally would not care to suggest which of the two is a more important or better reflection of the deepest truths of the human soul). Let it suffice here to suggest that we may see expressed in religious art an attempt, if only a partially conscious one, to express and communicate certain aspects of noetic religious experience. Said another way, I think one could make a good scientific argument in favor of carefully studying and trying to understand the significance of religious art and iconography associated with spiritual illumination.
4. Noesis as a distinct mental faculty has been neglected by modern science and by philosophy. This is part the general trend of societal secularization, especially strong in recent centuries.
5. The God image in history. As part of a gradual manifestation of the God image in history, the present period is an opportune one to re-awaken and develop interest in the faculty of noesis and its products. This statement requires explanation.
a. The God image. There is much discussion and much confusion these days about what is variously called the God image, image of God, or imago Dei. The term itself derives from Genesis, which informs us that Man is made in the "image and likeness of God." This is a central tenet of our religious anthropology.
A problem of terminology occurs in that some writers use the term God image in ways that would tend to preclude the possibility of change in the image, while others speak freely of its modification and change over time. We can easily resolve this ambiguity by defining terms more precisely.
In particular, we can distinguish between the image of God as it exists latently in the human being, and how it is manifest--manifest both at the level of an individual person, and manifest collectively in terms of our philosophies, religious beliefs, institutions and societal affairs. It therefore seems appropriate to suggest two different terms--the latent God image and the manifest God image. While the point may be debated, it seems plausible to view the latent God image as not subject to change; this implies, for example, that, at some basic spiritual level, the souls of contemporary humans are no different in nature from those of people in earlier in history or in the future.
This latent image of God, however, is manifest in varying ways and degrees of verisimilitude to its source and original Exemplar, who is God. This may potentially occur within the life of one person; such, in fact, seems basic to our experience as Christians and the imitatio Christi. However, the same principle applies at a collective level in history. In the Old Testament, for example, God was not infrequently envisioned as wrathful, jealous and quick to anger. In the New Testament, God, in the Person of Jesus, is presented as more associated with Love, forgiveness, charity and agape. This does not mean that God Himself changed, or that the latent God image within man changed. Latently, the God image was potentially the same within Abraham, Moses and Elias as it was for the Apostles. But, over history, and, we believe, in connection with the workings of the Holy Spirit, God's image in man becomes gradually and progressively better manifest, expressed and realized. When, hereinafter, I suggest that there is an emerging God image in history, and that we are today at a particularly crucial point in this process, it is to the manifest, not latent God image that I refer. For brevity, I shall simply omit the prefix, manifest, each time the God image is referred to.
b. The God image and modern man. Where does that leave us as Catholics and human beings in the 21st Century? One point to appreciate is that we have now progressed intellectually to the point that we can even talk and theorize about an emerging God image. In the past this emergence occurred spontaneously, without much conscious assistance or recognition. But now we understand, however vaguely, what is at work. This adds a new dimension to things. We are now potentially more responsibility to help promote, guide and assist the process. So, in this way, changes in the God image appear inevitable because of broad advances in human knowledge, communication and organization, and the increased sense of responsibility concerning our own destiny.
However, we might go further to suggest that a change in the God image is required for our continued survival as a species. While science and technology have improved our lives in innumerable ways, they have brought severe problems as well. Many ecosystems are on the verge of collapse. Physical and mental stress are evident in abundance--and associated with these are genuine epidemics of psychosomatic medical illnesses. Traditions, customs, and "folk knowledge" which have served human culture for millennia, and are perhaps essential for our psychological and social wellbeing, are imperiled. Some go so far as to suggest that modern social, and governmental, and intellectual institutions have become incapable of coping with the exigencies of modern life.
We may add to the above concerns the challenges associated with a greater degree of contact between cultures. This new and unavoidable closeness, especially when combined with the aforementioned elements of stress and alienation, have made the potential for war, terrorism, conflict and aggression among nations an increasing concern.
In short--and this is scarcely an original suggestion--if there is not some major evolution in the manifest God image soon, human civilization may suffer catastrophic setbacks. Personally, I am an optimist and would prefer to interpret the current state of affairs as meaning that a positive, adaptive change in the manifest God image will happen precisely because it is now necessary.
6. Scientific study. Greater scientific and theological attention to noesis may help to reconnect modern man with this forgotten or neglected faculty. While noesis may be difficult to study scientifically, it is not impossible to do so. If nothing else, we are confronted with the indisputable fact--data, as it were--that people of all cultures and times seem to report such experiences. Scientific phenomenology showed great promise as a subdiscipline of psychology in the second half of the 19th century, after which it rather suddenly and inexplicably disappeared from the academic scene, being replaced by behaviorism and biological/reductionist models. (Some readers may be incredulous to learn that radical behaviorism was once so dominant in the United States that entire psychology departments existed where the reality of subjective experience was openly denied on the basis that it could not be publicly observed and therefore could not constitute anything scientific. Hopefully by now the pendulum has begun to move in the opposite direction.)
7. Noesis and inter-faith dialogue. Study and consideration of the experiential and illuminative aspects of Christianity may promote greater understanding and harmony with other religions. As Christians, we believe that all people are made in God's image and likeness. This suggests that if there is a basic human faculty for noetic knowledge, it may be shared by all humans. We find ample discussion of noetic and illuminative experiences in all the other great religions of the world, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Because all human beings share common psychological mechanisms, it is possible that the phenomenology of religious experience is much more similar across religions than are their respective doctrines. This, then, opens the door for congenial and mutually beneficial dialogue among religious traditions. Further, if it is true that our basic human nature is strongly and basically oriented towards love, and if recognition of this may be gained by proper exercise of a noetic faculty, then we have even more grounds for optimism that a collaborative study of noesis may foster harmony among religions and cultures.
The Luminous Mysteries of Rosarium Virginis Mariae
The Luminous Mysteries proposed by John Paul II in Rosarium Virginis Mariae are as follows:
- The Baptism of the Lord
- The Wedding at Cana
- The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
- The Transfiguration
- The Institution of the Eucharist
The Apostolic Letter provides surprisingly little explanation of the mysteries, either individually or collectively. Why luminous mysteries, and not some other kind? And why these particular five? Concerning origins, it was almost immediately assumed that these five came from a near-identical list of "Mysteries of Light" proposed by Blessed George Preca of Malta in 1957. In recent decades, other suggestions have been made for new sets of rosary mysteries, including a series, The Public Life of Jesus (Summers, 2004).
As already stated, the Apostolic Letter does not make a definitive statement about the basic theme of the mysteries. They are called Mysteries of Light, yet only two of them--the Baptism of the Lord and the Transfiguration--have, at least in the associated scriptural passages, strong associations to visible light. In the case of the Institution of the Eucharist, one can easily make allowance for this. Light symbolism or metaphors are not infrequently associated with the Eucharist as a sacrament, even if it is not something we generally think of as connected with the Last Supper. But light references or symbolism seem absent from the Marriage at Cana and the Proclamation of the Kingdom.
Considering this list, and reading the Apostolic Letter, it almost seems as if the proposed mysteries represent a hybrid or compromise of sorts between three themes: spiritual light, the public ministry of Jesus, and the institution of various sacraments--Baptism, Marriage, Reconciliation (mentioned in connection with the third mystery), and the Eucharist. These different themes are, of course, related, but they are also separable--so that one might ask if it would be better to have separate, more specific mysteries for each theme.
This might be less of an issue except that one of the purposes mentioned for the new mysteries was to help counter undue Western interest in Eastern and New Age religions. There is no obvious evidence that people leave their Christian heritage seeking a substitute for the social Gospel in other traditions--the idea seems better developed, or at least more readily recognizable, in traditional Christianity. Nor would we generally suppose that people seek a substitute for sacramental life in these other religions--although there are exceptions to this, and in some cases one may find that individuals are attracted to the rituals and sense of "ancientness" associated with Buddhism or Hindu traditions. However, it appears, at least upon casual examination, that it is the possibility of enlightenment or "higher states of consciousness" that is a primary attraction of Westerners to Eastern and alternative religions. If so, that suggests that an effective response would be to specifically affirm and call attention to how these themes are strongly and centrally present in the Christian tradition. This, in turn, suggests there may be value in a set of rosary mysteries that are specifically concerned with spiritual illumination, in the sense that we have discussed it here, as it is described or revealed in the New Testament.
May we Consider Alternatives?
It is clear from the language of the Apostolic Letter that the set of Luminous Mysteries presented had the form more or less of a proposal. It was recognized that something like this must ultimately reflect a grass-roots movement of popular preference, opinion and feeling. Therefore we might be right in regarding these not as the final form of such a set of mysteries, but rather as a starting point.
Proceed to Part 2
Notes
1. In the course of writing this article, it occurred to me that it might be better to make a firmer distinction between sudden, dramatic experiences of enlightenment, and a different, ongoing or continually present potential for spiritual or illumined thinking. We might adopt two different terms, in fact: noesis for the former, and sapience for the latter.
2. In Eastern Christianity one not infrequently finds references to a noetic faculty of the heart, as distinct from faculties of the intellect. The relationship between knowing with the heart and knowing with the mind or intellect is clearly a question of interest, but is beyond the scope of the present article.
References
Augustine of Hippo. On the Trinity. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. III.Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Letter on Certain Aspects of Christian Meditation Orationis Formas (15 October 1989): AAS 82 (1990).
Formosa, John. Probable Origin of the Mysteries of Light. Catholic Planet website. http://www.catholicplanet.com/articles/article76.htm (retrieved 28 November 2006)
Irish Theological Commission. A New Age of the Spirit? A Catholic Response to the New Age Phenomenon. Dublin, 1994.
James, William. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1902. http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/james/toc.htm
John Paul II. Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001): AAS 93 (2001).
John Paul II. Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 16, 2002): AAS 95 (2003).
Nicholas of Cusa. On Wisdom and Knowledge. Tr. Jasper Hopkins. Minneapolis: Arthur J. Banning Press, 1996. Latin: Idiota de Sapienta, Codex Cusanus Latinus 218, folia 107 r - 114v.
Pontifical Council For Culture & Pontifical Council For Interreligious Dialogue. Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life. A Christian reflection on the “New Age” (February 3, 2003).
Summers, Kris. The Luminous Mysteries. The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute website. 2004. http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/luminous.html (retrieved 28 November 2006)
To Cite this Article
Uebersax, John S. (2006). "Illuminative Mysteries of the New Testament". Online article. Retrieved from http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jsuebersax/illum1.htm on mmm dd, yyyy.
Home > Psychology and Religion
Copyright © 2006 - John Uebersax PhD