Mystik och förtryck. En feministisk religionsfilosofisk granskning av den moderna mystikdefinitionen utifrån Grace M. Jantzens kritik

Abstract

The modern definition of mysticism relegates mysticism to the private sphere, focuses on man as a subject and characterizes the mystical experience as passive, emotive and ineffable, which at the same time reminds of what characterizes a patriarchal female ideal. Thus the definition may be oppressive against women. The paper scrutinizes and problematizes this feminist critique, as formulated by Grace M. Jantzen in her book Power, Gender and Christian Mysticism, drawing from standpoint feminism and theories of conceptual oppression and religious proximity.

The paper suggests that the modem definition of mysticism, while not in itself initiating oppression of women, may indeed perpetuate already existing oppressive gender structures by 1) identification (women identify with the mystical approach and apply it in all human relations), 2) distraction through pseudo-power (women mystics may attain a certain religious authority which distracts them from craving real institutional religious power), and 3) deprivation of religious proximity (women mystics opposing oppressive religious structures risk being deprived of their religious proximity and esteem).

The paper finally suggests that the risk of supporting oppressive gender structures by the use of the modern definition of mysticism may diminish by a few modifications in the definition: 1) regarding the mystical experience as less private, ineffable and passive, 2) incorporating the social and historical context of the mystic, and 3) taking into account recent feminist suggestions for a new conceptual understanding of the epistemological subject.