Ardour: Mystical Meanings of the Fire Imagery in Augustine’s Confessions. A Comparison to Expressions of Eastern and Byzantine Spirituality

Huian, Georgiana (2022). Ardour: Mystical Meanings of the Fire Imagery in Augustine’s Confessions. A Comparison to Expressions of Eastern and Byzantine Spirituality (Submitted). In: Nelstrop, Louise; Yazaki, Saeko (eds.) Handbook of Comparative Mysticism. London: Routledge

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Due to their intensity, fire and burning are preferred expressions for the mystical experience. This essay investigates the paradigm of ardour in the Confessions of Augustine of Hippo, and analyses its connections with the purification of the heart, the enflaming by the fire of charity, the experience of time, and the formation of an ecclesial community. It also offers three terms of comparison from the Eastern and Byzantine spirituality: the Spiritual homilies attributed to Macarius, the chapters on spiritual perfection of Diadochus of Photike and Hymn 30 of Symeon the New Theologian. In these writings, the meanings of fire, enflaming and kindling show interesting similarities with Augustine. More than that, they compose a story of continuity and creative synthesis within the Eastern mysticism, enriched with multiple theological, christological and anthropological articulations developing from the 4th to the 11th century. Across this comparison, I aim to demonstrate that western and eastern forms of spirituality should not be polarised, but seen as a polyphony revolving around same mystical motifs with different accents. In particular, Augustine should not be regarded as the initiator of a specific Latin spirituality opposed to that of the “Greeks”.

Item Type:	Book Section (Book Chapter)
Division/Institute:	01 Faculty of Theology > Institute of Old Catholic Theology 01 Faculty of Theology > Institute of Old Catholic Theology > Systematic Theology, Ecumenical Theology, Practical Theology
UniBE Contributor:	Huian, Georgiana
Subjects:	200 Religion > 230 Christianity & Christian theology 200 Religion > 240 Christian practice & observance 200 Religion > 270 History of Christianity
Publisher:	Routledge
Language:	English
Submitter:	Georgiana Huian
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2022 14:17
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 16:14
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Mysticism; ardour; fire; spirituality; union with God; Augustine of Hippo; Pseudo-Macarius; Diadochus of Photike, Symeon the New Theologian
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/167267