Ecumenical mysticism?

 

"Practical Mysticism" is a book by Evelyn Underhill, published in 1914. The author is otherwise most known for her doorstopper volume "Mysticism" from 1911. I know very little about the author´s spiritual journey, except that she considered herself a Christian and was attracted to certain forms of Catholicism. "Practical Mysticism" sounds more ecumenical, however. Apart from Christian mystics, Underhill quotes or references the Upanishads and other Indian sources. There is also a romantic (or Romantic) streak of nature mysticism (I use that word for want of a better) in her book, and a strong sense of the aesthetically beautiful. The mystic is often compared to a poet or painter. Her constant references to "duration" probably comes from Henri Bergson. Perhaps there are other Bergsonian traits present, as well. 

To be honest, "Practical Mysticism" is hard to review. Underhill isn´t a bad writer - quite the contrary - but there is nevertheless something elusive and indeed "mystical" about the book. I´m not sure if the reader is any wiser at the end than he was in the beginning. Maybe to some extent, but the whole mystical business frequently comes across as highly paradoxical. But then, perhaps it is. 

I get the impression that Underhill attempts to combine three forms of spirituality many others would consider distinct: an "immanent" form of nature mysticism, a "transcendent" mysticism that is directed at the formless and seemingly empty, and a "personalist" mysticism that is more forthrightly Christian. She paints the three as stages on the same path, with the personalist version being the highest. Love is important at all three stages, and so is letting go of all selfish desires and petty worldly affairs. Yet, the author also wants to integrate mysticism and practical activity in the world. The ascender must eventually descend. This is easy to combine with Christianity, but is sometimes also associated with Platonism.

Immanent mysticism reveals that the material world is richer, more beautiful and more "spiritual" than we usually imagine. Even the evil and the ugly somehow fit into Nature´s great tapestry. The immanent mystic also realizes something akin to the élan vital, although the term is never used. The world is dynamic and in constant motion. The mystic can somehow become one with this creativity, realizing that he has always been part of the stream, a stream that ultimately expresses the divine. Transcendental mysticism, by contrast, lets the soul leave the dynamic stream to a condition of utter stillness. Both forms can be reached by the mystic on his own accord (although it´s very hard). The process includes meditation, "mortification", "purification", and so on. There is a paradoxical combination of the active and the passive-receptive through out, including a combination of loving desire and desirelessness. 

The third and highest level can´t be reached by human efforts. In the emptiness of dazzling darkness, the soul must wait for the divine to make its move. In other words: personal communion with God requires grace. Due to the ecumenical nature of the book, Underhill never explicitly says that Christianity is the highest religion, but this is strongly implied at several points. While the author admits that the divine can also be encountered under impersonal symbols such as Light or Force, the main thrust of the argument is definitely towards a theist conception. Here, too, Underhill wants to believe that evil and suffering simply are of little consequence to someone who looks at his existence sub specie aeternitatis. 

That the book was written by a privileged English lady before World War I does show at several points. For instance, Underhill refers to a wife as somebody who "orders her husband´s dinners" (presumably from the servant staff)! She also criticizes people who spend too much time as socialites (something workers can´t do), and was clearly worried that her musings on mysticism would be considered irrelevant once the world war had started and militarized the entire British society. The strong occupation with art and references to tapestry makes me think of the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris. (The latter was a socialist, but his products were popular in the upper class.) Despite these very time-bound traits, "Practical Mysticism" could nevertheless be of some interest for spiritual seekers even today.