Introduction
This chapter is largely inspired by the work of Michel Cornuz: Protestantism and mysticism, Geneva, Labor et Fides 2004; “Dossier: Protestants and mysticism”, Evangile et liberté, no 75, March 2004.
Protestantism and mysticism have a mixed relationship since the birth of the Reformation in the 16th century. For a brief description of the evolutionary curve of this relationship, one could say that Protestantism and mysticism do not go together easily, the latter being defined as 'a spiritual search for union with God through a process of interior detachment'. It therefore represents a quest for a spiritual path, a questioning. It is about personal experience, and is not simply theoretical. As for Protestantism, at least in its historical form (that is to say, the reforms brought about by Luther and Calvin)it is often perceived as a religion of the intellect, as opposed to all forms of mysticism. One must therefore make a choice between mysticism and Protestantism. This might seem surprising, given the modern history of Protestantism, for the Reformation was born from a trend of spiritual reform in the Church, and it rests on a personal, free examination of the scriptures, and Protestantism emphasises the importance of the intimate link between the believer and God without mediation through a priest or a clerical hierarchy.
To begin with, we will have a quick look at why mysticism and Protestantism are often presented as irreconcilable. Then there will be an historical summary, including some notable figures of Protestant spirituality in the modern era who have a link to mysticism: Luther to begin with, the father of the Reformation whose 500th anniversary was celebrated in 2017 (with reference to the publication of his 95 theses on 31 October 1517), then two much less well known other figures, Jacob Böhme and Gerhard Tersteegen.
If the ties between mysticism and Protestantism have loosened today, it was not always this way in the modern era, and Protestantism was able to find a place for the great tradition of Christian mysticism without negating its principles.
