Mysticism and Ethics: Bridging Transcendence and Action in Religious Experience

Dear Colleagues,

According to phenomenological studies, religious experience involves the whole of the human being (Martín Velasco 2006). The believer recognises and responds to the Presence of the transcendent Mystery —God, the Reality Absolute— with the gift of self, expressed in different ways in the various religious traditions: as faith, trust or obedience (Judeo-Christian tradition); unconditional submission to the will of Allah (Islam); conformity with the Tao (Taoism), etc. Such a religious attitude also involves concrete action and an ethical response, framed within the coordinates of each religion. In Christianity, for example, “faith shows itself to be active through love” (Galatians 5:6), because “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17); and it is pointed out that “You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). All religions encourage compassion, justice, charity and love of one's neighbour. Even ‘others’, the hungry, the sick, foreigners, etc., become the place of encounter with the Other, the Presence, the Absolute. Despite the differences in the systematisation of the moral life, in all religions the categorical imperative appears, in one way or another: not to treat the other as a means, not to instrumentalise them, but to recognise them as an end.

Within the religious experience, mysticism has been considered in different ways, both by theology and by philosophy, as well as by psychology and comparative studies (McGinn 2000). Although the place of mysticism in religion has been questioned, for many authors mysticism is part of religion; it is even considered to be the highest expression of religious experience or is described as the highest degree of faith experience (Martín Velasco 1999). There has also been debate about the definition of the mystical phenomenon, whether it is solely an emotional and subjective experience or whether it also has a cognitive dimension. Some have considered that mysticism has a universal core common to all religions (W. James), but others have emphasised that a distinction must be made between the mystical experience itself and its interpretations, situated in a particular cultural and religious framework (W. T. Stace). Steven Katz also reminds us that mystical experiences are, above all, religious experiences of a specific tradition and proposes a contextual religious approach to the study of mysticism.

Recognising the diversity of perspectives on mysticism, and without attempting to offer a closed definition, we understand by ‘mysticism’ the inner and direct experiences of the union of the depths of the subject with the Whole, the Universe, the Absolute, the divine, God, the Spirit (Martín Velasco 1999), which take place at a level of consciousness that transcends ordinary experience: in other words, the direct awareness of the Presence of God or of Transcendence (McGinn 2000).

In this Special Issue, we wish to explore the necessary relationship between mystical experience (as well as all spiritual experience) and ethics. Although mysticism and ethics may have been considered to be independent or even opposed, both the testimonies of numerous mystics and the studies on the subject show that mysticism and ethics are intrinsically connected (Katz 1992a,b; Yúfera 2015; Thibdeau 2025; Serrán-Pagán y Fuentes 2025). Furthermore, the mystical experience not only includes the ethical dimension, but also provokes and develops it, making moral action a criterion of discernment for the authentic mystical experience ( Martín Velasco 1999). In addition, mysticism can reconcile deep cultural and philosophical differences (Hunnex 1958) and promote interreligious dialogue and coexistence.

Thus, in this Special Issue, we propose to address the following:

• Theoretical reflection on how religious experience and the awareness of the transcendent Presence (the mystical experience) involves ethics: virtues, moral action, commitment to justice, etc.
• Studies of specific situations in which, throughout history, religious experience and mystical experience have elicited a specific ethical response (achieving peace, overcoming injustice, etc.).
• Studies of specific authors, considered by their traditions as mystics or as spiritual authors: what they did, how they acted and what they wrote about moral action and spiritual and mystical experience.
• Theological or philosophical justification of ethical behaviour (love, compassion, mercy, justice, etc.) by great believers and mystics of all times and religious traditions.
• Reflections on contemporary situations and the relevance of spirituality and mysticism for coexistence, peace and interreligious dialogue.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, potential authors submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 to 300 words summarizing their intended contribution, sent to the Guest Editor (sbara@comillas.edu). Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your scholarly contributions.

References

Katz, Steven. 1992a. Mysticism and Ethics in Western Mystical Traditions. Religious Studies 28: 407-423. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412500021752.

Katz, Steven. 1992b. Ethics and Mysticism in Eastern Mystical Traditions. Religious Studies 28: 253-267. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412500021582.

Hunnex, Milton D. 1958. Mysticism and Ethics: Radhakrishnan and Schweitzer. Philosophy East and West 8: 121-136. Available online: https://doi.org/10.2307/1397447.

Martín Velasco, Juan. 2006. Introducción al a fenomenología de la religión. Madrid: Trotta.

Martín Velasco, Juan. 1999. El fenómeno místico: Estudio comparado. Madrid: Trotta.

McGinn, Bernard. 2000. Appendix. In The Presence of God. A History of Christian Mysticism II. The Foundations of Mysticism. New York: Crossroad, 263-343 and 420-441.

Serrán-Pagán y Fuentes, Cristobal. 2025. Mysticism and Social Justice. Basel: MDPI. Available online: https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-7258-3222-4.

Thibdeau, John C. 2025. Enacting Mysticism in the World: Practical Sufism in the Tariqa Karkariyya and Alawiyya. Religions 16(2): 111. Available online: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020111.

Yúfera, Julia. 2015. Mística y ética: desafíos para nuestro tiempo. De la experiencia mística a la acción moral. Isegoria (53), 679-695. Available online: https://doi.org/10.3989/isegoria.2015.053.12.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Bara Bancel
Guest Editor

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• mysticism
• ethics
• action
• love
• virtues
• god
• religious experience
• justice
• transcendence
• moral