Mysticism and Social Transformation

Church History, Sept, 2002 by Roy Hammerling

The third section, called simply, "Emerging Contemporary Approaches," steps beyond the primarily Christian focus of the work to include two groundbreaking articles. The first deals with the mystical nature of Buddhism and social transformation by Donald Rothberg, and the second is on mysticism, deep ecology, and political life by Roger Gottlieb.

The breadth of the volume is truly refreshing, although people with narrow scholarly concerns may simply be interested in one or a few sections of the book and find the others less familiar and therefore less engaging. Nevertheless, the value of Ruffing's collection lies in its unabashed insistence that scholarly research focused on past historical, philosophical, and theological concerns has importance for practical modern theological reflection. Indeed, the essays seek to build upon past scholarship by presenting a steady "vision and hope ... to illuminate a `way'" (25) that future researchers and theologians will no doubt find stimulating.

Roy Hammerling
Concordia College