Mystik Als Kern der Weltreligionen?

By Wolfgang Achtner

Book Description

In an era where religious dialogue often seems fractured, mysticism emerges as a potential bridge between the world's great spiritual traditions. Wolfgang Achtner explores this compelling possibility in a comprehensive examination that brings together Protestant theology, comparative religion, and contemporary scholarship.

This scholarly work addresses a fundamental question that has captivated religious thinkers since William James: Could mystical experience represent the common heart of all world religions? Achtner navigates the complex terrain where Protestant reservations about mysticism meet growing international interest in mystical phenomena, particularly as the Protestant tradition marks five centuries since the Reformation.

The exploration unfolds across three interconnected dimensions. First, readers encounter mysticism through multiple academic lenses, including philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and mathematics, revealing how different disciplines illuminate this profound human experience. The investigation then turns to mystical phenomena across all five major world religions, examining how cultural context shapes spiritual experience while considering whether universal elements transcend particular traditions.

The final section tackles a particularly challenging question for Protestant Christianity: how mystical spirituality might find renewed acceptance within a tradition historically suspicious of practices that seem to emphasize human effort over divine grace.

Drawing on contemporary debates between essentialist and culturalist interpretations of mystical experience, this work offers both rigorous scholarship and practical insights for anyone seeking to understand how mysticism functions across religious boundaries and within specific faith communities.