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Hi Lyssia

Post 1

Researcher 216781

Hi Lyssia

How's it going? A maths degree sounds like hard work. I love theology though! I'm also a philosopher and musician! I hope your studies aren't stressing you out too much!

Take care

Matt


Hi Lyssia

Post 2

Lioba

Hi Matt smiley - biggrin

sorry it took me this long to reply to you. College has been pretty hectic at the moment - we've all figured out that Finals begin in 16 weeks... smiley - wah So we're all stressing a bit about finite fields and the such like smiley - yikes

Theology is very cool - but I've not done much reading in the past few weeks cos of the amount of work I've got on. Once the Big Scary Final Exams are over, I'll be able to revert to being vaguely human again smiley - zen

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 3

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys smiley - biggrin

Don’t worry; I don’t mind how long replies take! That sounds like a lot of revision pressure you’re under. I hope it all goes well!

I looked up that theologian you mentioned in your opening discussion entry. I noticed he was a Jesuit. I almost joined the Jesuits three years ago. But my spiritual journey is now more akin to mysticism. I’ve just found a really amazing group of mystics called the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. They came into existence in 1614 through the mergence of (and funnily enough, maths comes into this smiley - huh) the Gnostics, Paraclesians, Pythagoreans, Platonists, Neoplatonists, Hermetics and Alchemists.

I’m sure you’ll be pleased when you revert to your vague humanness!

Matt smiley - cheers


Hi Lyssia

Post 4

Lioba

Hi Matt smiley - cool

von Balthasaar was a Jesuit for a while, yea...though a voice in my head is telling me he left after several years, when it emerged that the Society wouldn't support him in his work with...oh, I don't remember her name now, typical! Also he founded the Johannes Verlang, which the SJ weren't too keen on, either. But for all that, I find some of his stuff really quite brilliant, because they're so aware of the mysterious totality. Loving it smiley - biggrin

Until a few years ago I was thinking about becoming a Benedictine. I've a mate who thinks I'd be a great Dominican. But hey...we'll just see how things go, shall we? Although my spirituality could be described as having mystic overtones to it (I'm not brave enough to even think about suggesting that I'm in any way a mystic!!), the Carmalites, Carthusians etc haven't really spoken to me, way of life wise, that is. But I've read St. John of the Cross several times, and he's fantastic smiley - wow So much of his work resonated so much with me. The first time I read his work I was in my mid teens and was feeling really isolated; my (then) bishop suggested I read JotC and lent me his old copy, which I've treasured ever since!

I've not heard of the Rosy Cross before, only the Rosicrucians, and I'm not sure if they're the same thing...though something tells me that the Rosicrucians could have been a literary invention of Umberto Eco in Focould's Pendulum (good book, btw, but not as good as Nome of the Rose). Got a link to share?

Anyways, I ought to get back to the work smiley - online2long Speak soon!

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 5

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys smiley - biggrin

You’re right. I read a bit more on Von Balthasar, and he did leave the Jesuits due to a problem that I haven’t deciphered in full. Can you recommend which of his work(s) you think are the best?

I’m amazed that you’ve also been inclined to the possibility of joining a religious order. I don’t often meet people who take their spiritual journey so seriously. I was also once interested in becoming a Benedictine. My favourite Benedictine is Bede Griffiths. He spent the first part of his spiritual Journey at Prinknash abbey in England. After a few years he said that he wanted to explore the ‘other half of his soul’, so he moved to southern India and began studying eastern spirituality. He was quite typical of mystics, in that he became open to all paths by which people seek God. Yet he was still accepted by the Church, which I think reveals the flexibility of Catholicism that many other Christian denominations don’t seem to have.

I’m also a big fan of St John of the Cross, and his work resonates with me incredibly so. I’ve read the dark night of the soul, and I can empathise completely with his explanation of the experience of God being beyond knowledge, and indefinable. I found most poignant his statement that ‘God cannot be known, only loved.’ It’s good that you were encouraged to read St. John of the Cross when feeling isolated, as his writings seem far more emotionally than intellectually orientated.

I think that the mystical experience of God is something that anyone can have. If you don’t think you have had a mystical experience yet, you can certainly achieve it if you go about it in the right way. Catholics are lucky to have a mantra method of prayer, such as the Rosary. A mantra prayer is the most effective means of bringing about a direct conscious experience of God (according to most mystics).

The Fraternity of the Rosy Cross is one of the sub-divisions of the Rosicrucians, so you guessed right. I’ve only paid serious attention to them recently, but I’ve discovered their spirituality to be identical to mine. I know that they are probably considered by most Christians to be naughty heretics, but I can cope with being labelled as such. What I find most interesting about them is their application of the scientific method to bring about mystical experience of God. Here are a couple of good links:

http://www.soul.org/

http://home.earthlink.net/~bellaluxlabs/maier.html

I’m starting a mysticism-training course in the next couple of weeks, through the Beverly Hall Corporation (that’s the first link). So hopefully in a few months time, I will have achieved ‘soul illumination.’ My soul certainly needs a kick-start to wake it up. smiley - boing

Canada sounds like fun. Is that a holiday, or are you emigrating?

I’ll look into those books that you mentioned. Thanks. I’m sure that my rambling is distracting you from your work. I wouldn’t want to do that! I hope you’re coping OK with your revision! Take care!

Matt smiley - biggrin



Hi Lyssia

Post 6

Lioba

Hi Mark smiley - biggrin

Heh. My elder brother is a monk and a priest, so the whole idea of being a nun was never really that foreign to me. Much fun. I go visit him about once a year, which is great - and it's quite cute when you're sat with some of the elders and they begin talking about how they remember me pottering around the place when I was a little girl...awww bless smiley - winkeye

von Balthasar...Feast of Faith, maybe. I'm reading Prayer at the moment; I've been "reading" it for a few years now. It's one of those books that it takes a while to get into and appreciate; he's a brilliant writer, but it's not the easiest of reads. Have a look at http://www.catechesis.net/vonbalthasar/ if you haven't already found it.

Canada is a year thingy, run by bunac - http://www.bunac.org It's all very exciting! I'm leaving in September (degree hopefully having been gained), and am there for about a year. Yay! Woo! (etc etc etc)

Ok. Need to go and work. I was up waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too late last night!

Lys smiley - runsmiley - zen


Hi Lyssia

Post 7

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys smiley - bigeyes

I’ve been a bit buried in research for the past couple of days. I’m gradually getting closer to knowing the meaning of existence, but of course the discovery of answers usually leads to more questions, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing. If every question was given a perfect answer, then I think I’d get bored very quickly, and life wouldn’t be particularly exciting.

Wow smiley - wow, you’ve certainly got a very spiritually orientated family. There aren’t any members of my family in religious orders. Is your brother a Benedictine monk? It must be quite inspiring for you to have a brother that has completely devoted his life to God! My parents would probably be annoyed with me if I took vows of celibacy, as they want to have grand children smiley - groan. But it’s not my problem. They should have had more offspring than just me to ensure that they have grand children.

So since you visited your brother as a little girl, he must have been a monk for quite a long time. Has he been a monk all the time that you’ve been alive?

I haven’t got around to reading much more of Von Balthazar’s stuff yet, but I certainly will. Thank you for those links, and that recommendation ‘Feast of Faith.’ Your right, the work of his that I’ve read isn’t really easy reading, but I’m sure that It profits one’s soul incredibly so if understood and utilised in the right way. I’ll say if I can find ‘Prayer’ at the online library, Equestia. I really like on line libraries, as they save the hassle of having to go to a real one.

I hope you manage to get your degree too before going to Canada! You seem like quite a dedicated student, so I don’t see how you wouldn’t get your degree. I did a degree in medical science, but my interests have completely changed now, primarily being philosophy orientated. So to satisfy my craving for philosophy, I’m doing another undergraduate degree, but this time in philosophy. Travelling is quite fun, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your year in Canada. My Dad travels a lot as part of his job, and he seems to have got bored with it. I can see his point, as he often has to be in a different country every couple of weeks. I enjoy travelling though, and when I visit my Dad it’s a free holiday, as his company pay my air fair.

I can understand you staying up really late. I also find it easy to forget the time when I’ve got loads of revision to do! smiley - biggrin Take care!

Matt smiley - peacedove


Hi Lyssia

Post 8

Lioba

Heya Matt smiley - biggrin

Yea, he's a Benny, and, er...he's been there about...*thinks*...twenty odd years now? He was ordained nearly ten years ago. I don't remember exactly.

Oh, I know all about the grandchildren thing. There's only my brother and me, so if I go and take the veil, my Dad especially could be a wee bit miffed at this! Never mind. I wouldn't say that my immediate family are hugely spiritual - Mum is "resting", and Dad isn't anything, really. But my aunts on my Mum's side, along with their husbands, are deeply religious and are very involved with various lay movements, notably Couples for Christ, which has other associated groups, founded in Manila in the 1980s and has a charismatic flavour to it. I went to taste the London group on my aunt's invitation, but I decided it wasn't really for me - while I don't have any huge problems with the theology of the Charismatic Renewal, their style of worship and liturgy are a bit too...expressive for me (and yes, you could probably just read that as me being English and well equipped with a stiff upper lip! smiley - winkeye ).

Right. Lunch is over. Back to work for me smiley - smiley

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 9

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys smiley - biggrin

I’m sorry I’m so bad at keeping up with this h2g2 forum. I get addicted to other forums too. You may be interested in the BBC Christian topic forum. I find it quite fun and stimulating. My poster name in that forum is ‘Matt,’ in case you couldn’t guess, and you can find it here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/h2/h2.cgi?state=threads&board=religion.christian&&sort=U

Your brother has certainly been a monk for a very long time. It must be very inspiring for you.

smiley - borg

It’s a shame that your parents may not be fully understanding of you taking a vow of celibacy. My parents aren’t overly spiritual either. The most spiritual people in my family were my grandparents who have now passed away.

smiley - schooloffish

That Charismatic Renewal thing sounds interesting. Your Aunt seems to be as much an inspiration to you as your brother. I know what you mean by certain styles of worship being too expressive. I would also have a problem with that, and yes, perhaps it is down to being English!

Take care Lys, and have fun in what ever you may be doing this weekend!

Matt smiley - cheers


Hi Lyssia

Post 10

Lioba

Hi Matt,

I was in Edinburgh last weekend, meeting up with some www.gapyear.com mates for a good old knees up. Edinburgh is wonderful! A really beautiful city, and I'm besotted with Scotland smiley - wow

Eight weeks til Finals begin....

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 11

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys smiley - biggrin

That sounds like great fun. It’s really good to meet up with old mates that one has not seen for a while. I admire your enthusiasm for life.

I can understand your love of Edinburgh. I really like Edinburgh too. I haven’t been there though since I was about seven years old. I fully agree that Scotland’s a really fab place. I’ve always wanted to go hiking around the highlands, and probably will after I finish studying. I’m Looking into Peter Abalard’s Moral influence Atonement Theory at the moment. He thought like a 21st century theologian though lived in the 12th.

Good luck in your finals. I’m sure that if you’re as enthusiastic about revision as you are about having a knees up, then you’ll pass with flying colours!

Matt smiley - cool


Hi Lyssia

Post 12

Lioba

Ey Matt,

I wish I could throw myself into my work as easily as I do the partying! Oh well.

I've heard of Peter Abelard, but that's about it. Most of my theology has found a dusty old bit of the cranial library at the moment, and will be there for a while....

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 13

Researcher 216781

Hi Lys

I think that partying is just as important as working. I hope your stress level isn’t overly high at the moment.

Don’t worry about theology. I’m sure that God won’t mind it remaining in the dusty corner of your cranial library.

I’m really interested in the logician and mathematician George Bool. I’m going to specialize in logic at post-grad level. I’m fascinated by Bool’s system for converting the logic of words and sentences into numerical form, which was then made reality by Bertrand Russell and Alfred North Whitehead in their work “Principia Mathematica.” It’s my intention to dedicate my life to converting the essential ideas of theology into a logical, and then numerical form. This should enable the study of the soul to become a practical science.

Have a fab day!

Matt


Hi Lyssia

Post 14

Lioba

Hey Matt,

I know little about Boolean algebra/logic, and even less about the man himself (or maybe I *do* know about the former, only I just don't know that it's called that smiley - winkeye). We all know that Theology is Queen of the Sciences anyway (followed closely by maths!), so once you've reduced theology to numbers, the rest shouldn't be too difficult!

Lys


Hi Lyssia

Post 15

Researcher 216781

Hey Lys

I hope you’re coping after your recent tragedy. One of my grandparents died a few years ago just at the point when I was revising for some important exams. I think my performance may have deteriorated as a result, but I did manage to get the grades I needed.

Unfortunately, though I would have liked to, I didn’t go in the right direction to become a mathematician, so I suppose that logic and it’s application to theology and human spirituality is the next best option. Then when I’ve done enough research, I can hand it over to people like you, to continue to “reduce it to numbers.” In the arcane mystical traditions, such as Rosecrucianism, people who claim to have left their bodies on journeys into a greater reality, have represented their experiences with geometric figures. I think that Plato said something along the lines that Geometry was Divine and eternal.

Matt


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