Understanding Christian Mysticism

This course is for those who would like to discover the inner depths of the Christian tradition and its mystical dimension. By focusing on key mystics, this course introduces you to the rich stream of Christian mysticism and how it takes shape in different times. It spans 2000 years and is a journey in time. You can see the full list of mystics covered below. Please watch the introduction where Laurence Freeman OSB talks more about The Roots of Christian Mysticism course.

Course Overview

The entire course is divided into 3 terms consisting of 8 Lessons. It is self-paced and each lesson requires approximately 2.5 hours of study time to reflect on the material and listen to the audio visual links. However, if a particular mystic resonates strongly with you, you may find yourself spending much more time and researching more deeply the life and teachings of this mystic. 
 
Once you have registered for the course you can access the material for an unlimited period of time so that you can truly study at your own pace.
 
Each lesson focuses on a mystic and we learn about the times they lived in, their life witness and their spirituality. Each lesson also contains extracts from their writings and inspirations to help us in our spiritual practice. There is also a bibliography, audio and visual recordings to allow you to explore further. This course is not just an intellectual exercise but a journey from the mind to the heart – a spiritual journey of discovery.
 

We invite you to meditate at the beginning of each lesson and to experience this contemplative dimension of faith. If you are new to meditation, each lesson begins with a short helpful video that introduces you to the practice.

 

The Roots of Christian Mysticism Term 1

Starting from the very beginning of our times Dr Stefan Reynolds will take you on a journey through the key mystics focusing on Jesus Christ, St Paul and St John, Clement of Alexandria and Origen, The Desert Fathers and Mothers, St Augustine of Hippo, The Cappadocian Family and the Jesus Prayer, St Benedict, St Bernard of Clairvaux

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The Roots of Christian Mysticism Term 2

Starting with Hildegard von Bingen, in this second term, Dr Stefan Reynolds will take you on a journey through the second historical bracket in the journey through mysticm, covering among others St Francis and St Clare of Assisi, Meister Eckhart and Dante Alighieri.

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The Roots of Christian Mysticism Term 3

In this final journey through the key mystics of our times, Dr Stefan Reynolds will explore the latest figures in the history of mysticism, including St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, Etty Hillesum and Simone Weil and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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“It helped me to focus on the spiritual implications of subject matter which I had previously encountered only in an academic context. I need to ponder on more of the recommended reading (especially Bernard McGinn) than I have managed as the course progressed.”
– E. Long
Designer

What's included in the course:

PEER DISCUSSION GROUPS Expand your perspective by engaging in peer discussions around learning objectives, or start your own topic.

SEARCHABLE GLOBAL NETWORK Search our global network of meditators and find local groups to support you in your spiritual journey.

RESOURCE LIBRARY
Get access to our vast and ever-growing resource library to supplement your practice at every stage.

Stefan Reynolds

About Stefan G Reynolds

Dr Stefan Gillow Reynolds is Retreat Director at Mount Melleray Abbey in Ireland. He is a Benedictine Oblate of The World Community for Christian Meditation. He has a Theology Doctorate from London University and is the author of ‘Living with the Mind of Christ: Mindfulness in Christian Spirituality’ (DLT, 2016) and ‘The Wisdom of Love in the Song of Songs’ (Hikari, 2018).

About the WCCM​

The WCCM is a global spiritual community united in the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition. It shares the fruits of this practice widely and inclusively, serving the unity of all and building understanding between faiths and cultures. The roots of the WCCM lie in the desert tradition of the early Christianity of the 4th century. By recognising the way of ‘pure prayer’, ‘prayer of the heart’ or ‘meditation’, that he found in this tradition John Main (1926-1982) brought to countless people in ordinary life the possibility of a contemplative practice in their following the Christian way of life. 

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