presence and joy because he “is All in all to all his Saints” because “God is the very
top of heavens joy.”^164
Before summarizing the insights of the ravished soul in the writings of
Ambrose it is significant to recognize that the effects of ravishment closely parallel
the research of Cuthbert Butler for some of the early patristic and medieval spiritual
giants. For example in Augustine the benefits of ravishment were “[c]learer
perception of the truth” and “full enjoyment” for Gregory, “self-knowledge, humility,
fervour and love” and for Bernard “love, fervour, active zeal”.^165
Conclusion
Much territory has been covered in this chapter and it is now possible to
summarize some of the primary insights. Ravishment was a highly charged word and
Ambrose used it to communicate being overcome by or taken out of this world by the
love of the Triune God. It was a term of heavenly delight and therefore captured a
sense of the intensification of desire of a person who had experienced being carried
away by divine joy of spiritual marriage. There does not appear to be any change in
Ambrose’s usage of ravishment in his works. While his treatment is consistent, what
is evident is how the specific theological nature of his writing controls the usage of
ravishment. Therefore in Media, a work on sanctification that emphasizes the role of
spiritual duties, ravishment is frequently connected with engaging spiritual exercises.
In Looking Unto Jesus, with its strong christological focus, ravishment tends to relate
to beholding or listening to Jesus. The references in Ultima, Communion with Angels,
and War with Devils include a number of experiences around death. Obviously there
164
165 Ambrose, Butler, Western MysticismLooking Unto Jesus, for Augustine, 49, for Gregory, 82, for Bernard, 108., 1111.^