Analogie terminologiczne i leksykalne w twórczości św. Jana oraz mistyków świata islamu .......... 359

TERMINOLOGICAL AND LEXICAL ANALOGIES BETWEEN THE WORKS OF ST. JOHN AND MYSTICS OF ISLAM

The main goal of the article is the analysis of mystic terminology and its symbolism in the writings of St. John of the Cross, with particular emphasis on the Song of the Soul. The choice of this work as central is not accidental coinicdence. First of all, it is particularly rich in mystic symbols, the connotations of which can be found in Islamic religious and philosophical literature (as well as Jewish literature). Secondly, the morphology of the Song of the Soul is related to the Song of Songs which was St. John’s spiritual leader. Thus it is essential to emphasize the importance of the Song of Songs when contemplating St. John’s spirituality. Thirdly, the Song of the Soul constitutes the synthesis of the Saint’s study and undoubtedly was inspired by the Song of Solomon. What is particularly important in analytical research is the use of the hermeneutical and linguistic method which is, on the one hand, based on defining the key notions and, on the other, their variety expressed by the author. Therefore, what is of primary importance is dualism consisting of terminology content, which is the result of experiential aspect, and verbal message which may be inadequate due to the difficulties of expression caused by mystic ineffability. In areas concerning descriptions of empirical reality the analysis of mystic terminology is based on the comparison of the way St. John and Muslim mystics expressed their experiences. The author would like to emphasize this analogy, because it shows the objective of the analysis of mystic language in linguistic and hermeneutical aspect (that is experiential as well as narrative and poetic, as it was earlier stated) and not in phenomenological, theological or doctrinal one.