Comments on: St. Teresa of Ávila and Erotic Spiritual Language http://www.jackswords.com/blog/2008/09/16/ecstasy-of-st-teresa/ Stumbling my way to where I think Jesus is Sun, 23 May 2010 05:06:34 +0000 hourly 1 By: jos' http://www.jackswords.com/blog/2008/09/16/ecstasy-of-st-teresa/comment-page-1/#comment-30785 jos' Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:30:30 +0000 http://jackswords.com/?p=588#comment-30785 I like the point you're making Tay. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I reread my post and was momentarily horrified that I seemed to suggest erotic love was innately unholy. I certainly don't want to think of sex as dirty. I appreciate that the language and concepts we use for different types of love are shadows of the love God has for us (and empowers us to have for him). This might be more that what you're saying, but your comments helped me get there. I like the point you’re making Tay. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I reread my post and was momentarily horrified that I seemed to suggest erotic love was innately unholy. I certainly don’t want to think of sex as dirty.

I appreciate that the language and concepts we use for different types of love are shadows of the love God has for us (and empowers us to have for him). This might be more that what you’re saying, but your comments helped me get there.

]]> By: Tay Moss http://www.jackswords.com/blog/2008/09/16/ecstasy-of-st-teresa/comment-page-1/#comment-30460 Tay Moss Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:37:43 +0000 http://jackswords.com/?p=588#comment-30460 In the classic divisions of the spiritual path--purgative, illuminative, unitive--one would expect the kind of love between us and God to change as we grow. Thus, a familial love ("Father"-to-child) is replaced with something like teacher-to-student and then finally an erotic one (Lover-to-beloved). Cf. Song of Songs. The mystic literature is full of this stuff in any time period. Writings from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beguines_and_Beghards" rel="nofollow">The Beguines</a> are another commonly studied example. I mean why say, "you can love your God, just don't <b>LOVE</b> your God?" Why not? Surely the language of child-parent implies as much intimacy? Or is that we think erotic feelings are unworthy of the LORD? If the erotic love in marriage can be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, why not the erotic love in the creator-created relationship? Me, I believe that God wants us to Love God, and that Love can take many forms, and will change and grow as we change and grow. -tay In the classic divisions of the spiritual path–purgative, illuminative, unitive–one would expect the kind of love between us and God to change as we grow. Thus, a familial love (“Father”-to-child) is replaced with something like teacher-to-student and then finally an erotic one (Lover-to-beloved). Cf. Song of Songs. The mystic literature is full of this stuff in any time period. Writings from The Beguines are another commonly studied example.

I mean why say, “you can love your God, just don’t LOVE your God?” Why not? Surely the language of child-parent implies as much intimacy? Or is that we think erotic feelings are unworthy of the LORD? If the erotic love in marriage can be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, why not the erotic love in the creator-created relationship?

Me, I believe that God wants us to Love God, and that Love can take many forms, and will change and grow as we change and grow.

-tay

]]> By: kenny http://www.jackswords.com/blog/2008/09/16/ecstasy-of-st-teresa/comment-page-1/#comment-23841 kenny Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:16:27 +0000 http://jackswords.com/?p=588#comment-23841 Good call: sometimes a cigar is just a flaming spear of God. Good call: sometimes a cigar is just a flaming spear of God.

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