Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill's Mysticism [Paperback]

This book represents a study of Evelyn Underhills premier work on mysticism, using Hegels dialectics and Kants theory of the sublime as interpretive tools. It especially focuses on two prominent features of Underhills text: the description of the mystical life as one permeated by an intense love between the mystic and infinite reality, and the detailed delineation of stages of mystical development. Given these two features, the text lends itself to a construction of a valuable discourse predicated on dialecticism, sublimity, and mysticism. The book also articulates a number of insights into the content and nature of the writings of Christian mystics.

Preface and Acknowledgements.- Chapter 1: Introduction.- 1.1: Evelyn Underhill and her foundational text on mysticism.- 1.2: Mysticism: concept, approaches, and the thrust of this study.- 1.3: Writings on and by Underhill.- 1.4: Procedure.- 1.5: The chapters.- 1.6: A note on gender pronouns.- Chapter 2: Being-Becoming.- 2.1: Introduction.- 2.2: Vitalism: transcendence in this world of flux.- 2.3: A general configuration of being, becoming, and infinite being.- 2.4: Being and becoming and the mediating dialectic.- 2.5: Being and becoming and the individualizing dialectic.- 2.6: Transcendence and immanence, and the being-becoming dialectics.- 2.7: Sublimity and the two forms of mystical transcendence.- 2.7.1: The sublime in transcendence as including-exceeding.- 2.7.1.1: Experiencing divine reality as infinite.- 2.7.1.2: Experiencing all finite beings as immersed in infinite reality.- 2.7.2: The sublime in transcendence as excluding.- 2.8: Chapter conclusion.- Chapter 3: Infinity-Finitude.- 3.1: Introduction.- 3.2: Talking about infinity.- 3.2.1: Potential and actual infinities: establishing the contention.- 3.2.2: A synthesis of potential and actual infinities.- 3.3: Dialectical trinity.- 3.3.1: Configuring the relational structure of the trinity.- 3.3.2: Hegels infinity and trinity.- 3.4:lE