Bernard McGinn is the Naomi Shenstone Donnelley Professor emeritus at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, where he taught for thirty-four years before retiring in 2003. Prof. McGinn is a former President of the Medieval Academy of America and has written extensively on medieval theology, especially on the history of apocalypticism and spirituality and mysticism. His major current project is a seven- volume history of Christian mysticism under the general title The Presence of God five volumes of which have been published between 1991 and 2012.

1) What is your definition of mysticism?

“Mysticism” is a modern word for what the Christian tradition previously called “mystical theology” (a life-style, not an academic discourse), or “contemplation.” I prefer to speak Lire la suite →