The Reverend Doctor. Bernard McGinn | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1937[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Professor (Emeritus), University of Chicago, Divinity School |
| Notable work | The Presence of God |
| Theological work | |
| Language | English |
| Tradition or movement | Catholic |
Bernard McGinn (born August 19, 1937) is anAmerican Catholic theologian, religious historian, and scholar of spirituality. A specialist inmedieval mysticism, McGinn is widely regarded as the preeminent scholar of mysticism in theWestern Christianity.[2] He is best known for his comprehensive series on mysticism,The Presence of God.
McGinn graduated cum laude fromSaint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, New York. In 1963, he earned aSTL from theGregorian University, and in 1970 a Ph.D. in history from Brandeis University, writing his dissertation on a twelfth-century Cistercian mystical author namedIsaac of Stella. His areas of concentration are theology and Medieval intellectual history.[3]
According to McGinn, "Even for people who may not have any religious commitment of their own, a study of the great mystics can reveal something about human creativity and genius."[4] "McGinn is widely considered the preeminent scholar of mysticism in the Western Christian tradition and a leading authority on the theology of the 14th-century mysticMeister Eckhart".[5]
McGinn taught for a year at theCatholic University of America before joining the faculty of the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he taught Historical Theology and the History of Christianity from 1969 to 2003. He was appointed to the Donnelley chair in 1992 and is the Naomi Shenstone Donnelley Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology and of the History of Christianity at the school and serves on the Committees on Medieval Studies and on General Studies at theUniversity of Chicago.[6]
From 1988 to 2015, McGinn was editor-in-chief of the Paulist PressClassics of Western Spirituality Series; he also served as a member of the editorial boards of Cistercian Publications, and other publications. In 2003, he co-wroteEarly Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision of the Spiritual Masters with his wife, psychotherapist Pat McGinn.[2] McGinn is a past-president of theAmerican Society of Church History and theAmerican Catholic Historical Association.
Although he assumed emeritus status in 2003,[7] he has continued publishing scholarly work since that time. In 2005 he participated in a symposium on "Spiritual Information", sponsored by theJohn Templeton Foundation atTrinity College, Cambridge.[7] In 2015, he gave the Costan Lecture atGeorgetown University.[8] In June of that same year, he spoke onTeresa of Avila at the "Agricola Seminar" of theUniversity of Groningen.[9] In 2017, McGinn spoke onJohn of the Cross for the Annual Candlemas Lecture atBoston College.[10]
Writing inThe Christian Century, Lawrence S. Cunningham said,
In terms of sheer scholarship, this series [the Presence of God] is the most important contribution to the field of theology in the past quarter century. McGinn takes readers from the biblical materials through the Western tradition to detect the ways in which classical spiritual texts give evidence of the experience of the presence of God. With four volumes in print and a fifth to come, McGinn's magisterial work is stunning in its sophisticated methodology and its close reading of texts. Both historical in approach and profoundly theological in presupposition, these volumes constitute a classic work that will not soon be overtaken.[12]
Mary Frohlich, of theCatholic Theological Union said ofThe Flowering of Mysticism: Men and Women in the New Mysticism--1200-1350, "The third volume of Bernard McGinn's history of western Christian mysticism is, as usual for McGinn's work, stellar. Drawing on his exhaustive knowledge of history and theology, McGinn provides a magisterial interpretation of the context and trends of the "new mysticism" that began to appear in the thirteenth century .... Anyone in need of a concise but encyclopedic review of studies on aspects of mysticism during this period will do well to make this the first stop."[13] She also noted, "... that this is most likely not the book to use as a course text in undergraduate or adult education settings. Its level of analysis and scholarship make it ideal for graduate courses, or as a recommended reference work for students researching specific figures or movements."[13]
A review ofThe Varieties of Vernacular Mysticism: 1350–1550 inReligion and Theology said, "Bernard McGinn's monumental series on the history of Western Christian mysticism continues, here reaching its fifth highly impressive volume .... As in the previous volumes, the analysis is always lucid and extensive, a testament to McGinn's encyclopedic understanding of the writers located in the mystical tradition."[14]
In reviewingMysticism in the Golden Age of Spain (1500–1650), part 2 of volume 6 ofThe Presence of God, Harvey D. Egan wrote, "M[cGinn]’s synthetic-analytic prowess in delineating mystics in their historical context accounts for his volumes being definitive. If a manuscript dealing with the Western mystical tradition that I am requested to evaluate contains no evidence of M.’s work, I rarely suggest that it be published."[15]
The following volumes of McGinn's history ofChristian mysticism,The Presence of God series, have so far been published:
Other books by McGinn include:
