
With the notable exception of William James’ classic The Varieties Of Religious Experience, Simon Critchley’s latest book On Mysticism takes seriously a subject most secular philosophers have dismissed out of hand. Here is a serious (but never sombre) look at a fascinating and sometimes bewildering area of religious study: mysticism, or, how to get out of the way of yourself to reach that eternal ephemeral Thing.
What this book shows us is that there is no clear-cut mystic ‘tradition’, but instead a wide array of individual, active approaches to God. Something, I would suggest, that will resonate with many people these days – Christian or otherwise – who seek more than the hollow, AI-generated culture being forced upon us.
Where the book creaks under its own ambition is in its attempts to transpose mystic theory to modern pop culture. Critchley’s parsing of Annie Dillard’s fine work is exceptional and riveting to read, but the chapters on Krautrock and Nick Cave feel slight: though his love for the music is clear, his linking of it to transcendent theology seems tenuous. But maybe that’s just how far removed we are as a culture from the strange and powerful thinkings of Julian Of Norwich and company. No promises, but this book might remedy that situation.
On Mysticism: The Experience Of Ecstacy, Simon Critchley (Profile)
Price: £18.99/£15.99 Ebook/£24.99 audiobook. Info: here
words ADAM JONES