精童欲女鈥檚 Theology on Tap features talk on Greek Mysticism on March 12
As part of the 精童欲女 Department of Religious Studies鈥� Theology on Tap series, Dr. Doug Al-Maini, associate professor of philosophy, St. Francis Xavier University, will give a talk titled 鈥淕reek Mysticism Leading into the Christian Era鈥� on March 12 at 7 pm. The presentation will take place at the Salvador Dali Caf茅, The Arts Hotel, 155 Kent Street, Charlottetown.
鈥淪cholars have long noted and been fascinated by a tradition of mysticism within the broader history of Christianity; they have also noted how much that tradition was influenced by the Greek philosophers who preceded it,鈥� says Al-Mani. 鈥淚ndeed, Augustine famously says that 鈥楤y the Platonic books I was admonished to return into myself . . . I entered and beheld with the eye of my soul a light unchangeable.鈥� There is wide agreement that Augustine is referring to the influence that reading Plotinus, among other authors, had on him, and how it helped him make sense of Christianity. But what was in those Neo-Platonic texts that was so affecting for Augustine?
鈥淚n this talk, I will attempt to give an overview of the main theses of the 鈥楪reek Mystics鈥� and the thinking that brings them to the positions they hold. Included among these 鈥楳ystics鈥� are figures such as Parmenides, Empedocles, Plato, Plotinus, and Proclus, some of whom are not usually associated with mysticism. In different ways, these philosophers argue to what they think is the limit of what can be properly expressed discursively and then show how that cannot give a full and satisfying account of Being itself and all that could be experienced; this in turn helps define the parameters of mysticism for future thinkers.鈥�
All are welcome to attend. For more information about the series, contact event coordinator Alexandra Durant at alexandrajdurant@gmail.com, or follow Theology on Tap PEI on Facebook.
