The Figurativeness of the Language of Mystical Experience: Particularities and Interpretations
The Figurativeness of the Language of Mystical Experience: Particularities and Interpretations
Contributor(s): Magda Kučerková (Editor), Antonio Barnés Vázquez (Editor)
Subject(s): Visual Arts, Aesthetics, Syntax, Lexis, Semantics, Historical Linguistics, Comparative Study of Literature, Czech Literature, French Literature, Slovak Literature, Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, British Literature
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Anthropology and language; St. Teresa of Avila; 14th century English mysticism; Jan Čep; interdisciplinary dialogue; David Maria Turoldo; Julius Zeyer; Antonio Machado; poetics; sanjuanist motifs;
Summary/Abstract: The scientific and technical achievements of the last decades have enabled man to achieve an unquestionable life comfort. Paradoxically, however, they also stand behind his existential struggles, where the need to slow down the pace and restore one’s own emotional and cognitive resources, revive communication models based on immediate contact, be authentic, creative, stronger, and so on breaks through the surface. One way of looking for a personal way of life and its meaning is through a religious, more precisely, spiritual experience. We consider the mystical experience to be the modality of the spiritual expression or, more precisely, its autonomous part. We see it as a descent of man into his own interior, so called the centre, in which he acquires a pouring knowledge of the nature of God. Although it is an individual and spontaneous experience, it is characterized by some universal features: imagery as a means of conveying the inexpressible content and as an archetypal basis of spiritual tradition. The publication focuses on the literary-artistic forms of the mystical experience as well as the literary forms of mystagogy, that is the interpretation of the mystical experience of the mystic. Through individual analytical-interpretative contributions based on the works of the mystics of the Western Christian tradition, we will try to enter into a specific image of ineffability modelled (the language of mystical unification) and reflexively stimulated (the language of mystagogy) by mystical experience. This is a complex subject confirmed by its basic attribute (inexpressibility at the language level) and by its thought-initiated tensions (for example, interior vs. exterior, authentic vs. ritual, profane vs. sacred, natural vs. supernatural).
- E-ISBN-13: 978-80-210-9997-5
- Page Count: 282
- Publication Year: 2021
- Language: English
MYSTICAL KNOWLEDGE: ANTHROPOLOGY AND LANGUAGE
MYSTICAL KNOWLEDGE: ANTHROPOLOGY AND LANGUAGE
(MYSTICAL KNOWLEDGE: ANTHROPOLOGY AND LANGUAGE)
- Author(s):Francisco Javier Sancho Fermín
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Philosophy of Language, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Philology, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:12-20
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Mysticism; Language; Anthropology; Levels of experience;
- Summary/Abstract:The mystical experience is not something reducible simply to the private experience sphere. The force of the Mystery that is revealed in the subject opens up to the need to understand and communicate that experience. This helps us to perceive the levels inherent to the mystical experience until it transforms into communication. And so, we speak of two ways of language linked to the mystical experience: written language, with its peculiarities and creative connotations, and anthropological language, communicable through the experienced transformation and the way of life of the subject.
THE INTENTIONALITY OF THE IMAGINATION IN ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
THE INTENTIONALITY OF THE IMAGINATION IN ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
(THE INTENTIONALITY OF THE IMAGINATION IN ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA)
- Author(s):Silvia Brodňanová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Semantics, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, 16th Century, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:21-28
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Imagination; Thoughts; The Life; The Way of Perfection; The Interior Castle; The Book of the Foundations;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper pretends to make a brief incursion into the teachings of Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) about the imagination throughout her four main writings: The Life, The Way of Perfection, The Interior Castle and The Book of the Foundations. Firstly, it offers a terminological clarification. Secondly, it presents the Teresian semantics of the terms.
IMAGINATIVE CONTEMPLATION IN THE 14TH CENTURY ENGLISH MYSTICISM
IMAGINATIVE CONTEMPLATION IN THE 14TH CENTURY ENGLISH MYSTICISM
(IMAGINATIVE CONTEMPLATION IN THE 14TH CENTURY ENGLISH MYSTICISM)
- Author(s):Lucie Rathouzská
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Comparative Study of Literature, 13th to 14th Centuries, Theory of Literature, British Literature
- Page Range:29-38
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:Imagination; Mysticism; 14th century; England;
- Summary/Abstract:In this paper, I focus on imagination in 14th century English mysticism and modern approaches of Richard Rolle’s, Walter Hilton’s, and the unknown author of the Cloud of Unknowing’s concept of imagination. There are several inconsistencies within contemporary approaches to the imagination, affectivity, and bodily metaphors, implying a contradictory appreciation of the three English authors. In this paper, I will discuss criticism of imagination in the mysticism of these three English authors. Moreover, some possible responses will be highlighted.
DEATH AS RADICAL BORDER - ABOUT JAN ČEP’S NOVEL THE BORDER OF A SHADOW
DEATH AS RADICAL BORDER - ABOUT JAN ČEP’S NOVEL THE BORDER OF A SHADOW
(DEATH AS RADICAL BORDER - ABOUT JAN ČEP’S NOVEL THE BORDER OF A SHADOW)
- Author(s):Ján Gallik
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Czech Literature, Existentialism, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:39-47
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Jan Čep; Phenomenon of death; Catholic novel; Philoshophical-reflexive and meditative lyricism;
- Summary/Abstract:The Czech Catholic writer Jan Čep (1902–1974) belonged to the group of authors who built their work on spiritual-religious motifs. Literary critic František Xaver Šalda stated in the bookmark of Čep’s novel The Border of a Shadow (1935) that he is a “poet of death”, namely “a very special, possessing a very special, unusual view of things of life and death”. The language and imagery of his artistic work are based on philosophical-reflexive and meditative lyricism, often with a contemplative overlap. We consider the image of a double home to be one of the key images of Čep’s poetics. Its development can be traced from the author’s juvenile prose work to the latest texts, which are mainly essay-like. In addition to this image, however, in Čep’s work, reflecting on the phenomenon of life and death also appears to be the mainstay, while it is obvious that these entities are very closely related to the image of a double home. In this context, it will be important to observe how the phenomenon of death is depicted in Čep’s only novel The Border of a Shadow.
ENTHRALLED BY MYSTERY. ECKHART, HEIDEGGER AND THE POET MUJICA IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE
ENTHRALLED BY MYSTERY. ECKHART, HEIDEGGER AND THE POET MUJICA IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE
(ENTHRALLED BY MYSTERY. ECKHART, HEIDEGGER AND THE POET MUJICA IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE)
- Author(s):Silvia Julia Campana
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Contemporary Philosophy, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:49-60
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Mystical; Emptiness; Abyss; Silence; Poetic saying;
- Summary/Abstract:Mysticism and poetry make up an inseparable pairing and, in these times of absence, they reveal the deep desire of man to go beyond the immediate, the existential, the superficial. The Argentine poet Hugo Mujica opens, from his poetic saying, a door towards the abyss and the desert, towards the limit of language and silence. We can glimpse in his poetry Heidegger’s legacy and, together with the philosopher, the Master Eckhart is also dragged from his going to God without god. From the interdisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, theology and poetry, we will approach to decipher this influence that transforms the saying of the poet-philosopher and updates his word in the desert and plunges us into the mystery of the unspeakable.
THE SILENCE OF GOD IN THE POETRY OF FATHER DAVID MARIA TUROLDO
THE SILENCE OF GOD IN THE POETRY OF FATHER DAVID MARIA TUROLDO
(THE SILENCE OF GOD IN THE POETRY OF FATHER DAVID MARIA TUROLDO)
- Author(s):Fabiano Gritti
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Theory of Literature, Italian literature
- Page Range:61-68
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Divine silence; Emptying of God; Kenosis; Theopathy;
- Summary/Abstract:The article concerns the last phase of poetic production of father David Maria Turoldo, notably the last collection published when he was still alive – the Final Chants. In his very long work or religious poet, liturgist, and essayist, he treated a number of topics, incl. social themes and current affairs. In his last phase of his poetic, he doesn’t speak to the society, to the poor, and to marginalised people like in the past, but he addresses God directly – by forming an intense dialogue with the Absolute. In this poetical and mystical dialogue, he interrogates God about the most impenetrable mysteries for human understanding. These mysteries overwhelmed theologians and mystics of all times. Here, we shall focus notably on the topic of God being far from His creation – which is manifested through the divine silence. God seems not to hear the invocations of the faithful; it looks as though He doesn’t care about the problem of suffering (especially of the weakest persons) that remains apparently unrelieved by divine intervention. We shall present some meaningful short examples of such deep and complex issues, in order to introduce the reader to the knowledge of the peculiar Turoldian approach, by providing a possible interpretative key.
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN LATE WORKS BY JULIUS ZEYER
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN LATE WORKS BY JULIUS ZEYER
(MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN LATE WORKS BY JULIUS ZEYER)
- Author(s):Andrea Raušerová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Czech Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:69-77
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Julius Zeyer; Christine the Miraculous; Three Memoirs of Vít Choráz; Mystical Experience; Ineffability; Christian Mysticism;
- Summary/Abstract:Mystical experience is connected with ineffability. This paper proves it in works by various authors. It mentions some common phenomena associated with mysticism, such as stigma, levitation, appearance of light, religious anorexia, etc. Some of them are observed in late works by Julius Zeyer, a Czech novelist and poet, which represent the core of the analysis. Christine the Miraculous and The Three Memoirs of Vít Choráz both reflect mystical experience experienced by the main characters. The paper refers to accompanying aspects of the behaviour of the characters related to ineffable.
SILENCE AS A MODALITY OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE WORK OF SYLVIE GERMAIN
SILENCE AS A MODALITY OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE WORK OF SYLVIE GERMAIN
(SILENCE AS A MODALITY OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE WORK OF SYLVIE GERMAIN)
- Author(s):Silvia Rybárová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Comparative Study of Literature, French Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:78-87
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:Silence; Mystical experience; Patience; Act of man;
- Summary/Abstract:The article deals with the issue of silence in the thinking and work of the contemporary French author Sylvie Germain. The starting point for deliberation is the author’s essay Acte de silence (2011), in which silence is conceived both as a manifestation of God’s discreet appearance and as an act of humility and patience of man. The presence of silence seems to be a necessary condition for mystical experience. Silence understood in this way is the subject of the analysis in a selected passage from Germain’s novel L’Enfant Méduse (1991), which suggests some specific features of the author’s poetics of the transcendent, also present in her later novel work.
THE PATHS OF DREAMS. A REREADING OF ANTONIO MACHADO’S GALLERIES
THE PATHS OF DREAMS. A REREADING OF ANTONIO MACHADO’S GALLERIES
(THE PATHS OF DREAMS. A REREADING OF ANTONIO MACHADO’S GALLERIES)
- Author(s):Antonio Barnés Vázquez
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:89-99
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Antonio Machado; God; Dream; Childhood; Inspiration;
- Summary/Abstract:Poetic creation and encounter with God are two concepts that the Spanish poet Antonio Machado relates to dreams and childhood. He thus recovers the dream as a sphere of contact with God, overcoming in a certain way the faith/reason dialectic that modernity takes pleasure in emphasising. The dream is beyond reason, and there comes the divine inspiration which can then be translated into “a few true words”. Poetic language thus acquires a status far superior to that of delight: it is the key that allows us to touch the mystery. The relationship between dream and childhood also allows Machado to explore a lost innocence to which one always aspires to return.
THE IMAGE OF THE JUNGIAN SELF IN THE WORK OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
THE IMAGE OF THE JUNGIAN SELF IN THE WORK OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
(THE IMAGE OF THE JUNGIAN SELF IN THE WORK OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA)
- Author(s):Ján Knapík
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Other Language Literature, Psychology of Self, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:100-108
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:The spiritual dimension of C. G. Jung; The Self; St. Teresa of Ávila; Mystical experience; Archetyp; Image;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper focuses on the figurativeness of the language of mystical experience in the context of Jung’s theory of collective unconsciousness. It analyses the autobiographical work of St. Teresa of Ávila and tries to identify images that mirror the archetype of the whole, or the Jungian Self (das Selbst). The main objective of the paper is to reveal the life-giving potential and spontaneous nature of symbols created by the unconscious and to highlight their scope and importance in human life.
THE HEART AS AN IMAGE OF DEIFICATION IN MYSTICAL WRITING
THE HEART AS AN IMAGE OF DEIFICATION IN MYSTICAL WRITING
(THE HEART AS AN IMAGE OF DEIFICATION IN MYSTICAL WRITING)
- Author(s):Magda Kučerková
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion
- Page Range:109-119
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Mystical experience; Inner image; The heart; Center; Transforming unification; Deification;
- Summary/Abstract:The paper explores two phenomena powerful in life and interpretive terms: the heart and deification. One is understood as deeply human, the other as metaphysically appealing. It is a connection present in the history of Christian thinking for a long time, since the heart is perceived as an inner space where God meets man, in the most intimate form, which can only acquire the character of unification. Deification, as the experience of Christian mystics and mystics shows, basically means the deepest unification with God and activation of the change in God’s love. The issue examined in the paper is presented in the form of a brief guide to the theological concept of deification, and also the convergence of the historical and biblical views of the heart. The core of thinking about the topic is the interpretation of the heart as an inner image the (heart as the center, exchange of hearts) and the interpretation of the phenomenality of deification in the context of written mystical experience.
TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE OF ST. LAURA MONTOYA Y UPEGUI
TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE OF ST. LAURA MONTOYA Y UPEGUI
(TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE OF ST. LAURA MONTOYA Y UPEGUI)
- Author(s):Monika Brezováková, Zuzana Civáňová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Aesthetics, Other Language Literature, Philosophy of Religion, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:121-133
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Mysticism; St. Laura Montoya y Upegui; Transcendent experience; Images of inner world; Aesthetic qualities of the narration;
- Summary/Abstract:The paper focuses on the life and written work of the Colombian Catholic mystic St. Laura Montoya y Upegui (1874–1949), known also as Mother Laura. The life of this mystic was marked by a mystical experience from her early childhood. In the work she left us, especially in her autobiography entitled History of the Mercies of God in a Soul [Historia de las misericordias de Dios en un alma], she tries to talk about her unique experience, although this task is not easy. She tends to speak about her mystical experience with God mainly through specific images of her own inner world. The aim of this study is to bring these images closer to the reader, analyse them and reconcile them with the aesthetic qualities of the narration, which helps to form more complete and complex image not only of the mystical experience, but also of the work by St. Laura.
PARADOX AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE INEXPRESSIBLE IN SEDULIUS’ PASCHAL SONG
PARADOX AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE INEXPRESSIBLE IN SEDULIUS’ PASCHAL SONG
(PARADOX AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE INEXPRESSIBLE IN SEDULIUS’ PASCHAL SONG)
- Author(s):Róbert Horka
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Ancient World, Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:134-147
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Carmen Paschale; Jeweled Style; Oxymoron; Paradox; Polyptoton; Sedulius; True God and man;
- Summary/Abstract:In the middle of the Fifth century, a relatively mysterious Christian poet, Sedulius, wrote his epic composition named Paschal Song. In terms of contents, it is notably a description of Christ’s miracles according to the four Gospels. The poet is facing the reality of something that transcends the common human experience – according to what was defined by the Council of Ephesus and Chalcedon regarding the real divine and human nature of Christ. For such reason, even his poetical language is adapted, in order to describe something that contravenes common reality. A useful and suitable means for reaching this purpose is the frequently employed paradox. The reader/listener can get closer to the indescribable, unprecedented, and inexpressible mysterious nature of Christ. In this way, the author creates a very specific and elegant mystic – and his epic composition becomes a meditative text.
IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA’S LITERARY WORK AS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND SPIRITUALITY
IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA’S LITERARY WORK AS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND SPIRITUALITY
(IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA’S LITERARY WORK AS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND SPIRITUALITY)
- Author(s):Edita Príhodová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Other Language Literature, Philosophy of Religion, Phenomenology, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:148-158
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Discernment of Spirits; Mysticism; St. Ignatius of Loyola; Archetypes;
- Summary/Abstract:The paper compares key life and spiritual experiences of St. Ignatius of Loyola with his literary works (the Spiritual Exercises, Constitutions and Spiritual Diary). It primarily focuses on events that influenced the “birth of a mystic” especially his stays in Loyola, Manresa and by the river of Cardoner. The paper also discusses a phenomenological description and interpretation of Ignatius’ spiritual metaphors and parables (God’s soldier – knight, life as a spiritual struggle, vocation as the call of the King, Christian life as a choice of Christ’s robe and its adornments). What is typical for Ignatius is that he radically shifted and spiritualized the semantics of this “secular” images. There is a spiritual theme that runs through Constitutions and which is based on a motif of spiritual love and not fear or discomfort. In Spiritual Diary Ignatius moves from spiritual metaphors and seeks new words to describe his mystical experience.
THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN ANGELA OF FOLIGNO
THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN ANGELA OF FOLIGNO
(THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IN ANGELA OF FOLIGNO)
- Author(s):Monika Šavelová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, 13th to 14th Centuries, Theory of Literature, Italian literature
- Page Range:159-171
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Figurativeness; Mystics; Transcendental Experience; Ineffability; Angela of Foligno;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper explores the figurativeness of the language of the mystical experiences in the texts of Angela of Foligno. For this purpose, the prism of literary interpretation and analysis is utilised. The aim of this article is to define the main signs and specificities of Angela’s narration. The reflection on this theme also includes the research of possible similarities with other Christian mystical witnesses (Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross).
THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE LANGUAGE OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE LANGUAGE OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA
(THE FIGURATIVENESS OF THE LANGUAGE OF ST. TERESA OF ÁVILA)
- Author(s):Edita Hornackova Klapicova
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Syntax, Lexis, Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature, Stylistics
- Page Range:172-183
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Stylistic analysis; Lexical and syntactical expressive means; Stylistic devices; Figurative language;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper aims at analyzing The Interior Castle of St. Teresa of Ávila using a stylistic approach. The Interior Castle was inspired by the author’s vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God. The stylistic analysis of the chosen text combines intuition and detailed linguistic analysis of the text. The form and style of the text are an integral part of the work’s meaning and value. In our analysis of The Interior Castle, lexical and syntactical expressive means and stylistic devices are discussed in order to explore the figurative meanings of the language employed.
A PROBE INSIDE THE POETIC FORM OF MYSTICISM OF SLOVAK ROMANTIC MESSIANISTS
A PROBE INSIDE THE POETIC FORM OF MYSTICISM OF SLOVAK ROMANTIC MESSIANISTS
(A PROBE INSIDE THE POETIC FORM OF MYSTICISM OF SLOVAK ROMANTIC MESSIANISTS)
- Author(s):Petra Kaizerová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Slovak Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:185-198
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Romanticism; Messianism; Messiah; Redemption; Nation; Mysticism;
- Summary/Abstract:The Slovak Romantic Messianism is perceived by us as a phenomenon growing from a specific current epochal situation relating to a relatively rich tradition, which existed in the Slovak cultural context already in previous historical periods. By considering the characteristic features of production, its existence was often relativised. Nevertheless, it represents an important testimony of a concrete epoch. Its artistic implementation (perhaps today more than in the past) is being well appreciated, thanks to its interesting form and to its expressive and narrative strength or value. By focusing our attention on its expressive and thematic means, it is possible to prove that the authors tried to mediate a mystical experience to the readers. As mystagogues, they introduced and initiated the readers to the mysteries of God’s plans aiming at transformation of this world. In this sense, through their literary production, they invoked and prayed God to give them a chance to live a direct mystic experience in the reality. By pursuing this purpose, they filled their poetry with curious archaisms and neologisms (the so-called self-creation of language). They gave way to a speculative etymologism and poetical forms. Generally, they were syncretically stylying poetical shapes. And they often exploited experiments or complex strophic structures.
THE POETICS OF RECONCILIATION IN FRENCH LITERARY WORK OF THE 20TH CENTURY. FROM MARIE NOËL TO SYLVIE GERMAIN
THE POETICS OF RECONCILIATION IN FRENCH LITERARY WORK OF THE 20TH CENTURY. FROM MARIE NOËL TO SYLVIE GERMAIN
(THE POETICS OF RECONCILIATION IN FRENCH LITERARY WORK OF THE 20TH CENTURY. FROM MARIE NOËL TO SYLVIE GERMAIN)
- Author(s):Václava Bakešová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Comparative Study of Literature, French Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:199-207
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:The theme of spirituality in French literature; Mysticism of everyday life; Spiritual struggle; Poetics of reconciliation; Marie Noël; Sylvie Germain;
- Summary/Abstract:Because of the Holocaust, World War II is the focal point for capturing spiritual experience in the 20th-century literature. How did the transformation of French spiritual literature from the poet Marie Noël in the 1st half of the century to the novelist Sylvie Germain at its end come about? Using examples from their work, this paper shows both authors’ sources of inspiration and highlights the means of expressing spirituality of a person going through an inner struggle. Although the authors describe a dark night, both of them they have a desire to overcome it, to reconcile with God, with the world and with themselves.
SANJUANIST MOTIFS IN THE POETIC WORK OF ERIK JAKUB GROCH
SANJUANIST MOTIFS IN THE POETIC WORK OF ERIK JAKUB GROCH
(SANJUANIST MOTIFS IN THE POETIC WORK OF ERIK JAKUB GROCH)
- Author(s):Jana Juhásová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Slovak Literature, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:208-218
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Erik J. Groch; St. John of the Cross; Komúna dissent; Journey; Spiritual pilgrimage;
- Summary/Abstract:One of the key poets of Slovak post-November poetry was shaped in the Komúna dissent group headed by philosopher and artist M. Strýko during the communist regime. Operating in dissent supported the radicality of his poetic gesture and lifestyle, the image of an active, evolving individual freed from the senselessness of civilization, and also the idea that it is possible to integrate evil into a higher good. These ideas also form branches to the sanjuanist motifs and intellectual solutions that are close to Groch. The article seeks these penetrating places with special attention on the symbol of the journey and pilgrimage, and at the same time points to Groch’s creative updates of one of the most famous spiritual teachings of the West.
TASTING THE MILK OF CELESTIAL KNOWLEDGE. NOTE ABOUT THE RHETORIC OF THE PORTRAYAL OF THE SACRED IN ALONSO CANO’S PAINTING THE LACTATION OF ST. BERNARD (1653–1657) FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN PRAGUE
TASTING THE MILK OF CELESTIAL KNOWLEDGE. NOTE ABOUT THE RHETORIC OF THE PORTRAYAL OF THE SACRED IN ALONSO CANO’S PAINTING THE LACTATION OF ST. BERNARD (1653–1657) FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN PRAGUE
(TASTING THE MILK OF CELESTIAL KNOWLEDGE. NOTE ABOUT THE RHETORIC OF THE PORTRAYAL OF THE SACRED IN ALONSO CANO’S PAINTING THE LACTATION OF ST. BERNARD (1653–1657) FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN PRAGUE)
- Author(s):Pavel Štěpánek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Visual Arts, 17th Century, History of Art
- Page Range:220-240
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Alonso Cano; Lactatio S. Bernardi; Virgin Maria lactans; Symbolic of milk;
- Summary/Abstract:This is an attempt of interpretation of a picture that draws from mystical tradition. It is about the comprehension of a topic in a painting by the Spanish artist Alonso Cano (1601–1667, Granada), from the National Gallery in Prague (O 14 690) Lactatio S. Bernardi – presenting the miracle of lactation, in which the Virgin Mary is squirting milk from her breast into the mouth of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (a historically very famous saint and major representative of the Cistercian Order). Traces of iconography lead up to the Coptic Church, where the typology of the milking Virgin was probably first originated (Galacto Trofusa in Greek or Maria lactans in Latin). The starting point is perhaps the portrayal of the virgin goddess Isis milking her son Horus. In many cultures, milk symbolises physical and spiritual food (e.g. the Milky Way evoking the ancient myth about spurted divine milk). On the other hand, milking is also present in the Old Testament as the image of special blessing; it is a symbol of eternal beatitude and wisdom. The dream/vision of her milk is then – apart from the rest – a sign of abundance, fertility, love, and fullness. The lactation of St. Bernard is an allegory of the penetration of the divine science in the soul. Thanks to this act the saint receives God’s guide, which he can then discharge into his writings
[RE]READINGS OF THE PERFECT. MYSTICISM OF JAMES LEE BYARS
[RE]READINGS OF THE PERFECT. MYSTICISM OF JAMES LEE BYARS
([RE]READINGS OF THE PERFECT. MYSTICISM OF JAMES LEE BYARS)
- Author(s):Juan Agustín Mancebo Roca
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Visual Arts, Aesthetics
- Page Range:241-253
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Mysticism; Perfection; Culture; Sacred; Image;
- Summary/Abstract:The complex contextualization of the work of James Lee Byars (1932–1997) in contemporary artistic practices was determined by its timelessness in both form and concept. Considered by Kevin Power as one of the key artists of the second half of the twentieth century alongside figures such as Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol, his legacy seems to have declined probably because of the discomfort caused by the approach to his work, since any previous consideration and attempt at cataloging, escapes through the loopholes on which they are based. Byars’ performances and pieces were mostly structured around the cryptic concept of perfection. The artist’s mission, in this case, takes on the roles of a shaman and a magician who questions the illegibility of a world whose materialism seems to have expelled any consideration of the sacred, thus articulating a work that, far from providing answers, raises questions about the ultimate meaning of life. Gold, geometry, time (and its transience), space (re-signified by his cultural heritage), language and the body expressed a proposal in which installations and actions are the instruments he uses primarily to question us about the big questions. Byars in this sense has been considered a mystic, since he places us at the doors of a new perception to make us uncomfortable and provoke us, to transmit us the questions about being in the world.
TRACING THE ABSENT. HILMA AF KLINT’S MYSTICAL LANGUAGE
TRACING THE ABSENT. HILMA AF KLINT’S MYSTICAL LANGUAGE
(TRACING THE ABSENT. HILMA AF KLINT’S MYSTICAL LANGUAGE)
- Author(s):Mónica Sánchez Tierraseca
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Visual Arts, Metaphysics, Aesthetics
- Page Range:254-264
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Abstract art; Antroposophy; Contemporary art; Hilma af Klint; Mysticism; Symbolism;
- Summary/Abstract:The main aim of this paper is to study the mysticism of the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) in relation to her religious experience and her searching for existential answers through contact with divine entities. Although the identity of these figures is not clear, we are aware of their familiarity with Christian beliefs. Thus, in this paper we attempt to approach Af Klint’s Christian, metaphysical and anthroposophical message by analysing her notebooks. Particularly, we focus on the symbolic aspect of one of them made between 1919 and 1920, entitled Flowers, Mosses, and Lichens.
THE MYSTICAL MEANING OF THE TABLE IN CONTEMPORARY ART REINTERPRETATION OF THE LANGUAGE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING
THE MYSTICAL MEANING OF THE TABLE IN CONTEMPORARY ART REINTERPRETATION OF THE LANGUAGE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING
(THE MYSTICAL MEANING OF THE TABLE IN CONTEMPORARY ART REINTERPRETATION OF THE LANGUAGE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING)
- Author(s):Eva Pariláková
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Christian Theology and Religion, Visual Arts, Aesthetics
- Page Range:265-278
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Mystical meaning of the table; Andrei Rublev’s Trinity; Contemporary art; Integration of paradoxes; Visual minimalism; Meaningfulness of being; Amazement at being;
- Summary/Abstract:The author interprets two forms of figurativeness of the mystical experience – the touch of man with the spiritual world, God, and the experience of amazement at being – by analysing the symbol of the table in contemporary art. The author first identifies the figurativeness of the fragmentary experience contrary to the mystical experience. Subsequently, she examines the mystical table in the icon of the Trinity by Andrei Rublev as a symbol of sacred hospitality and the eucharistic sacrifice. She also examines the icon’s philosophy as a meeting of the human and the transcendent world (Florensky, Trubeckoi, Evdokimov etc.). Finally, she explains the signs of the figurativeness of the mystical semantics of the table in three contemporary paintings (Jakabčic, Podhorský). These include, for example, Christian allusions, visual minimalism, white colour, contemplative immobility, mysterious to paradoxical imaginations, or the expressive-symbolic use of red and blue.
