Dialectics and the Sublime in Underhill's Mysticism

Preface and Acknowledgements.- Chapter 1: Introduction.- 1.1: Evelyn Underhill and her foundational text on mysticism.- 1.2: Mysticism: concept, approaches, and the thrust of this study.- 1.3: Writings on and by Underhill.- 1.4: Procedure.- 1.5: The chapters.- 1.6: A note on gender pronouns.- Chapter 2: Being-Becoming.- 2.1: Introduction.- 2.2: Vitalism: transcendence in this world of flux.- 2.3: A general configuration of being, becoming, and infinite being.- 2.4: Being and becoming and the mediating dialectic.- 2.5: Being and becoming and the individualizing dialectic.- 2.6: Transcendence and immanence, and the being-becoming dialectics.- 2.7: Sublimity and the two forms of mystical transcendence.- 2.7.1: The sublime in transcendence as including-exceeding.- 2.7.1.1: Experiencing divine reality as infinite.- 2.7.1.2: Experiencing all finite beings as immersed in infinite reality.- 2.7.2: The sublime in transcendence as excluding.- 2.8: Chapter conclusion.- Chapter 3: Infinity-Finitude.- 3.1: Introduction.- 3.2: Talking about infinity.- 3.2.1: Potential and actual infinities: establishing the contention.- 3.2.2: A synthesis of potential and actual infinities.- 3.3: Dialectical trinity.- 3.3.1: Configuring the relational structure of the trinity.- 3.3.2: Hegel's infinity and trinity.- 3.4: The problem of objectivity in mystical intimacy.- 3.4.1: Trans subjectivism and mysticism.- 3.4.2: Objective idealism and mysticism.- 3.4.3: Tentative unitivism and mysticism.- 3.5: Chapter conclusion.- 4: Light-Darkness (I).- 4.1: Introduction.- 4.2: A dialectical metaphor.- 4.2.1: Dialectical pairing.- 4.2.2: Dialectical procedure as negation of negation.- 4.3: Mysticism's stage development: an overview.- 4.4: The dawn of the mystical quest.- 4.4.1: Testimonials on awakening.- 4.4.2: Sublime awakening.- 4.5: The first transformative night.- 4.5.1: Detachment.- 4.5.2: Mortification.- 4.5.3: Dialectical incorporation, universal-particular dialectic, and sublimity.- 4.6: Illumination.- 4.7: Chapter conclusion.- Chapter 5: Light-Darkness (II).- 5.1: Introduction.- 5.2: The second transformative night.- 5.2.1: Dark night and depression.- 5.2.2: Sublimity and the negation of negation.- 5.2.3: Darkness as emptiness.- 5.2.4: Oscillation and co-existence of light and darkness.- 5.2.5: Purification of sense and spirit.- 5.2.6: Mystical death.- 5.3: The Unitive Life.- 5.3.1: Experience of mystical union and the issue of the content of consciousness.- 5.3.2: Union experience versus identity experience.- 5.3.3: The enduring unitive life.- 5.4: Chapter conclusion.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.- 6.1: Sublime beauty and beautiful sublime.- 6.2: Overall summing-up and suggestions for future researches.- References.- Index.