How Platonic Is Christian Mysticism?

基督教的神祕主義如何是柏拉圖式的？

Mark EDWARDS(馬克．愛德華斯)

Mysticism ； Platonism ； Plotinus ； Song of Solomon ； W. B. Yeats ； Origen ； Edmund Spenser ； 神祕主義 ； 柏拉圖主義 ； 普羅丁 ； 〈雅歌〉 ； 葉慈 ； 歐利根 ； 史賓實

哲學與文化

50卷5期（2023 / 05 / 01）

23 - 46

英文;繁體中文

This paper argues, with reference to both ancient and modern authors, that the fundamental distinction between Platonic and Christian mysticism is that the former understands love as the soul's aspiration to divinity, whereas the latter understands it as the mutual self-giving of a personal Creator and his creature. Thus, whereas the imagery of Platonism (with the whimsical exception of Apuleius) is homoerotic or autoerotic, Christianity borrows and elaborates the nuptial allegory of the Song of Songs. The consequence is that Christian mysticism is more sensuous, never wholly losing sight of the body, and feminizing the soul of the believer, whatever the latter's natural sex may be.

本篇論文涉及到古代的與現代的作者，論證在柏拉圖式的與基督教的神秘主義之間的基本區別在於前者把愛理解為魂對神聖的渴慕，然而後者卻把愛理解為具位格的造物主與祂的受造物的相互的自我付出。因此，柏拉圖主義的意象（Apuleius的奇想例外）是同性愛欲的或者自我愛欲的，基督教借用以及發揮〈雅歌〉的婚姻的寓意。結果是基督教的神秘主義是更屬感官的，從未完全忽視身體，並且使信徒的魂女性化，不論後者的天然性別是什麼。

1. (1967).New Catholic Encyclopedia XIV.San Francisco:McGraw-Hill.
2. Alan of Lille,Wetherebbe, W.(Ed.)(2013).Literary Works.Cambridge Mass:Harvard University Press.
3. Bernard of Clairvaux. Sermones in Cantica 3, Patrologia Latina 183. Paris, 1845.
4. Castiglione, Baldassare,Hoby, T.(Trans.)(1975).The Book of the Courtier.London:Dent.
5. Certeau, Michel de(1982).La fable mystique.Paris:Gallimard.
6. Clement of Alexandria,Mondésert, Claude(Ed.)(2001).Les Stromates IV-VI.Paris:Cerf.
7. Cudworth, R. True Intellectual System of the Universe. Ed. by T. Birch. London, 1820.
8. D’Arcy, Martin(1954).The Mind and Heart of Love.London:Faber.
9. Dionysius the Areopagite,Suchla, B.(Ed.),Heil, G.(Ed.),Ritter, A. M.(Ed.)(1990).Corpus Dionysiacum.Berlin:De Gruyter.
10. Dodds, E. R. “The Parmenides of Plato and the Origins of the Neoplatonic One,” Classical Quarterly 22(1928).
11. Edwards, M. J.(2002).Origen against Plato.Alderhot:Ashgate.
12. Eusebius of Caesarea. Praeparatio Evangelica. Ed. and trans. by E. H. Gifford. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.
13. Minucius Felix. Octavius. Ed. by I. P. Waltzing. Leipzig: Teubner, 1925.
14. Ficino, Marsilio,Farndell, A.(Trans.)(2006).The Gardens of Philosophy.London:Shepheard-Walwyn.
15. Gallus, Thomas,Barbet, J. (Ed.)(1967).Commentaires du cantique des cantiques.Paris:Vrin.
16. Gregory of Nyssa,Langerbeck, H.(Ed.)(1960).Canticum Canticorum.Leiden:Brill.
17. Hägg, H. F.(2006).Clement of Alexandria and the beginnings of Christian Apophaticism.Oxford:Oxford University Press.
18. Hamilton, A. C.(Ed.)(1997).The Spenser Encyclopedia.Toronto:University of Toronto Press.
19. Hampton, A.(Ed.),Kenney, J. P.(Ed. )(2022).Christian Platonism: A History.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
20. Hermetica,Hermeticum, Corpus(1954).d. A. d. Nock and A-J. Festugière.Paris:belles Lettres.
21. Hesiod,West, Martin(Ed.)(1966).Theogony.Oxford:Clarendon Press.
22. Holmes, Michael W.(Ed.)(2007).The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations.Grand Rapids:Baker.
23. Inge, William R. The Philosophy of Plotinus. 2 Vols. London: Longmans, 1918.
24. Inge, William R. The Platonic Tradition in English Religious Thought. London: Longmans, 1926.
25. Inge, William R. Studies in the English Mystics. London: Murray, 1921.
26. Inge, William R. Christian Mysticism. London: Methuen, 1948.
27. Inge, William R. Mysticism in Religion. London: Hutcheson, 1947.
28. Jung, Carl Gustav,Kerenyi, Karl(2002).Science of Mythology.London:Routledge.
29. Louth, Andrew(1983).The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition.Oxford:Oxford University Press.
30. Mirandola, Pico della,Ebgi, R.(Ed.),Bacchelli, F.(Ed.)(2010).De Uno et Ent.Milan:Bompiani.
31. Mirandola, Pico della,Garin, E.(Ed.)(1985).De Hominis Dignitate.Pisa:Scuola Normale Superiore.
32. More, Henry. The Complete Poems. Ed. by A. Grosart. Edinburgh: Constable, 1878.
33. Nemesius of Emesa,Morani, M.(Ed.)(1987).De Hominis Natura.Leipzig:Teubne.
34. Norris, R. A.(2003).The Church’s Bible: The Song of Songs.Grand Rapids:Eerdmans.
35. Nussbaum, Martha Craven(2001).The Fragility of Goodness.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
36. Nygren, Anders,Watson, P.(Trans.)(1953).Eros and Agape.Philadelphia:Westminster Press.
37. Origen,Limone, V.(Ed.),Moreschini, C.(Ed.)(2016).Commentary on the Song of Songs in Origene e Gregorio di Nissa sul Cantico dei Cantici.Milan:Bompianai.
38. Petrarch,Rotondo, E.(Ed.)(1958).De Otio Religioso.Vatican:Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana.
39. Plato,Dover, K. J.(Ed.)(1980).Symposium.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
40. Plato,Rowe, Christopher(Ed.)(Trans.)(1986).Phaedrus.Oxford:Aris and Phillips.
41. Porphyry. Opuscula. Ed. by A. Nauck. Leizig: Tebner, 1886.
42. Riedweg, C.(1987).Mysterienterminologie bei Platon, Philon und Klemens.Berlin:De Gruyter.
43. Ritvo, P.(1975).A Vision B: The Plotinian Metaphysical Basis.Review of English Studies,26,34-46.
44. Rorem, Paul,Lamoureaux, John C.(1998).John of Scythopolis and the Dionysian Corpus.Oxford:Clarendon Press.
45. Shelley, Percy Bysshe,Hutchinson, T.(Ed.)(1967).Poetical Works.London:Oxford University Press.
46. Spenser, Edmund. Works. Ed. by R. Morris. London: Macmillan, 1909.
47. Whitehead, A. N. Adventures of Ideas. London: Macmillan, 1933.
48. Wilson, F. A. C. W. B.(1958).Yeats and Tradition.London:Gollancz.
49. Woolf, Rosemary(1968).The English Mediaeval Religious Lyric.Oxford:Clarendon Press.
50. Xenophon,Marchant, E. C.(Ed.)(Trans.),Todd, O. J.(Ed.)(Trans.),Henderson, J.(Ed.)(Trans.)(2013).Memorabilia 4.3,14.New York:Heinemann.
51. Yeats, William Butler. A Vision. London: Macmillan, 1937.
52. Yeats, William Butler,Albright, D.(Ed.)(1990).The Poems.London:Dent.
53. Yeats, William Butler,Jeffares, N.(Ed.)(1970).Selected Criticism.London:Macmillan.