Johnston, William.  _Mystical theology-The Science of Love_,
Orbis Books, New York, 1995.  294 pp. 

Reviewed by Michael Harris, mharris3@une.edu.au. 
  
Seen as his magnum opus, Johnston's current volume is an
expansive (dare I say conclusive) account of previous works.
Following themes developed in two earlier books: _The inner eye
of love_ (1978) and _Being in Love_ (1989),  Johnston presents a
contemporary account of mystical theology based on the "science
of love". The primary objective of the book is to make mystical
theology relevant and accessible to a modern readership. To quote
the author, "... the time has come to rewrite...to restore it
[mysticism] to its honoured place.." (p.4). In short, Johnston's
aim is to renew the mystic's pledge to a higher calling, an
aspiration, he believes, is not lost to the modern world. 

As a Jesuit priest, Johnston's work is primarily concerned with
theistic mystical experience, and more particularly, its
Christian strands. As such, the book's title is a little
misleading, and may have been better served by a title that
reflects its Christian referent. Without labouring the point, or
demonizing Johnston's religious convictions, it becomes clear
that his position is compromised in regard to dialogue with other
traditions. For it is through dialogue that the author hopes to
convince the reader that mystical theology is a concept that can
cross the divide between religious traditions. Not surprisingly,
Johnston attempts to universalize the teachings of the Christian
mystical tradition, leaving himself open to justified criticism.
This comes despite the author's careful use of comparative
material, a tragic outcome that leaves the spectre of 'well
intentioned' imperialism. However, such criticism is ameliorated
somewhat by the author's obvious reverence for the mystical
traditions in all religions. 

Johnston defines Mystical theology as "...theological reflection
on the secret wisdom that is communicated and infused into the
soul through love" (p. 174). The author's definition draws
strongly on the apophatic tradition which has influenced
Christian spirituality since the early middle ages. Within the
Catholic tradition, mystical theology (sometimes called ascetical
theology) was taught in its seminaries and theological
departments, but was abandoned after the Second Vatican Council.
According to Johnston, mystical theology was abandoned because
the Church (and its supporters) believed it to be irrelevant in
the face of a changing world. This event, seen gravely by the
author, has compelled him to attempt a "restorative" work in the
hope of raising mystical theology to its "honoured" place within
the Church and to a modern audience. 

The unique problems of the twentieth century make Johnston's work
an ambitious project. Dealing with issues such as marriage, sex,
social justice, and environmentalism, the author constructs a 
theology flexible enough to address each, with various outcomes.
In relation to marriage, Johnston idealizes the temporal
relationship in conformity with concepts expounded in the
'bridal' mysticism of St John of the Cross, St Theresa of Avila,
et al. Marriage is spiritualized, in which the couple is seen as
transcending the physical boundaries of their relationship to
find union in mystical love. Less clear is the issue of
sexuality, of which Johnston says, "Sexuality must... never be
annihilated but integrated and transformed both by married and
celibate people" (p. 202). However, the integrative and
transformative processes are not explained,  instead being left
to the "purifying" effects of the 'dark night'. Perhaps more
concrete is Johnston's "mysticism of social action", in which the
mystic, no longer divorced from the world, is an agent for
positive change. For it is Johnston's belief that actions arising
from authentic mystical experience can address the problems of
the modern world. Such pressing social issues as poverty,
oppression and alienation are addressed, albeit in a cursory way,
by Johnston's mystical theology. The author believes that social
and religious activists such as Mahatma Gandhi are models for the
'mysticism of social action'. 

The flexibility of  Johnston's definition rests solely on the
amorphous nature of love. As the book's central theme, some
detail is required to elucidate the exact meaning and use of the
word in relation to mystical theology. For Johnston, love is "God
poured into our hearts";  God is believed to be the
personification of love (pp. 38-9). The transmission of divine
love is mediated through the Holy Spirit, which is claimed to act
as a conduit for divine wisdom and love. God's love, as it is
disseminated through the Holy Spirit, is infused into the heart
of the human recipient. This divine act is a secret process that
occurs without the recipients knowledge, and leads to a secret
wisdom of God's love. The transmission of divine love and its
accompanying wisdom is solely dependent on God's grace, for
divine love is a gift that is bestowed according to God's will.
Such love cannot be acquired through human effort, but instead,
must be patiently anticipated, as the delicate workings of the
Spirit unfold in the human soul. 

Using Jesus as the archetype of mystical love, Johnston claims
that it is Christ's "call" that awakens the soul. However, Jesus
is not seen just as the harbinger of God's love, for it is
through Jesus' love for us, that God is known. Johnston goes on
to argue that a precedent, mystical  knowledge of Jesus arises
through "connaturality", that is, he is known per inclinationem,
known through love and union (p. 42). Two passages from the New
Testament become the foundation of Johnston's argument for the
primacy of love and its spiritual connection to God and Jesus.
The first: "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19)  is
argued to represent  the loving bond between God and humanity.
God's love, according to 1 John, is revealed to us, for: God sent
his only Son into the world so we might live through him. In this
is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his
Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10). As
a gift of paternal love, the son is given as the embodiment of
that love. Jesus, as love incarnate, serves as both the
instrument and model of the right relationship with God.  For the
instrument, the path and the end are one in the same. 

More important to Johnston's case is the second passage he
selects from the Gospel of John : "You have not chosen me but I
have chosen you" (John 15:16). This passage, which  follows
Jesus' commandment to "...that you love one another as I have
loved you" (John 15:12), is the basis of Johnston's theology of
love. As the archetype of human/divine love, Jesus treads the
path of love through service and personal sacrifice. This path,
seen more generally as the Christian "calling", is the primary
force behind being "chosen". There is a convergence of themes
here: the "calling", symbolic of Christ's love is the mirror of
God's grace (or love) which is mediated through the Holy Spirit.
The three become one in an act of love, a simple rendering of the
Christian principle of divine love. As the author states, the
mystic, filled with divine love "...enters the heart of the
trinity" (p. 42). 

With the inflow of divine love comes wisdom, for love is said to
be the master of knowledge. However, knowledge obtained through
the infused love of God is an obscure knowledge, not clear cut
and conceptual or found in images and pictures. Drawing strongly
on the works of St John of the Cross and to lesser extent,
Dionysius the Areopagite, Johnston argues that mystical knowledge
is found in the cloud of unknowing or the dark night. Mystical
knowledge is known by unknowing, a Dionysian paradox that is said
to strip away the intellect to reveal the secrets of God.
According to Johnston, reason and thinking must be abandoned if
the mystery of God is to be known. He argues that the scholarly
critical approach and the knowledge obtained through science
cannot reveal the divine, but instead, hinders the progress of
the mystic pilgrim. As such, mystical knowledge is said to sit
outside of ordinary knowledge, beyond the parameters of reason
and the intellectual grasping of the scientist and scholar alike.

  
Conceived in the dark night of St John of the Cross, mystical
knowledge comes through a density of light perceived as darkness
by the mystic: "What seemed like cruel darkness was really the
intense light of God, imparting the most profound wisdom"
(p.168). St John's conception of the dark night is seen is as the
purgative stage before union with the divine takes place.
According to St John, on passing through the dark night, the
mystic is witness to the subtle, secret actions of God upon the
soul; actions that bring wisdom and knowledge of divine love. For
as Johnston is so eager to remind us, love is nothing less than
God poured into our hearts, a gentle current that awakens and
draws one along the mystical path to God. 
  
At its heart this book is an exegetic attempt to give Christian
mysticism a contemporary flavour. Its primary source is the
writings of St John of the Cross, from which Johnston constructs
an integrative model for the modern seeker. However, the emphasis
on St John limits the usefulness of his work, a problem that
stands, despite great efforts by the author to broaden the
historical and cultural appeal of his model. Such limits further 
exposed by the authors omission or neglect of works by earlier
Christian mystics. As such, the model is self limiting, a fact
compounded by generalizations and absolutist claims. This comes,
despite the book being intended for a mixed religious audience,
whom one suspects would question Johnston's Christian world view.
Despite attempts to make the work amenable to other traditions,
it is clear that this book is principally written for and about
Christians. 

Finally, Johnston attempts to set his work up as a new orthodoxy,
and as such, attracts an obvious suspicion. By attempting to
revive and modernize past ideas, he simply repackages the past
and sadly fails in his restorative bid. Likewise, his renewalist
theme falls short, requiring greater historical analysis and
deeper insight into the complex issues of  modernity. To go back
to come forward is, in a sense, retrospective optimism (perhaps
laziness?), and does not fair well under academic scrutiny.
However, this is irrelevant to Johnston's cause, for he jettisons
the knowledge of the scientist and scholar, believing it to be an 
impediment to the wisdom of love. For in the end, it is love that
underpins our lives; a point that this book makes abundantly
clear.