Skip to content
Wellsprings
christian-spirituality-mysticismfeatured in 29 works

Beatific Vision

The whole spiritual journey aims at one thing: to see God

As a mystical goal, the beatific vision is the soul's ultimate union with God in a direct vision of him, the destination of the spiritual life, as described by Augustine, Aquinas, and the wider mystical tradition. The traditions differ in framing: Western writers speak of a vision of the divine essence, while Eastern Christians speak of beholding the uncreated light, a difference tied to the essence-energies distinction.

How it traveled

  1. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  2. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  3. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  4. City of God
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  5. Expositions on the Book of Psalms
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  6. On the Holy Trinity
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  7. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  8. Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  9. The Confessions
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  10. Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  11. Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  12. Two Books of Soliloquies
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  13. On Christian Doctrine
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  14. A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  15. Proslogium
    Canterbury · 1109
    explains
  16. Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  17. Treatise on The One God (QQ[2-26])
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  18. Treatise on Man (qq[75]-102)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  19. Treatise on the Angels (qq[50]-64)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  20. Internal Consolation
    Zwolle · 1471
    explains
  21. Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  22. Seventeen Occasional Sermons
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  23. Heaven
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  24. Five Sermons. On Different Occasions
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  25. The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of Salvation
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  26. A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  27. Seven Sermons. On Important Subjects
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  28. XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains
  29. Narrative of Surprising Conversions
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    applies

Key passages(20)

Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 6↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON VIII. The Portion of the Righteous — part 20↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Treatise on The One God (QQ[2-26]) — Question. 12 - HOW GOD IS KNOWN BY US (THIRTEEN ARTICLES) — part 5↗explains

Treatise on The One God (QQ[2-26]) · Thomas Aquinas

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Treatise on the Angels (qq[50]-64) — Question. 62 - OF THE PERFECTION OF THE ANGELS IN THE ORDER OF GRACE AND OF GLORY (NINE ARTICLES) — part 2↗explains

Treatise on the Angels (qq[50]-64) · Thomas Aquinas

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter — The Law Written in the Heart, and the Reward of the Eternal Contemplation of God, Belong to the New Covenant; Who Among the Saints are the Least and the Greatest.↗explains

A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter · Augustine of Hippo

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Five Sermons. On Different Occasions — Sermon III. True Saints — part 4↗explains

Five Sermons. On Different Occasions · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Heaven — part 3↗explains

Heaven · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Proslogium — Chapter XXV.↗explains

Proslogium · Anselm of Canterbury

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament — On the words of the Gospel, Matt. Chap. v. 3 and 8, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit:' etc., but especially on that, 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'↗explains

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament · Augustine of Hippo

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament — On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xix. 28, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,’ etc.↗explains

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament · Augustine of Hippo

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 1↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 11↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 2↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 3↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 4↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 5↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 7↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON IX. The Pure in Heart blessed — part 8↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON VIII. The Portion of the Righteous — part 21↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high
Seventeen Occasional Sermons — SERMON VIII. The Portion of the Righteous — part 22↗explains

Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards

Read in Sefaria →
Very high