著者

鶴岡 賀雄

出版者

東京大学文学部宗教学研究室

雑誌

東京大学宗教学年報 (ISSN:02896400)

巻号頁・発行日

no.28, pp.1-18, 2010

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Spanish mysticism constitutes an indispensable chapter in the history of Christian mysticism. Two 16th century Carmelite mystics, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, are its most eminent representatives. However before they came to gain such high esteem there were historical stages in which their mystical teachings and writings were authorized and incorporated into early modern Catholic orthodoxy. In the first section of this article I briefly epitomize these ical stages in the formation process of the Carmelite school of "mystical theology", which was concluded with its complete scholastization in the 18th century. In the following two sections I analyze fundamental characteristics of the early modern Catholic mystical theology by introducing two Carmelite theologians from first half of the 17th century: Juan de Jesús María (Calagurritano) and Tomás de Jesús. The former's Theologia Mystica is a typical work that delineates clearly the nature and the objective of "mystical theology" as an independent division of Christian theology. Juan de Jesús María is also regarded as a representative figure of the "mystical theologian", i.e. a eologian who is a eoretical specialist in mystical theology but who himself is not a mystic (Section 2). It was by the theologians of this kind that early modern Catholic mystical theology was constructed. Tomás de Jesús, a contemporary of Juan de Jesús María, is known for having introduced the notion of contemplatio acqusita (acquired contemplation) which is distinguished from contemplatio infusa (infused contemplation). His idea has caused controversies about its nature and existence, which lasted until the 20th century. Beneath the idea of this problematic notion one can find, in my view, his intention to make contemplation, a higher way of mental prayer, "practicable" for ordinary monks and nuns, and further to "administrate" the religious life of prayer in the Carmelite order (Section3). The endeavor of these "mystical theologians" achieved ambivalent results. It succeeded in authorizing the paradoxical, and sometimes "dangerous" teachings of such mystics as Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross within Catholic orthodoxy. But at the same time it might have concealed, or even obliterated the properly "mystical" moment of their writings which attracts universal interest outside the Catholic church.論文/Articles