Chris Cook: 'Hearing Voices in the Christian Mystical Tradition'

This podcast was recorded on 16 June 2016 and features Professor Chris Cook (Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University) on ‘Hearing Voices in the Christian Mystical Tradition’. Abstract: Christian mysticism embraces a diverse range of religious experiences. For William James, ineffability was one of the hallmarks of mystical experience and it has often been the case that such experiences have neither involved the hearing of a voice, nor have they been easily conveyed in words. Despite this, the literature is rich with examples of written accounts of mystical experience, and many such experiences are reported as having included the hearing of a voice. In this seminar, Chris considers a series of such examples, illustrating some of the different ways in which voices contribute significantly to, and interpret, mystical experience.