Title of the article:

THE ROLE OF WOMAN IN THE RELIGIOUS AND MYSTICAL CULTURES OF THE WORLD

Author(s):

Natalia S. Zhirtueva

Information about the author/authors

Natalia S. Zhirtueva — DSc in Philosophy, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Sciences and International Relations, Sevastopol State University, Universitetskaya St. 33, 299053 Sevastopol, Russia. E-mail: zhr_nata@bk.ru

Section

Theory and history of culture

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 53

Pages

pp. 102–114

Received

October 12, 2018

Date of publication

September 28, 2019

Index UDK

008

Index BBK

71.4

Abstract

The interest of modern humanities in the mystical phenomena is non-accidental. Mysticism is at all times perceived as the innermost part of religion, the quintessence of religious experience. The research draws upon the context of comparative analysis, enabling to reveal universal and individual features of the mystical traditions of the world. The author distinguishes two main types of mysticism — immanent and transcendental-immanent, which view the essence of the Absolute reality in different ways. Each type of mysticism formed a certain image of woman and her role in mystical practice. The immanent mysticism is devoid of perceptions about the supernatural Absolute. The woman here is considered a manifestation of the material world, its quintessence, expressed in the maternal principle. Each immanent mystical tradition shapes certain attitude to the woman, depending оn how it addresses the issue of correlation of ideal and material. Monistic traditions deny the material considering it as inferior. Thence the use of material is allowed only in terms of ascetic practice. Integration traditions recognize the material as a sacred, as equivalent part of the Absolute. Holistic traditions affirm the reality of the non-dual Absolute, which unites material and ideal, male and female within a single whole. Integration and holistic traditions declare the necessity of union of matter and spirit and their participation on a practical level. Transcendental immanent mysticism claims the heterogeneity of the Absolute and the world. A woman is viewed as a person. Only the path of integration and union of the Creator and creation is possible here, resulting in gracious transformation of imperfect person in the image and likeness of the Divine absolute personality. The “deification of creation” (theosis) is accomplished through the active involvement of the material into mystical practice. Mystical love between a man and a woman makes possible for a human to restore the integrity of a person.

Keywords

Absolute, comparative religious studies, male and female, transcendental immanent mysticism, immanent mysticism, Yoga, Tantrism, Buddhism, Hesychasm, Sufism.

References

1 Areopagit. Bozhestvennye imena [Divine names]. Misticheskoe bogoslovie [Mystical theology]. Kiev, Put' k istine Publ., 1991, pp. 13–93. (In Russian)

2 Berdiaev N. A. Filosofiia svobodnogo dukha [Philosophy of the free spirit]. Dialektika bozhestvennogo i chelovecheskogo [Dialectics of the divine and the human]. Moscow, AST, Folio Publ., 2003, pp. 15–338. (In Russian)

3 Berdiaev N. Metafizika pola i liubvi [Metaphysics of sex and love]. Russkii Eros ili filosofiia liubvi v Rossii [Russian Eros or philosophy of love in Russia]. Moscow, Progress Publ., 1991, pp. 231–265. (In Russian)

4 Glazenapp Kh. fon. Buddiiskie tainstva (tainye ucheniia i ritualy “almaznoi kolesnitsy”) [Buddhist sacraments (secret teachings and rituals of the “Diamond chariot”) ]. Voprosy filosofii, 1994, no 7–8. Available at: http://trubnikovann.narod.ru/Glasenapp.htm (accessed 02 October 2018). (In Russian)

5 Zhirtueva N. S. Tvorchestvo v misticheskikh traditsiiakh mira [Creativity in mystical traditions of the world]. Voprosy filosofii, 2017, no 9, pp. 141–150. (In Russian)

6 Zhirtueva N. S. Filosofsko-misticheskie traditsii mira [Philosophical and mystical traditions of the world]. Moscow, Vuzovskii uchebnik, INFRA-M Publ., 2018. 274 p. (In Russian)

7 Zhirtueva N. S. Khasidizm v kontekste komparativnogo analiza misticheskikh traditsii mira [Hasidism in the context of comparative analysis of mystical traditions of the world]. Vestnik slavianskikh kul'tur, 2017, no 44, pp. 21–31. (In Russian)

8 Iz reki rechenii: Vyskazyvaniia sufiiskikh nastavnikov [From the river of speeches: Sayings of Sufi mentors], preparation and translation by L. Tiraspol'skii. Moscow, Amrita-Rus' Publ., 2004. 160 p. (In Russian)

9 Kabir. Zolotye strofy [Kabir. Golden verses], translations, commentaries and introductory article by N. B. Gafurovoi. Moscow, Natalis; Ripol Klassik Publ., 2004. 383 p. (In Russian)

13 Pakhomov S. V. Predstavlenie o tozhdestve v induistskoi tantricheskoi filosofii [The idea of identity in the Hindu tantric philosophy]. Religiovedenie, 2004, no 1, pp. 134–148. (In Russian)

14 Put' Shivy: antologiia drevneindiiskikh klassicheskikh tekstov [The way of Shiva: anthology of the ancient Indian classical texts], compiled by K. G. Strel'tsov, N. P. Russkikh. Kiev, Ekslibris, 1994. 176 c. (In Russian)

15 Radkhakrishnan S. Indiiskaia filosofiia: v 2 t. [Indian philosophy: in 2 vols.], edited by O. K. Arzhanovoi, A. G. Bel'skogo, A. A. Iakusheva. Moscow, MIF Publ., 1993. Vol. 1. 624 p. Vol. 2. 732 p. (In Russian)

16 Religii Kitaia. Khrestomatiia [Religion of China. Reader], collected by E. A. Torchinov. St. Petersburg, Evraziia Publ., 2001. 512 p. (In Russian)

17 Stepaniants M. T. Vostochnye kontseptsii “sovershennogo cheloveka” v kontekste mirovoi kul'tury [Eastern concepts of “perfect man” in the context of world culture]. Istoriko-filosofskii ezhegodnik. 1990 [Historical and philosophical Yearbook. 1990], edited by N. V. Motroshilova. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1991, pp. 96–107. (In Russian)

18 Stulova E. S. Daosskaia praktika dostizheniia bessmertiia [Taoist practice of achieving immortality]. Kul'tura narodov Vostoka. Iz istorii traditsionnoi kitaiskoi ideologii: stat'i [Culture of the peoples of the East. From the history of traditional Chinese ideology: articles], edited by O. V. Fishman. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1984, pp. 230–270. (In Russian)

19 Tor A. Islamskie mistiki [Islamic mystics]. St. Petersburg, Evraziia Publ., 2003. 240 p. (In Russian)

20 Torchinov E. A. O psikhologicheskikh aspektakh ucheniia prazhdniaparamity [About the psychological aspects of the Prajnaparamita teachings]. Psikhologicheskie aspekty buddizma: sbornik statei [The Psychological aspects of Buddhism: collection of articles], edited by V. V. Mantatova. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1986, pp. 47–68. (In Russian)

21 Fromm E. Psikhoanaliz i religiia [Psychoanalysis and religion]. Sumerki bogov [Twilight of the gods], compilation and general edited A. A. Iakovleva. Moscow, Politizdat Publ., 1989, pp. 143–221. (In Russian)

22 Tsentr tsiklona: Avtobiografiia vnutrennego prostranstva [The center of the cyclone: Autobiography of inner space]. Dzh. Lilli. Zerno na mel'nitsu [Dzh. Lilli. Grain to the mill], collected by Iu. Smirnov; translated by I. Starykh. Kiev, Sofiia Publ., 1993, pp. 183–319. (In Russian)

23 Shcherbatskoi F. I. Kontseptsiia buddiiskoi nirvany [The concept of Buddhist Nirvana]. F. I. Shcherbatskoi. Izbrannye trudy po buddizmu [Selected works on Buddhism]. Available at: http://psylib.ukrweb.net/books/shchb02/index.htm (accessed 08 October 2018) (In Russian)

24 Ellwood R. S. Mysticism and Religion. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall Publ., 1980. 194 p. (In English)

25 Hollenback J. B. Mysticism: Experience, Response and Empowerment. (Hermeneutics: Studies in the history of Religion). Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, PA Publ., 1996. 646 p. (In English)

26 Stace W. T. Mysticism and Philosophy. London, Macmillan Publ., 1961. 349 p. (In English)

PDF-file

Download

Illustrations