149. There would appear to be an important analogy between a mysticism . . .

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There would appear to be an important analogy between a mysticism that points beyond all rational understanding to ecstasis in some form and a radical monotheism that points beyond all rational understanding to faith, understood as obedience and as consisting in trust and loyalty respectively.

Insofar as there is such an analogy, mysticism and radical monotheism, notwithstanding their differences, are alike in differing from a humanistic-idealistic faith Spirit/spirit. Whereas such a faith, as Bultmann says, is "humanistic," and, as one might add, "naturalistic," they are both "religious," and, in their different ways, "supernaturalistic" (cf . GV 2: 242).

3 March 2002