Mysticism, Mysticism, and more Mysticism
Simon Critchley event; essays by Bret Davis and Karmen MacKendrick; images from Joanna Borkowska; Sara Ahmed event recording
Dear all,
I am excited to be in conversation with Simon Critchley tomorrow on the topic of mysticism. More on this below. To get us all tapping into the mystical vibes, I have linked to a couple of essays from our 2021 issue on “Nothing” by Bret Davis and Karmen MacKendrick, along with a couple of images from Joanna Borkowska (the artist featured in that issue). May your consciousness expand, your heart open, and your enthusiasms overflow!
Your Sunday Reads
“Nothing Matters” by Bret W. Davis
This essay is a wonderful overview of the philosophical idea of “nothingness”, taking in questions from Zen Buddhism, the Kyoto School philosophers, the problem of nihilism, and fundamental questions in metaphysics. You can read Bret’s essay here.
“But First, Nothing” by Karmen MacKendrick
This essay from philosopher of religion Karmen MacKendrick takes us on a breathless journey from Leibniz to Heidegger via Aquinas, Milton, medieval Jewish Kabbalah, and process, feminist, liberation, and ecological theologies - all in an attempt to address the question, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” You can read Karmen’s essay here.
Monday Event: 11am PT/2pm ET/6pm UK
“On Mysticism”
Simon Critchley in conversation with Anthony Morgan
N.B. This event will be at a slightly different time in the UK/Europe due to the clocks changing: 11am PT/2pm ET/6pm UK/7pm CET
Mysticism is about existential ecstasy – an experience of heightening one’s senses and self into a sheer feeling of aliveness.
In this event, Simon Critchley will explore the history and practice of mysticism, from its origins in Eastern and Western religion, through its association with esoteric and occult knowledge, and up to the ecstatic modernism of T.S. Eliot and others. Through a discussion of the lives of famous mystics, like Julian of Norwich and Jesus Christ, Critchley will reveal how embracing the spectrum of mystical experience can refresh our thinking and help us live deeper and freer lives. You can find out more and register here.
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Anthony Morgan
Newsletter Team