Seeing God in Philo of Alexandria : Contemplative Ascent and Visionary Experience

The first in-depth treatment in almost a century of the metaphysics and philosophical mysticism of Philo of Alexandria, one of the most important mystics from the Greco-Roman world. Philo of Alexandria (ca. 15 BCE–50 CE) is one of the most important mystics of the ancient Mediterranean world. Accounts of ecstatic experiences and transformative encounters with God appear throughout his writings, and his most loved and lauded mystical experience, the vision of God, stands at the heart of his philosophical and exegetical efforts. Given its significance and complexity, a wide range of topics intersect with the visio Dei, including the metaphysics and mysticism of ancient philosophy; Greco-Roman and ancient Jewish accounts of epiphany, theophany, and heavenly ascent; theories of vision and the sociocultural implications of the gaze; divine and human agency; and Platonic contemplative practices, such as noetic ascent, asceticism, and the pursuit of virtue. Scott D. Mackie's study examines these many topics and contends that Philo's accounts of the ascent to the visio Dei, though ambiguous and occasionally inconsistent, attempt to represent actual experience. In fact, many of the ambiguities result from his desire to realistically portray a complex and uncertain experience that is ultimately inscrutable and beyond the control of the contemplative.