Mysticism East and West David Streight Oregon Episcopal School, Portland semester course juniors and seniors Description This course was designed to introduce students to esoteric traditions in three different religions, and to introduce them to the concept of mysticism in general. It examines mysticism in Christianity (primarily through Teresa of Avila), in Islam (primarily through Attar's Conference of the Birds), and the life of the Hindu Saint, Ramakrishna. It is best taught with a good, albeit brief text to introduce the religious traditions in question. Students must commit to two things in this course, from the outset:1) take responsibility for learning and helping others learn by doing all the reading and showing their classmates that they have done it, and 2) to keep and open, accepting mind toward any apparent "strangeness" that might be an authentic expression of the religions we are studying. Resources: Miscellaneous readings on mysticsm (Evenly Underhill, Margaret Smith, Robert Ellwood, Jess Hollenbock, William James) Interior Castle, Teresa of Avila Conference of the Birds (Penguin Edition) Ramakrishna and His Disciples (Isherwood) videos: on Hinduism, Sufism, Intro to Islam. (Some of these are reviewed on the RSiSS "books & resources" section. I usually also show the film biography of Thomas Merton, or the film biography of Mother Teresa, and then ask if, based on that film, the individual in question was a mystic or not) Important Questions Questions that thread through this course: From what I know about mysticism, how does this fit? (i.e. I've learned a definition of mysticism ; does it look like it applies to this work? What modifications might I need to make of it here?) What's the difference between what's happening here and what's part of that religion's exoteric beliefs and practices? How strong is the case for this being mental illness, rather than mysticism? How much overlap is there between what's happening in this work and what I've learned or seen in other works on mysticism? Major Assignments The most important of the assignments for this course is a 5.5- to 8.5- page paper in which students must introduce and evaluate some work or the live of some individual and show why this work is or is not mystical. This entails students positing a definition of mysticism to begin with. No greater credit is given for the work being mystical or not, but it must be "in the ballpark." In other words, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the OES chaplain, or The Grapes of Wrath is not an acceptable topic for this paper, but Malcolm X, the Tao Te Ching, or The Wizard of Oz are acceptable topic. (See sample paper by Matt Totonchy.) Smaller papers, usually 2 pages, are also assigned. One of these usually deals with an interpretation of the Sheikh Sam'an story in Conference of the Birds. Students also do "maps" at two or three points. The first is after mansion 4 or 5 of Interior Castle: they are to put each of Teresa's mansions into a matrix including: 1)what Underhill "stage" she's at here; 2) amount of light; 3) presence of creepy-crawlies, reptiles, etc. 4) main virtues Teresa seems to be concerned with here; and 5) other important observations (e.g., "prayer of recollection," "spiritual sweetness," "consolations"). The second map is done after the book is finished. A third entails something similar for each of Attar's seven valleys the birds must travel over. And what overlap is there between these seven valleys and Teresa's seven mansions? The course often ends with a debate in which students must be prepared to take either side, depending on the flip of a coin: "Ramakrishna is, or is not, a mystic." Schedule first two weeks: introduction to mysticism, the characteristics of mystical experience. Introduction to Christianity week 3 to 8: Christianity, continued; Interior Castle week 9-12: Introduction to Islam and Islamic mysticism; Conference of the Birds week 13: write paper week 14-16: Introduction to Hinduism; Ramakrishna and His Disciples Evaluation three exams, time allowing "mansion map," "valley map" major paper minor paper class responsibility (per paragraph 2 above) email: <streight@rsiss.org> Return to RSiSS Syllabi