As for how to place Dylan in the tradition. . .well, I’ll let others take on that challenge.

“The whole world is filled with speculation
The whole wide world which people say is round
They will tear your mind away from contemplation
They will jump on your misfortune when you’re down.”…

“All my loyal and much-loved companions
They approve of me and share my code
I practice a faith that’s been long abandoned
Ain’t no altars on this long and lonesome road.”…

“It’s bright in the heavens and the wheels are flying
Fame and honor never seem to fade
The fire’s gone out but the light is never dying
Who says I can’t get heavenly aid?”

Ain’t Talkin’ (2006) by Bob Dylan
http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/aint-talkin

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (cf. Ex 33:18; Ps 27:8-9; 63:2-3; Jn 14:8; 1 Jn 3:2).”

http://www.ewtn.com/library/encyc/jp2fides.htm

Call it my own eccentricity.

Although there is a trajectory of Christian mysticism that sees union in terms of darkness and thus silence, I tend to go with the tradition that sees union as light. At least, this is the way my own experiences have unfolded. Silence itself may ensue, but this silence, for me, normally stems from being overwhelmed by a deluge of thoughts that the mind simply cannot contain.

Ecstasy on this point is more like Jack Black’s character when he saw King Kong for the first time. It was frozen and speechless by the sheer awe of this ape. There was so much to take in–so many thoughts–that he was overwhelmed by it.

To be overwhelmed by God’s presence does not necessarily entail the absence of thought altogether, but the overwhelming nature of the thoughts themselves because these thoughts are new insights (revelation?) about the infinite God of the universe.

It’s one thing to be thinking about the “conviction” and the “rush of God’s glory” while experiencing these things; it’s entirely a different thing to simply have thoughts while experiencing this conviction and rush of God’s glory. I was asking about the latter. Thinking about the conviction might be incompatible with experiencing the conviction, just as thinking about the joy of sex might be incompatible with experiencing the joy of sex. But this doesn’t imply that having thoughts is incompatible with experiencing the conviction–any more than having thoughts (e.g., about the loveliness of one’s spouse) is incompatible with the joy of sex.

If having thoughts is not incompatible with experiencing “the conviction of the Holy Spirit” or feeling “the rush of God’s glory,” I suspect that such thoughts could be recorded. I am really interested in whether you had any such record (whether the recording was performed during or after the experience), and whether or not you would be willing to share the details of any such recordings.

I was thinking about Euripides and Dionysus when I wrote this.

For me . . . silence and stillness is my usual reaction to “conviction” and “rush of God’s glory.” Thinking about it means it is over.

Dale:

We agree.

Out of curiosity, how would you describe your state of mind when writing this post? Were you by chance writing under the “conviction of the Holy Spirit,” or feeling the “rush of God’s glory?” Would you say that you were “in the power of God?”

If not, do you happen to have other writings that you produced while under these influences? Would you be willing to make such writings available?

I found myself agreeing and also a little hesitant about what you’ve said. In one respect, as a Pentecostal, I have heard too many times that you Pentecostals bring the heat and we (insert other branch of Evangelicalism) bring the light. We’re the mind, but we need your heart.

I didn’t “really” hear you saying that entirely, but it comes close at times, too close for me to be completely at home.

Part of the issue for me is the way the NT depicts the Spirit as the one who replaces Torah in the Christian. If the Spirit is the love poured out (as Augustine understood Paul), then this divine love reintegrates human loves (emotion, passion, affectivity). At the same time, I see the point about the need for an external law because none of us have fully integrated affectivity.

And I fully concur with the point that we MUST pursue the good, the true, and the beautiful. I’m with you on the positive aspects of a fully Christianized platonism, I would just add a fully Christianized Stoicism to boot.