ABSTRACT
The Arnhem Mystical Sermons attest to the belief that the essential being of God can be perceived and experienced by men and women. The mysticalanthropological underpinning for this belief lies in an understanding of the highest faculties of the spirit, which accredits those faculties with the ability to perceive and experience the divine essence. On closer inspection, we find that in the Arnhem Mystical Sermons the highest faculties of the spirit exhibit a certain multilayeredness. This multilayeredness does not so much indicate separate levels within or parts of those faculties, but rather different aspects or functions attributed to them. In order to enhance our understanding of this multilayeredness, it is useful to consider parallel philosophical concepts regarding the soul. The Arnhem Mystical Sermons reflect positions held by philosophers and theologians from the late Middle Ages that trickled down into the mystical culture that generated these sermons. In this contribution, I will analyse sections of some Arnhem Mystical Sermons that manifest the multilayeredness of the highest faculties. Furthermore, I want to stress the crucial importance of concepts developed by Aristotle, particularly in his De anima, transmitted through medieval adaptations, that underlie the Arnhem Mystical Sermons.
