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The first in-depth treatment in almost a century of the metaphysics and philosophical mysticism of Philo of Alexandria, one of the most important mystics from the Greco-Roman world.
Philo of Alexandria (ca. 15 BCE–50 CE) is one of the most important mystics of the ancient Mediterranean world. Accounts of ecstatic experiences and transformative encounters with God appear throughout his writings, and his most loved and lauded mystical experience, the vision of God, stands at the heart of his philosophical and exegetical efforts. Given its significance and complexity, a wide range of topics intersect with the visio Dei, including the metaphysics and mysticism of ancient philosophy; Greco-Roman and ancient Jewish accounts of epiphany, theophany, and heavenly ascent; theories of vision and the sociocultural implications of the gaze; divine and human agency; and Platonic contemplative practices, such as noetic ascent, asceticism, and the pursuit of virtue. Scott D. Mackie's study examines these many topics and contends that Philo's accounts of the ascent to the visio Dei, though ambiguous and occasionally inconsistent, attempt to represent actual experience. In fact, many of the ambiguities result from his desire to realistically portray a complex and uncertain experience that is ultimately inscrutable and beyond the control of the contemplative.
"In tackling this central theme in Philo’s thought, Scott D. Mackie reveals a remarkably broad and judicious knowledge of the relevant literature in both ancient philosophy and biblical studies. This is combined with an intimate knowledge of the Philonic corpus, every part of which—and it is huge—is covered in the book. Mackie also shows an admirable acquaintance with current preoccupations and trends, including neuroscience and feminist theology." — David T. Runia, University of Melbourne/Australia Catholic University.
Scott D. Mackie has taught Biblical studies and Christian history courses at Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, and Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Eschatology and Exhortation in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the editor of The Letter to the Hebrews: Critical Readings.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Philo the Man
2. Philo the Philosopher
3. Philo the Interpreter
4. Philo the Mystic
5. Philo's Visual Orientation
6. Philo the Recluse or Socially Engaged Teacher?
7. Plan of This Book
Part One: Theories of Vision and Sense Perception
1. Ancient Theories of Vision
1. Intromission and Extramission
2. Plato and Aristotle
3. Stoics and the Evil Eye
4. Ancient Jews and Early Christians
5. Philo
Conclusion
2. Sense Perception and Epistemology
1. Plato
2. Aristotle
3. Stoics and Academics
4. Middle Platonists
5. Philo
Conclusion
Part Two: Theology, Metaphysics, and Visions of the Divine
3. Epiphanies in the Greco-Roman World
Conclusion
4. Greco-Roman Philosophical Conceptions of God and Metaphysical Cosmology
1. Plato
2. Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans
3. Stoics
4. Epicureans
5. Middle Platonists
Conclusion
5. The God of the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint
1. Anthropomorphic and Anthropopathic Representations
2. Seeing the "Invisible" God
3. Seeing God in the Septuagint (LXX)
Conclusion
6. Philo's Conception of God and Metaphysical Cosmology
1. Transcendence and Unknowability
2. Immanence and Soteriology
3. Intermediaries, the Forms, and the Noetic Realm
4. Portrayals of God's Appearance
5. Does Philo's God Possess Relational Attributes?
Conclusion
Part Three: The Object of the Vision, Agency, and Methods
7. The Object of the Vision of God: The Logos, the Powers, or God?
1. Factors Mitigating and Restricting the Visio Dei
2. The Object of the Vision: God or His Intermediaries?
3. Visio Dei Passages in the Allegorical Commentary
4. Visio Dei Passages in the Questions and Answers
5. Visio Dei Passages in the Exposition
6. The Visio Dei in Nonexegetical Works
Conclusion
8. The Effectual Means of the Vision of God
1. Agency in Greco-Roman Literature and Philosophy
2. Agency in Ancient Jewish and Early Christian Texts and Traditions
3. Agency in Philo
Conclusion
9. The Means and Methods of the Ascent to the Vision
1. Platonic Contemplation
2. The Pursuit and Practice of Virtue
3. Asceticism
4. Allegorical Interpretation
Conclusion
Part Four: Mysticism
10. Philo's Mysticism and the Vision of God
1. Defining Mysticism
2. Rhetorical and Logical Factors Suggesting the Authenticity of the Vision of God
3. Neuroscientific Analysis of Mystical Experience
Conclusion
11. An Example of Philo's Mysticism: The Passion of Eve and the Ecstasy of Hannah (Ebr. 143–152)
1. The Female Personification of Sense Perception and the Sensuous Hannah
2. The Passion and Ecstatic Joy of Hannah
3. The Mysticism of Ebr.
4. Hannah's Mysticism: Allegorical Fantasy or Actual Experience?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of Philo of Alexandria
Index of Greco-Roman Philosophy and Classical Literature
Index of Biblical and Second Temple Jewish Texts
Index of Modern Scholars