Mysticism: Seeing the whole universe as the reality of God. A relationship between surface and inner. Heresy. The opposite of rationalism. A revival of faith. A challenge to orthodoxy. A discipline for attaining deepest insights. A peculiar psychological condition. The heart of religion. Blasphemy. 

Ba’al Shem Tov.  Teresa of Avila. Rabi’ah. Thomas Merton. Jalau’ddin Rumi. Simone Weil. Meister Eckhardt.. Francis of Assisi. Ibn Arabi. Issac Luria. John of the Cross. Martin Buber. The Desert Fathers. The Sufis. The Kabbalists.

In a world dangerously divided along religious fault lines, the fascinating story of mysticism – as told through history, literature, art, ritual, imagery and the interpretations of sacred texts – becomes a powerful thread binding the three monotheistic religions to a universal expression.

Across the globe, billions identify as Jewish, Christian or Muslim believers.  Many of us associate mysticism with Eastern spiritual traditions like Buddhism or yogic practices.  Few imagine that mysticism, in its many expressions, has shaped their religions and lent meaning to their rituals.  So the breathtaking vision which mysticism continues to weave throughout the Western traditions, and its beautiful, unifying power, is still lost to many of us. 

Mysticism and Monotheism will provide a new understanding of this common spiritual bond.  This will be an international, multi-part television series where viewers will journey through the places, times, and lives of the great mystics and practice of the Abrahamic faiths – past and present.  Through music, mystical texts and poetry, and the stunning visual and literary imagery that emerges in the mystical experience, the series will propel us beyond the boundaries of traditional religious identification toward universalities of the mystical experience. 

Throughout history, mysticism and its practitioners have presented a challenge to religious orthodoxy.  The series will chronicle these conflicts over two millennia and several continents at sites of sacred practice, past and present.  In a political climate often charged with religious fundamentalism, this series may not feel ‘safe’ to some.  But the series does not argue for the existence of a divine Creator, now will it promote one form of worship over another.  And through an exploration of present historical controversies evoked by mystics and their vision, we hope to illuminate the evolution of our understanding of that which is called “God” in the Abrahamic faiths. 

Our leading advisors are eminent experts in their fields – among them Bernard McGinn at the University of Chicago; Rabbi Arthur Green at Hebrew College in Boston; and Ali Asani at Harvard University. They will join us in convening a conference in spring 2007 of a dozen scholars, archivists and artists to shape the series and its narrative arc.

Wave, sea and bubble,
All three are one.
Although there may appear to be many,
In truth there is but One.
-Shah Ni’Matullah Wali (1330-1429)

Seeking international partners.

A full funding proposal is available. Please contact us at: info@vitalpix.com