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Christian Mysticism’s Queer Flame: Spirituality in the Lives of Contemporary Gay Men PDF

258 Pages·2019·2.02 MB·English
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Christian Mysticism’s Queer Flame Is the Christian mystical tradition a relic of another time, shaped by celibates for celibates, unable to engage meaningfully with people of our time who embrace their corporeality and sexuality as crucial aspects of their journey towards union with God? This book refects in serious theological depth and detail on the spiritual and sexual journeys of gay men of mature and committed Christian faith, employing the Christian mystical tradition as the lens and the interlocutor in this process. This study examines the major themes and stages of the mystical tradition as outlined by Evelyn Underhill but also includes more recent work by Ruth Burrows, Thomas Merton, and Constance Fitzgerald. Using methods of qualitative research, it then considers the texts of in-depth interviews conducted with men, most of whom are theologians or spiritual leaders with a deep Catholic faith, and all of whom are openly, self-affrmingly gay. Finally, it employs Ricoeur’s hermeneutical theory to engage in a creative theological conversation between the traditional mystical stages and themes and these men’s lives, as described in their interviews. This is a unique study that brings together ancient spirituality with contemporary lived religion. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of religious studies, theology, Christian mysticism and spirituality, and queer studies. It will be of particular interest to those who teach spiritual direction and to all who seek new ways to engage with the spiritual lives of LGBTIQ+ people. Michael Bernard Kelly is an Adjunct Research Associate at Monash University’s Centre for Religious Studies, Australia. Over the past twenty years he has led retreats; spoken at conferences; lectured at universities; and published essays and papers in Australia, the UK, and the USA. He is the author/presenter of The Erotic Contemplative: The Spiritual Journey of the Gay Christian (1995) video-lecture series and his book, Seduced by Grace: Contemporary Spirituality, Gay Experience and Christian Faith (2007), is held and used in a number of universities. Routledge Studies in Religion Radical Orthodoxy in a Pluralistic World Desire, Beauty, and the Divine Angus M. Slater Spiritual and Social Transformation in African American Spiritual Churches More than Conjurers Margarita Simon Guillory Liberal Religion Progressive Versions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam Emanuel de Kadt Piety and Patienthood in Medieval Islam Ahmed Ragab Being Spiritual but Not Religious Past, Present, Future(s) Edited by William B. Parsons Religious Studies Scholars as Public Intellectuals Edited by Sabrina D. MisirHiralall, Christopher L. Fici and Gerald S. Vigna Religious Boundaries for Sex, Gender, and Corporeality Edited by Alexandra Cuffel, Ana Echevarria and Georgios T. Halkias Christian Mysticism’s Queer Flame Spirituality in the Lives of Contemporary Gay Men Michael Bernard Kelly For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/ religion/series/SE0669 Christian Mysticism’s Queer Flame Spirituality in the Lives of Contemporary Gay Men Michael Bernard Kelly First published 2019 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2019 Michael Bernard Kelly The right of Michael Bernard Kelly to be identifed as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kelly, Michael Bernard, author. Title: Christian mysticism’s queer fame : spirituality in the lives of contemporary gay men / Michael Bernard Kelly. Description: New York : Routledge, 2018. | Series: Routledge studies in religion | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifers: LCCN 2018019872 | ISBN 9781138562127 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780203710050 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Homosexuality—Religious aspects—Christianity. | Gays—Religious life. | Mysticism. Classifcation: LCC BR115.H6 K45 2018 | DDC 248.2/2086642—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018019872 ISBN: 978-1-138-56212-7 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-71005-0 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC To the Queer Saints of the Future: May their Names be Known; May their Songs be Sung! Contents Preface ix Acknowledgements xi 1 General Introduction 1 SECTION I Seting the Interpretative Context 21 2 The Two Lungs of the Christian Mystical Life: The Cataphatic Way and the Apophatic Way 23 3 Theories of Mystical Development: The Classical Model according to Evelyn Underhil’s “Mysticism” 38 4 Contemporary Approaches to Faith Development and Spiritual Growth 68 5 Hermeneutical and Methodological Considerations 85 SECTION II Stories of Faith and Patterns of Growth: The Eight Interviews 99 6 Family, Faith, and the Path towards Coming Out 101 7 Early Adulthood and the Path towards Integration 128 viii Contents SECTION III Towards a Gay Mystical Theology: Creating the Conversation 165 8 From Awakening to Coming Out 167 9 From Coming Out to Union with God 197 Conclusion 234 Index 239 Preface Can the Christian mystical tradition inform the spiritual lives of contempo- rary people and can it be enriched by their experience? Is it possible for a self-affrming, sexually expressive gay man to live the full Christian mystical life into union with God? How would such an inner journey transform our understanding of Christian mysticism on the one hand and our apprecia- tion of human, especially queer, sexuality on the other? Alternatively, is the mystical tradition a relic of another time, shaped by celibates for celibates, unable to evolve or to engage meaningfully with people of our age who embrace corporeality and sexuality as crucial aspects of their spiritual path? In this study I address these questions through a sustained, creative con- versation between two unlikely partners: the classical mystical tradition and the lives of contemporary gay Christian men. A conversation such as this must be tentative and experimental, since there are few models or precur- sors to explore – whether one considers current discourses in mysticism, recent developments in queer theology, or the burgeoning feld of spiritual direction. To my knowledge, no one has yet studied the classic themes, pat- terns, and stages of the Christian mystical path in relation to the living, spiritual, sexual, and relational experience of gay men. Indeed, it is an open question as to whether such a study is even possible and, if so, what it might look like. The approaches, processes, and conclusions in this current project are, therefore, provisional, experimental, and creative; if they provoke dis- cussion, debate, and further development, then that will be all to the good. My own hope is that this study may help contemporary people, especially LGBTIQ people, to recover and reframe the mystical path as emerging from and speaking to lives that are whole, erotic, and queer. I therefore seek to re-imagine each stage of the mystical journey, grounding it in life and in the body. I attempt to elucidate the depth, wisdom, and holiness that can and do emerge from the hopes, joys, and struggles of gay men of faith, and I explore how the language of mysticism can inform, and be transformed by, their incarnate spiritual journeys. I believe, and I trust that this study demonstrates, that the Christian mysti- cal tradition has the capacity for profound renewal and that its wisdom can inspire and guide, while also being critiqued and enriched by, contemporary

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