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Description
However, these descriptions are occasionally interrupted by brief but vivid accounts of ecstatic experiences in which prayerful monks seem to be enveloped, even ravished, by a powerful divine force. Although these portrayals of spontaneous ecstasy appear to contradict the author’s pedagogical objectives, they are an integral part of the mimetic function and purpose of these texts.
Speaker Bios
Simon is an international student from South Africa who holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and an MA in Christian Spirituality. His interest in the ascetic practices of contemplation and meditation prompted him to establish a place of retreat in the Klein Karoo region of South Africa where he lived for 10 years. During this time, he developed a keen interest in the relationship between religious practices and ecstatic experiences.