Christian Mysticism

Salt Company Student Question
hey mike.. i had a random question.. what is a christian mystic? like that is what Tozer is called on the back of the knowledge of the holy book. I figure it isnt bad or anything. but what does it mean?

Mike's Response
A Christian mystic is one who's focus in Christian gifting is the study/contemplation/meditation on God. Which is a great thing to have a focus on and maybe even have a gifting in. God definitely wants us to think about him, meditate on him and contemplate who he is. Which is the point of Knowledge of the Holy.However, It can be not the best thing taken to it's extreme. Basically Christian Mysticsm rose out of the monastic lifestyle (monks and nuns). They're whole lives were focused around contemplating who God is, study and self-denial. All really good things, but they took it to the extreme and too far. And in fact Tozer took this idea a little too far in his life and devoted himself too much to study and not to just doing things for God and had a poor family life and ministry. So as we're reading this book we definitely have to look into God, contemplate him and allow him to be every part of our life, but I think having our whole life completely devoted to contemplation would cause us to miss out on the application of a life that knows God well, which is to spread his name on the earth. We will do well from learning from Tozer and the monastics on their thoughts about God, but we may not want to imitate their life in the extremes they took it. Our knowledge of God and contemplation of him is sweet, but I believe what it should be is fuel for a life lived for God healthily, not a life that doesn't do anything.