God is present
the three stages of contemplation according to Gerhard Tersteegen
Keywords:
contemplation, unio mystica, presence of God
Abstract
This is a lecture explaining the practice of Christian contemplation. First, a distinction is made between formal practice, objective and everyday life. Contemplation is seen as a practice that involves all three aspects. “Gott ist gegenwärtig” (God is present), a song by Protestant mystic Gerhard Tersteegen, serves as an example to characterize the contemplative path, which illustrates these three aspects and ideally brings them into a sequence of steps.
