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Platonic Mysticism: Contemplative Science, Philosophy, Literature, and Art
Restores the Platonic history and context of mysticism and shows how mysticism helps us understand more deeply the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art.
In Platonic Mysticism, Arthur Versluis clearly and tautly argues that mysticism must be properly understood as belonging to the great tradition of Platonism. He demonstrates how mysticism was historically understood in Western philosophical and religious traditions and emphatically rejects externalist approaches to esoteric religion. Instead he develops a new theoretical-critical model for understanding mystical literature and the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. A sequel to his Restoring Paradise, this is an audacious book that places Platonic mysticism in the context of contemporary cognitive and other approaches to the study of religion, and presents an emerging model for the new field of contemplative science.
Arthur Versluis is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. He is the author of Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness and Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition, both also published by SUNY Press.
In Platonic Mysticism, Arthur Versluis clearly and tautly argues that mysticism must be properly understood as belonging to the great tradition of Platonism. He demonstrates how mysticism was historically understood in Western philosophical and religious traditions and emphatically rejects externalist approaches to esoteric religion. Instead he develops a new theoretical-critical model for understanding mystical literature and the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. A sequel to his Restoring Paradise, this is an audacious book that places Platonic mysticism in the context of contemporary cognitive and other approaches to the study of religion, and presents an emerging model for the new field of contemplative science.
Arthur Versluis is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. He is the author of Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness and Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition, both also published by SUNY Press.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2017
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About the author
Arthur Versluis
65 books31 followersArthur Versluis, Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University, holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has published numerous books and articles.
Among his many books are Platonic Mysticism (SUNY Press 2017), American Gurus (Oxford UP, 2014), Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism (Rowman Littlefield, 2007), The New Inquisitions: Heretic-hunting and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Totalitarianism (Oxford UP, 2006), Restoring Paradise: Esoteric Transmission through Literature and Art (SUNY: 2004); The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance (Oxford UP: 2001); Wisdom’s Book: The Sophia Anthology, (Paragon House, 2000); Island Farm (MSU Press, 2000); Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition (SUNY: 1999); and American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions (Oxford UP, 1993).
His family has owned a commercial farm in West Michigan for several generations, and so he also published a book called Island Farm about the family farm, and about family farming in the modern era.
Versluis was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Germany, and is the editor of JSR: Journal for the Study of Radicalism. He is the founding president of Hieros, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on spirituality and cultural renewal.
Among his many books are Platonic Mysticism (SUNY Press 2017), American Gurus (Oxford UP, 2014), Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism (Rowman Littlefield, 2007), The New Inquisitions: Heretic-hunting and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Totalitarianism (Oxford UP, 2006), Restoring Paradise: Esoteric Transmission through Literature and Art (SUNY: 2004); The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance (Oxford UP: 2001); Wisdom’s Book: The Sophia Anthology, (Paragon House, 2000); Island Farm (MSU Press, 2000); Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition (SUNY: 1999); and American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions (Oxford UP, 1993).
His family has owned a commercial farm in West Michigan for several generations, and so he also published a book called Island Farm about the family farm, and about family farming in the modern era.
Versluis was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Germany, and is the editor of JSR: Journal for the Study of Radicalism. He is the founding president of Hieros, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on spirituality and cultural renewal.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 25, 2020
A Study Of Neoplatonism And Mysticism
For many years, I have been interested in mysticism, philosophy of religion, Platonism, and Buddhism. Thus, I was excited to find this 2017 book by Arthur Versluis, "Platonic Mysticism: Contemplative Science, Philosophy, Literature, and Art", which explores these matters and more. Versluis is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religious Studies, Michigan State University. He has written extensively about mysticism, but this book was my first exposure to his work.
Plato's works are fundamental to western thought and are susceptible to many interpretations. Although other scholars read Plato differently, Versluis legitimately reads Plato through the Neoplatonism of Plotinus and his successors. An important goal of Versluis' book is to show that Platonic mysticism as elaborated in Plato, Plotinus, Dionysus the Aeropagite, Meister Eckhart, Nicholas of Cusa, and others is fundamental to western thought and to the development of Christian mysticism. With increasing knowledge of Buddhism and other Eastern religions, western mysticism in the 20th century came to include Buddhist teachings which in many but not all respects were consistent with the Neoplatonic tradition.
Versluis argues that Platonic mysticism deserves to be understood and practiced in its own right. He is critical of the modern academy for largely marginalizing Platonism, Plotinus, and mysticism and failing to view them as a way to understanding, seeing them instead through psychology, particular cultures, and history. Versluis describes mysticism and Platonism as "the nature and development of man's spiritual consciousness" (quoting Evelyn Underhill). Vesluis explains that Platonic mysticism constitutes
"the reflective awareness of our own transcendent nature, or to put it another way of the nature of transcendent reality from which, in this tradition, it is said we are indivisible. As such, mysticism has offshoots and subsets that can better be understood with reference to it, but mysticism essentially is contemplative ascent and illumination, whatever cultural context it exists within." (p, 8)
In a passionately-written, erudite work, Versluis offers a history and a defense of Platonic mysticism. He begins with a chapter tracing its development through Plato, Plotinus, and Dionysius the Areopagite through the great medieval Christian mystics, He traces the thread through more modern mystics, including the Cambridge Platonists, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and contemporaries such as Willigis Jager. There is much to learn and to absorb in his discussion.
Versluis discusses studies of mysticism beginning with William James' famous book "The Varieties of Religious Experience" and argues that scholarly work gradually detached mysticism from its universal, philosophical roots, as developed in Plotinus, and began to view it through largely in psychological terms. He discusses further the increasing dismissal of mystical thought and experience in the academy with the continued rise of a scientific, materialistic outlook. In a pivotal chapter titled "The Externalist Fallacy" Versluis argues that mystical thought and experience deserve to be studied in their own terms and that contemporary analysis has no legitimate reason for dismissing mystical thought and cutting it off.
In the three final chapters of the book, Versluis offers many insights into the nature of Platonic mysticism. In "On Literature and Mysticism" he explores how mystical insight, which is beyond language, may be explored and suggested through language in the works of Plato and Plotinus, and in various writers and poets, such as William Blake and Rilke. He discusses well and at length the late work of the literary critic Northrup Frye who once said: "for a long time I've been preoccupied by the theme of the reality of the spiritual world, including its substantial reality." (Versluis at 96).
In a chapter titled "Transcendence", Versluis explains further the nature of Platonic Mysticism and of Buddhist mysticism and argues that science, historicism, or analytic studies have shown no reason to reject them as a guide to the fundamental nature of reality. In "Contemplative Art, Contemplative Science" Vesluis shows how art, similarly to literature may point to transcendence in the work, for example, of the Hudson River School of American Painting. He urges serious and renewed attention to given to Platonic mysticism, both through the arts and through what he sees as studies of contemplative experience, or contemplative science.
I share many of Versluis' passions and thoughts, which in my case come from an early interest in Plato and a more recent but still lengthy interest in Buddhism and in Meister Eckhart together with an interest in Jewish mysticism and philosophy. I learned a great deal from him. His book addresses the criticism of mysticism through science and psychology, but it does not discuss other broad issues that need to be addressed, including the nature of individuation and the problem of evil. Versluis properly points out the inconsistency between the approach of Platonic mysticism and the confessional, creedal approach of Western theistic religions, an inconsistency which probably cannot be bridged. Still he has kind things to say about most religious and their search. Although he does not discuss it at length, I was disappointed with Vesluis' brief comments about Judaism which seem to me unduly dismissive and stereotyped. He writes that the inconsistency between theistic religions and Platonic mysticism is particularly acute "in a tradition of worshipping a tribal god that emphasizes one's own people as the elect or chosen and others as lesser or lost". (p. 60-61) I found these strictures unfair on their face to Judaism and found as well that they ignored the long tradition of Jewish mysticism, including Jewish mysticism influenced by Neoplatonism. Thus, even though I learned much from the book and share a great deal with it, I felt the strong need to disengage myself from this work.
Robin Friedman
For many years, I have been interested in mysticism, philosophy of religion, Platonism, and Buddhism. Thus, I was excited to find this 2017 book by Arthur Versluis, "Platonic Mysticism: Contemplative Science, Philosophy, Literature, and Art", which explores these matters and more. Versluis is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religious Studies, Michigan State University. He has written extensively about mysticism, but this book was my first exposure to his work.
Plato's works are fundamental to western thought and are susceptible to many interpretations. Although other scholars read Plato differently, Versluis legitimately reads Plato through the Neoplatonism of Plotinus and his successors. An important goal of Versluis' book is to show that Platonic mysticism as elaborated in Plato, Plotinus, Dionysus the Aeropagite, Meister Eckhart, Nicholas of Cusa, and others is fundamental to western thought and to the development of Christian mysticism. With increasing knowledge of Buddhism and other Eastern religions, western mysticism in the 20th century came to include Buddhist teachings which in many but not all respects were consistent with the Neoplatonic tradition.
Versluis argues that Platonic mysticism deserves to be understood and practiced in its own right. He is critical of the modern academy for largely marginalizing Platonism, Plotinus, and mysticism and failing to view them as a way to understanding, seeing them instead through psychology, particular cultures, and history. Versluis describes mysticism and Platonism as "the nature and development of man's spiritual consciousness" (quoting Evelyn Underhill). Vesluis explains that Platonic mysticism constitutes
"the reflective awareness of our own transcendent nature, or to put it another way of the nature of transcendent reality from which, in this tradition, it is said we are indivisible. As such, mysticism has offshoots and subsets that can better be understood with reference to it, but mysticism essentially is contemplative ascent and illumination, whatever cultural context it exists within." (p, 8)
In a passionately-written, erudite work, Versluis offers a history and a defense of Platonic mysticism. He begins with a chapter tracing its development through Plato, Plotinus, and Dionysius the Areopagite through the great medieval Christian mystics, He traces the thread through more modern mystics, including the Cambridge Platonists, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and contemporaries such as Willigis Jager. There is much to learn and to absorb in his discussion.
Versluis discusses studies of mysticism beginning with William James' famous book "The Varieties of Religious Experience" and argues that scholarly work gradually detached mysticism from its universal, philosophical roots, as developed in Plotinus, and began to view it through largely in psychological terms. He discusses further the increasing dismissal of mystical thought and experience in the academy with the continued rise of a scientific, materialistic outlook. In a pivotal chapter titled "The Externalist Fallacy" Versluis argues that mystical thought and experience deserve to be studied in their own terms and that contemporary analysis has no legitimate reason for dismissing mystical thought and cutting it off.
In the three final chapters of the book, Versluis offers many insights into the nature of Platonic mysticism. In "On Literature and Mysticism" he explores how mystical insight, which is beyond language, may be explored and suggested through language in the works of Plato and Plotinus, and in various writers and poets, such as William Blake and Rilke. He discusses well and at length the late work of the literary critic Northrup Frye who once said: "for a long time I've been preoccupied by the theme of the reality of the spiritual world, including its substantial reality." (Versluis at 96).
In a chapter titled "Transcendence", Versluis explains further the nature of Platonic Mysticism and of Buddhist mysticism and argues that science, historicism, or analytic studies have shown no reason to reject them as a guide to the fundamental nature of reality. In "Contemplative Art, Contemplative Science" Vesluis shows how art, similarly to literature may point to transcendence in the work, for example, of the Hudson River School of American Painting. He urges serious and renewed attention to given to Platonic mysticism, both through the arts and through what he sees as studies of contemplative experience, or contemplative science.
I share many of Versluis' passions and thoughts, which in my case come from an early interest in Plato and a more recent but still lengthy interest in Buddhism and in Meister Eckhart together with an interest in Jewish mysticism and philosophy. I learned a great deal from him. His book addresses the criticism of mysticism through science and psychology, but it does not discuss other broad issues that need to be addressed, including the nature of individuation and the problem of evil. Versluis properly points out the inconsistency between the approach of Platonic mysticism and the confessional, creedal approach of Western theistic religions, an inconsistency which probably cannot be bridged. Still he has kind things to say about most religious and their search. Although he does not discuss it at length, I was disappointed with Vesluis' brief comments about Judaism which seem to me unduly dismissive and stereotyped. He writes that the inconsistency between theistic religions and Platonic mysticism is particularly acute "in a tradition of worshipping a tribal god that emphasizes one's own people as the elect or chosen and others as lesser or lost". (p. 60-61) I found these strictures unfair on their face to Judaism and found as well that they ignored the long tradition of Jewish mysticism, including Jewish mysticism influenced by Neoplatonism. Thus, even though I learned much from the book and share a great deal with it, I felt the strong need to disengage myself from this work.
Robin Friedman
June 26, 2021
This was an interesting read. I appreciated it most for a glimpse at some of the more recent (19th and 20th century) Platonic currents and people engaging with the tradition. The comparisons between Buddhism and Platonism were interesting; I've often felt while reading Buddhist texts that they can be compared to some of the things discussed by Platonists like Proclus and Damascius. The stuff about the "metaphysics of literature" was very useful as someone who writes fiction and poetry with a goal of doing hieropoeia.
Versluis also discussed current trends in academia that have sidelined Platonism and mysticism in favor of materialism and dualism. It gave me an additional data point for understanding current social trends, especially the conflation of metaphysics with New Age in the public mind and the disdain for mysticism and esoteric practices in general. When people are ranting about materialism, Marxism, scientism(?) and so on, I often feel like I'm coming into a conversation partway through and am left sifting through context clues to figure out what people are actually concerned about, as if I am hearing badly-reported Greek choruses sing of action happening offscreen and very remote from me (despite the impact of these mindsets and the works they produce on all of our lives); Versluis explained his issues with them aptly.
One critical issue I had with the book: The definition of Platonic mysticism was treated as synonymous with Christian mysticism. This is problematic because Christian Platonic mysticism should not be considered the default Platonism; some Platonic thought was appropriated into Christianity, but Christianity has no pride of place because Platonic mysticism was transmitted into religions all over the Mediterranean and adjacent areas — not to mention that Platonism itself is pagan. It's telling that, looking at the index, Proclus is barely mentioned at all, and this must be because his discussions of Gods and ritual are inconvenient to make the Christian supersessionism argument hold. (Plotinus must be easier in this respect to appropriate.) That said, it's totally understandable that Christian Platonism has led to so many mystics writing about their experiences both within and outside of power structures in the Church.
Versluis also discussed current trends in academia that have sidelined Platonism and mysticism in favor of materialism and dualism. It gave me an additional data point for understanding current social trends, especially the conflation of metaphysics with New Age in the public mind and the disdain for mysticism and esoteric practices in general. When people are ranting about materialism, Marxism, scientism(?) and so on, I often feel like I'm coming into a conversation partway through and am left sifting through context clues to figure out what people are actually concerned about, as if I am hearing badly-reported Greek choruses sing of action happening offscreen and very remote from me (despite the impact of these mindsets and the works they produce on all of our lives); Versluis explained his issues with them aptly.
One critical issue I had with the book: The definition of Platonic mysticism was treated as synonymous with Christian mysticism. This is problematic because Christian Platonic mysticism should not be considered the default Platonism; some Platonic thought was appropriated into Christianity, but Christianity has no pride of place because Platonic mysticism was transmitted into religions all over the Mediterranean and adjacent areas — not to mention that Platonism itself is pagan. It's telling that, looking at the index, Proclus is barely mentioned at all, and this must be because his discussions of Gods and ritual are inconvenient to make the Christian supersessionism argument hold. (Plotinus must be easier in this respect to appropriate.) That said, it's totally understandable that Christian Platonism has led to so many mystics writing about their experiences both within and outside of power structures in the Church.
December 13, 2019
fun for all ages !
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews