A Common Vision: John Cassian and al-Ghazali's Correlative Conceptions of the Spiritual Life

摘要

This article explores common ground between understandings of the spiritual life held by the fourth-century Desert Father John Cassian and the eleventh-century Sufi mystic al-Ghazali. Both refer to the spiritual life as a journey to God, to the purity of heart and practice of unceasing prayer required for that journey, and to the important role of praying selected, scripturally-based phrases. The article argues that, by investigating these themes, Christian and Muslim scholars can engender constructive interreligious dialogue between their traditions, without homogenizing their distinct faiths. While claiming that there are striking correlations between Cassian and al-Ghazali at certain points, the article also acknowledges that there are many distinctive features, including some irreducible differences. However, the article maintains that juxtaposing these two influential writers leads to the recognition of interesting parallels between their perspectives and practices and concludes that, by studying Cassian and al-Ghazali alongside one another, Christians and Muslims can learn from each other's traditions, deepen their mutual respect, and work together in promoting love for God and neighbor.