1. poly-pathy
i would draw a distinction between a sentimentality with its excessive
self-indulgences and other experiences of spiritual fervor and even
passion that fall within healthy norms of "affective attunement"
our tradition has room for a rich diversity of spirituality & piety, all
consistent with what are often pronounced personality differences (cf
myers briggs, jungian typology & enneagram)
thus we affirm even spousal mysticism
even the eastern teadtions have prominent devotional paths, such as
bhakti yoga
i call this poly-pathy, which recognizes diverse affective pathways, just
as there are diverse practices - poly-praxy, diverse emphases - polydoxy and so on as celebrated in our abrahamic traditions, christianity,
buddhism & hinduism
so, these different emphases certainly present within boundaries or
norms of orthopathy, orthopraxy & orthodoxy, which recognize that not
just "anything goes" even while celebrating a rich diversity of expression
& healthy plurality of experience w/in prudent norms & recognizable
boundaries of reason
to wit, i affirm the father as creator (abrahamic), son as contingency
(christian), spirit as relation (buddhist) and god as ground (hindu), hence
a tetra-tarian rather than mere trinitarian theology of nature
thus, intimacy w/the persons of the trinity can indeed be fervent,
passionate, erotic even w/o being maudlin, even as others may
experience & express a more vaguely focused affective disposition
attuned, for example, to cosmic sensibilities
some of us may experience more than one affective pathway as we
travel past first fervor, limerance & infatuation on thru second naivete
via enchantment, dis-enchantment and re-enchantment w/god in
particular or even reality in general (or with one's spouse, analogously,
e.g. second honeymoon), which is to recognize intra-personal
developmental dynamics thru time in addition to interpersonal
personality differences