George Matheson and Mysticism—A Biographical Study: Mysticism in the Scottish Presbyterian Tradition
Ebook
This book is a study on the life and mystical thought of George Matheson. In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, Matheson was a Church of Scotland minister at Innellan on the west coast of Scotland. Matheson was of Highland descent and blind from the age of eighteen. His spiritual journey included a distressing experience of atheism, the attraction of Hegelian idealism, and through the practice of silence and meditation on Scripture, he wrote of the Eternal through mystical union. Matheson has much to offer those interested in the inner life, not least Christians in the Presbyterian tradition.
“This moving and perceptive study of the writings of one of
Scotland’s spiritual giants locates George Matheson among the
classic Christian mystics of the church catholic. It offers an
original and timely picture of Presbyterian mysticism as
exemplified by the blind seer of Innellan.”
—Ian Bradley, University of St Andrews, Emeritus
“In the nineteenth century, George Matheson made a considerable and
surprising impact on the spiritual life of Presbyterian Scotland.
This challenging study offers fresh insight into the important
dynamic of mysticism which powered his work and enhanced his
influence and generates creative suggestions for contemporary
Christian discipleship.”
—George Newlands, University of Glasgow, Emeritus
“In this scholarly and accessible work, Scott McKenna provides an
engaging portrait of George Matheson, one of the finest preachers
and spiritual writers to emerge in Victorian Scotland. By focusing
on key mystical elements of Matheson’s work, McKenna captures that
blend of humane learning, theological breadth, and spiritual
intensity that characterized much of Scottish church life of the
period. Matheson belongs to a tradition that can still speak to
us.”
—David Fergusson, University of Cambridge
- Title: George Matheson and Mysticism—A Biographical Study: Mysticism in the Scottish Presbyterian Tradition
- Author: Scott S. McKenna
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781725298934, 1725298937
- Resource ID: LLS:9781725298934
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-12-22T06:11:40Z
Scott S. McKenna is a Church of Scotland minister in Ayr, Scotland. He has written numerous articles, meditations, and prayers for church publications. Scott has written an intellectual biography of the Scottish theologian John Caird (1820–1898) and in 2018 completed his PhD on George Matheson (1840–1906) at the University of St Andrews.