This brief chapter provides a historical overview and development of the term mysticism. It notes its varying meaning within religious traditions, its problematic features, and its use with respect to different methodological perspectives. It then proceeds to a summary overview of the structure of the volume, noting its four parts (Presenting the Mystical Element: Tradition and Context; Negotiating Mysticism: Expanding the Map; Investigating Mysticism: Perspectives, Theories, and Institutional Spaces; Tracking Mysticism: Pedagogy and Contemporary Culture) and the basic orientation that...

This brief chapter provides a historical overview and development of the term mysticism. It notes its varying meaning within religious traditions, its problematic features, and its use with respect to different methodological perspectives. It then proceeds to a summary overview of the structure of the volume, noting its four parts (Presenting the Mystical Element: Tradition and Context; Negotiating Mysticism: Expanding the Map; Investigating Mysticism: Perspectives, Theories, and Institutional Spaces; Tracking Mysticism: Pedagogy and Contemporary Culture) and the basic orientation that animates the chapters that compose each part.