academic detractors as well as defenders of this commonly perceived oxymoron will
be considered. McGinn’s insights from the earlier definition of mysticism will be
applied to the study of Puritanism and examine what if any “mystical element”
existed within Puritan piety. This triad of definitions will be followed by a review of
the most salient writings on Puritan mysticism and Isaac Ambrose. The uniqueness of
this thesis is that while Ambrose has appeared in both journals and dissertations he
has never been the primary focus. Before examining the critical topic of
hermeneutics a review of the sources of Ambrose’s writings will be included. While
the historiography of Puritanism rarely explores the methodology of interpreting these
early texts this particular thesis is framed by the modern academic discipline of
Christian spirituality in which considerable scholarship has been devoted to the
reading of ancient texts. After establishing the hermeneutical methodology and
methods that will guide this thesis the chapter will conclude with a detailed summary
of the themes of the remaining five chapters.
Defining Mysticism
The problematic nature of mysticism has occupied scholars for generations
yielding little clarity and consensus.^4 Further, embarking upon this pilgrimage it must
be asserted that Isaac Ambrose and his fellow Puritans of the seventeenth-century
would not have employed this term nor had the ability to understand the nature of it.
However, that would be no different for Western and Roman Catholic mystics who
would more readily warrant this label. McGinn remarks “[n]o mystics (at least before
the present century) believed in or practiced mysticism. They believed in and
For a helpful introduction to mysticism see Wiseman, “Mysticism.” s.v.; McGinn,
“Mysticism.” s.v.; Turner, “Mysticism.” s.v.; Perrin, “Mysticism.” Companion; and Tamburello, Ordinary Mysticism. Blackwell