Chaitanya Jyothi Museum Opening, 2000

RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.

Countrymen,

ORBIS NON SUFFICIT
SOLUS DEUS SUFFICIT

God (mysterium) both attracts (fascinosum) and repels (tremendum).  He is both sweet and terrifying.  To experience God as both at once is to experience The Holy.

In general, Protestant and Reformed churches shun the experience of God as repellant to commend God as attractive.

In general, Anglican churches shun both the seductive and the terrifying experience of God to commend something entirely different: God as sensitive (mysterium sensualis).

In general, Roman Catholic churches commend both classical experiences of God: mysterium fascinosum and mysterium tremendum.  As is appropriate.

In general, Orthodox/Russian churches shun the experience of God as attractive to commend God as terrifying in a comforting, personally-advantageous sort of way.

Some Roman Catholics today consider Pope Francis to be shunning the experience of God as repellant or even moving towards an Anglican-like rejection of both fascinosum and tremendum in favor of commending God as sensitive, sensual, secure.  Their observations cannot be deemed entirely inaccurate.

In classical formulations, of course, God is always all of the above and so is the experience of Him.  Trouble — untruth, heresy, apostasy — commences only when some pennacchio with diarrhea of the mouth or pen starts saying what God is not or what experience is not of Him and condemns disagreements and the disagreeable.

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA