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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Mysticism and Spirituality

Mysticism

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈmɪstɪsɪzəm/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, mysticism means: The pursuit of direct, personal experience of God or ultimate reality, often through prayer, contemplation and spiritual discipline, found in many religious traditions.

In Turkish: mistisizm, tasavvuf

How it is used

Used for traditions such as Sufism in Islam, Kabbalah in Judaism and Christian mysticism. Scholars debate whether all mystical experience shares a common core (perennialism) or is shaped by each tradition. A practitioner is a mystic; the adjective is mystical.

Example sentences

  1. Rumi's poetry is often read as a classic expression of Islamic mysticism.

  2. In his lectures on mysticism, William James listed four marks of mystical experience.

Common collocations

  • Islamic mysticism
  • Christian mysticism
  • Jewish mysticism
  • mystical experience
  • mystical tradition
  • SufismThe mystical tradition of Islam, which seeks closeness to God through love, remembrance of God (dhikr), spiritual discipline and the guidance of a master.
  • spiritualityA person's inner life and search for meaning, connection or the sacred, either within a religious tradition or outside organized religion.
  • meditationA practice of training attention and awareness, for example by focusing on the breath, a word or an image, used in many religions for spiritual growth.
  • asceticismA way of life of strict self-discipline in which a person gives up comfort, pleasure or possessions in pursuit of religious or spiritual goals.

More terms: Mysticism and Spirituality

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