The word mystic in English is a relatively modern term. I refer you
to Louis Bouyer's fine essay, "Mysticism/An Essay on the History of
the Word" _Understanding Mysticism_, ed. Richard Woods. New York:
Image, 1980. 42-55. More to the point on "mystic" is the late Michel
de Certeau's _Mystic Fable_ Chicago: UChicago P, 1992 (English trans.).
This is a topic we have discussed much on Mystic-l, the academic
discussion of mysticism, a listserv list I began last year. If you're
interested in joining, visit the list's webpage at http:/www.ucc.uconn.edu/
~das93006/mystic-l.html. Another excellent source on this topic is the
term's entry in the _Dictionnaire Spiritualite_.
Hope that helps a bit.
David A. Salomon
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Listowner: [log in to unmask]
http://www.ucc.uconn.edu/~das93006/
Department of English
University of Connecticut
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