The problem of mysticism in a religion is the matter of serious and never-stopping discussion. It is the way to socialize. Also, it is an opportunity for self-realization. People do like to be original once they had touched upon something sacral. It concerns the Higher Power that can come upon people for them to deliver definite message allegedly from God. In this respect the readings represented in this paper discuss the mystic and non-mystic features of religion. In this respect people tend to believe in the truth of God’s messengers and their lives, as an etalon for other to inherit. Thus, there is a sticking point in understanding whether truth-claims in each case provide mysticism or just used to manipulate peoples’ minds.
Exploring the philosophy of religion as something transcendent and open for sincere people, one should bear it in mind that the human factor is the point to criticize. In this case Bertrand Russell once said that abnormality in understanding religious treatises is the fact that human beings expressly differ in their viewpoints (Stewart 27). The next step for those trying to convince the public in the truth of their statements is to make it quite mystical and going apart with sound-mindedness. The story of Dave Davies impresses by the essence of some intelligences (Davies 2). It is particular that religion and truth-claims may contradict each other. However, both now and always there are people who are apt at filling minds full of non-mystical reality with mysticism. The example of Kabir is suitable here.
“It would follow that there are two kinds of religion: the genuine religion of the mystics and the secondhand religion of the rest of mankind” (Stewart 26). This is true when pointing out that some people are trying to show their sophisticated attitudes toward the mystical setting of features. Jonathan Edwards was trying his entire life to go another way in applying mysticism of religion to scientific explanation of it (Gura and Wang 6). His intellectual approach makes sense in understanding the universe and in criticizing outstanding philosophers of his time. The latter, namely Locke, Newton, etc., were inclined to teach people “to observe and understand the world differently, through empirical investigation” (Gura and Wang 6). However, the question is that inquisitive mind of a man wants to go beyond the reality of material world. It is because in every human being there is an inclination to lean toward everlasting life. Thus, mystical constituent of a religion should provide points on attractiveness. It is permanently seen on the extract from Kabir’s poem:
Within the Supreme Brahma, the worlds are being told like beads:
Look upon that rosary with the eyes of wisdom (Kabir 2).
Truth-claims of mystics count cannot be totally accepted by people due to the point that there is no agreement on what one should consider as mysticism (Stewart 35). This is why everything claimed by mystics should be taken into consideration and never judged negatively. It is for those who became addicted to what mystics state to do. Mysticism is based on a variety of phenomena in each religion that were changed historically. Thereupon, experience, phenomenology and historical approach are the areas which count against accepting the truth-claims of mystics(Stewart 36). This standpoint is scientifically as well as philosophically verified by means of theoretical reasoning and practical examples.
Work cited
Davies, Dave. Kink: An Autobiography. New York: Hyperion, 1996.
Gura, Philip F. and Wang, Hill. Jonathan Edwards: America’s Evangelical; Hill and, 2005, NY, NY.
Kabir Poems. Web.