THE LIFE AND THOUGHT OF LOUIS MASSIGNON

Wednesday May 17^th, 2006  [Report: Sr Lucy M Brydon, Turvey Abbey]

This conference was organised by the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue of Heythrop College, University of London. About 40 people were present by invitation including scholars and speakers from Syria, Italy, and France, many of whom had a major interest in the life and work of Louis Massignon. MID-GBI was represented by Sr Agnes Wilkins, one of the speakers, Sr Lucy Brydon (Turvey Abbey) and D. Paul Fleetwood (Worth Abbey). Among the participants were Mme Massignon, widow of Daniel, the son of Louis Massignon. Daniel has written and edited works about and by his famous father and Mme Massignon now has charge of his estate and is taking forward the work begun by her husband.

The day began with an official welcome by Dr Anthony O’Mahony of Heythrop who had organised the conference. He welcomed guests and speakers from other countries and those present from the UK. Everyone regretted the unavoidable absence of Bishop Kenneth Cragg, who has studied Massignon, and been compared with him. Dr O’Mahony promised that today’s conferences would eventually be published so that all could read the full accounts and enjoy them. We were given brief biographical sketches of the speakers.

The first speaker, Rev Canon Richard Wheeler of the  Diocese of St Albans, and a graduate of Heythrop College, gave a fascinating talk on Louis Massignon and al-Hallaj. He spoke of al-Hallaj, the great Muslim teacher, mystic and martyr in a way that showed in his life to be strikingly similar to that of Jesus. His talk made at least one of his audience determined to find out more about al-Hallaj! He went on to speak of Louis Massignon as a similar “mystic of the market-place”, a mystic, Melkite priest, father of a family, scholar, soldier, diplomat, public figure and man of God. Neither man was a “desert father“ type. It was fascinating to realise how Louis Massignon first discovered this mystic of another century through study and travel, and to learn the influence al-Hallaj had on his life and thought. Massignon first encountered Islam as a young student archaeologist. Later he entered more deeply into Islam when preparing a PhD on al-Hallaj, and he gradually developed a profound love of Islam and believed that his experiential knowledge of al-Hallaj and Islam had helped his conversion (re-conversion?) to Christianity..

Next we heard Paolo dall’Oglio, SJ speak about The theology of Badaliya in the thought of Louis Massignon. Apart from his talk, the life experience of Paolo dall’Oglio made fascinating reading. He is deeply engaged in the Church’s dialogue with Islam as a Jesuit. He also founded in 1992 a contemplative monastic community in Syria, at Deir Mar Musa whose charism is to integrate interreligious dialogue with Islam and the Eastern Orthodox Churches and offer a profound hospitality. The new community sees as its primary vocation the facilitation of Christian-Islamic dialogue in the spirit of Charles de Foucauld and Louis Massignon.

His wide-ranging talk, —without notes!— was punctuated by humorous apologies for his English. In spite of his evident struggle to express his intensely held convictions, Fr dall’Oglio spoke clearly and movingly of the passion for justice central to Louis Massignon as mystic and theologian, and of how interest in him continues to grow. He touched on the relationship between Massignon and Charles de Foucauld—the two had met several times and had much in common. He also spoke of the concept of Badaliya (‘substitution mysticism’ or the concept of sacrificial, redemptive suffering) and of how both Massignon and de Foucauld shared a mysticism of martyrdom. He spoke strongly in favour of the dialogue of theological exchange in interreligious contacts, and stressed the concept of being in favour of Islam. The Church must be in favour of other religions. The age of prophecy did NOT end with John the Baptist. Elements which the Church needs to study and work on more are: the relationship between justice and eschatology in the modern world (this is seen in the Shi’ite movement for justice); the meaning of love and judgement in our times; the suffering of God in his poor, and in our souls.

After a short break we listened to Professor Hugues Didier of the University of Lyons, speaking about Louis Massignon and Charles de Foucauld. Professor Didier, whose wife was present, is an expert in Ignatian studies and the history of the Jesuits, as well as in the life and teaching of Charles de Foucauld. Having lived and taught 15 years in Algeria he has a great interest and experience in Islam and interreligious dialogue. His talk brought out how the relationship between Massignon and de Foucauld must be understood in the context of French national history and in the history of Algeria in particular. He spoke of how Massignon played a leading role in passing on the spirit of de Foucauld, who, he held strongly, died at the hands of Muslims, and for Islam in a redemptive fashion (c.f. the concept of Badaliya). Both men were fired by a sense of the injustice of the French Algerian socio-political system;  both returned to belief in Christ through their contact with Islam and the Muslim witness to God and life of prayer. Massignon “created a Christian theology of Islam”. De Foucauld, though deeply and passionately attracted by the Muslim way of life and prayer, remained fervently Catholic until his death.

After a break for lunch we continued with a talk by Brother Ian Latham of the Little Brothers of Jesus on The conversion of Louis Massignon in Iraq, 1908.Br Ian is well known in the world of interreligious dialogue and has lived in Asia and Middle East. He has made a number of special studies on Catholic Encounter with Islam including Louis Massignon in Iraq.Br Ian made clear how the conversion of Louis Massignon in Iraq was a key event in his life and completely changed his orientation towards life, God and other people. The importance of this moment in his life only became fully clear in 1988 with the publication of his private notes for his spiritual director, an Iraqi Carmelite. His conversion took place in three stages, two early in May 1908 and the third on 24^th June. It was an intense and rather strange experience , which made it appear for a while that he was mentally unhinged. But the authenticity of his conversion is supported by the integrity of his life-long witness to his ideas, and later by the continuity of his changed life following this brief, dramatic encounter which he later described in poetry.

Our next presentation was by Sr Agnes Wilkins, OSB of Stanbrook Abbey on Louis Massignon and Thomas Merton in which she shared her understanding and interest in Merton and Massignon, pointing out the monastic archetype present in each of these who appear as strongly contrasting characters: the distinguished scholar and man of the world and the contemplative monk-hermit. It was Massignon who introduced Merton to the world of Islam and Sufism which occupied him so deeply in his last years. Unfortunately the correspondence between the two mean was cut short by Massignon’s death in 1962 but Merton continued reading and deepening his knowledge of Islam and Sufism until his own untimely death. A particularly fascinating part of Sr Agnes’ talk was her clarifying of the concept of the point vierge, about which Merton wrote some beautiful meditations in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander. He took this phrase from Massignon, who in turn had taken it from the great al-Hallaj.

The final conference of the day was given by Dr Anthony O’Mahony on Louis Massignon and Jerusalem. Dr O’Mahony reminded us of Massignon’s great love for Jerusalem which must not be forgotten. He had visited Jerusalem 28 times. Dr O’Mahony traced possible influences of Louis Massignon in the attitude of Pius XII and Paul VI to the question of the Holy Land. Massignon was deeply opposed to its division into two parts, and also to the secularism of Zionism, seeing it as colonialist and nationalistic. But he did not oppose Zionist projects nor the Jewish presence in the Holy Land. He was involved in two groups supporting a peace vision and a religious vision for Jews in the Holy Land. He had a deep relationship with Martin Buber, and very strong views on the equality there should be between Jews and non-Jewish Palestinians. Jerusalem was the summit of Massignon’s life, and it is possible that his understanding of Badaliya has Jewish sources.

The last session was devoted to a panel discussion and reflection on the work of the day, in which questions were addressed to the different speakers from the floor. Although informal, it was wide ranging, deep and very interesting. A thought-provoking comment from the floor reminded us that the concept of Badaliya existed in the Catholic (pre-Vatican II) habit of “offering things up” and in the Methodist ‘holiness’ practice which was very similar.

In his closing remarks, Dr O’Mahony picked up some of these points and linked them with the talks we had had during the day. Several speakers had mentioned in passing Mary Kahil, the friend of Louis Massignon who founded an association of Badaliya, and some of the final session was devoted to her contact with and influence on Massignon. Mme Massignon expressed gratitude on behalf of the family and estate of Louis. She extended a warm invitation to all present to attend a celebration planned in France by the Friends of Louis Massignon, for 2008. It was a very richly inspiring and informative day.