The Sublime Unselfing of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Sermons

This dissertation suggests that Ralph Waldo Emerson’s sermons may be fruitfully read as Christian mystical texts in light of Bernard McGinn’s discussion of Western Christian mysticism. More specifically: Emerson’s sermons, read systematically with McGinn’s historical survey in mind, describe the preparation, pursuit, experience and expression of a mystical encounter with the Divine. By re-configuring McGinn’s historical snapshots into systematic searchlights, this dissertation explores and maps the mystical depths of Emerson’s sermons, combing them for elements of his mystical-theological anthropology, his mystical Christology, and his mystical homiletics. The fruit of our effort is revealed in what we will call the sublime unselfing of Emerson’s sermons.