In this talk, Prof Bernard McGinn, the preeminent scholar in the field, gives a panoramic view of the mystical and sets the scene for the course. He explores the nature of mysticism and why Christian mysticism is so important. What does the word “mysticism” mean? Is it an exclusive state, just for the few or is it for all? What is a mystic and why are they crucial to humankind? And why does Karl Rahner, a 20th-century theologian say “The Christian of the future will either be a mystic or will not be a Christian at all?”