Christian mysticism

Mysticism is the philosophy and practice of a direct experience of God. In the Christian context it is usually practiced through pursuit of the three disciplines of contemplative prayer (including Christian meditation), fasting (including other forms of abstinence), and alms-giving, all discussed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Chapters 5-7). Another form of mysticism is participation in ecstatic worship. Many Christians believe that God dwells in all people (or at least in all Christians) through the Holy Spirit, and therefore all Christians can experience God directly.

Christian mystics

Some examples of Christian mystics:

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:St. Paul (? -c. 66)

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:St. John the Baptist

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:St. John the Apostle (? -c.100)

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:St. Peter

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:St. Clement of Alexandria (? -216)

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:Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

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:St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

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:Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (5th century)

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:St. Gregory I (590-604)

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:St. Symeon the New Theologian (949?1022)

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:Saint Anselm (1033-1109)

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:Hugh of Saint Victor (1096-1141)

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:St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

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:Mechtild of Magdeburg (1210-1279)

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:Meister Eckhart (c. 1260 - 1327/8)

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:St. Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359)

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:St. Bridget of Sweden (1302-1373)

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:St. Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416)

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:St. Margery Kempe (c.1373-1438)

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:St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

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:St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)

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:Jakob Boehme (1575-1624)

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:Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682)

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:Angelus Silesius (1624-1677)

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:George Fox (1624-1691)

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:Sarah Wight (1632-?)

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:Madame Guyon (1648-1717)

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:Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772)

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:John Woolman (1720-1772)

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:William Blake (1757-1827)

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:St. Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833)

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:Anna Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

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:St. Jakob Lorber (1800 - 1864)

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:Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

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: Thomas Keating (1923-?)

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:St. John of Kronstadt (1829-1908)

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:St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

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:St. John Maximovich (1896-1966)

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:Aiden Wilson Tozer (1897-1963)

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:St. Padre Pio (1887-1968)

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:St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)

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:Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

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