This clear and comprehensive anthology, culled from the vast corpus of Christian mystical literature by the renowned theologian and historian Bernard McGinn, presents nearly one hundred selections, from the writings of Origen of Alexandria in the third century to the work of twentieth-century mystics such as Thomas Merton.

Uniquely organized by subject rather than by author, The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism explores how human life is transformed through the search for direct contact with God. Part one examines the preparation for encountering God through biblical interpretation and prayer; the second part focuses on the mystics' actual encounters with God; and part three addresses the implications of the mystical life, showing how mystics have been received over time, and how they practice their faith through private contemplation and public actions.

In addition to his illuminating Introduction, Bernard McGinn provides accessible headnotes for each section, as well as numerous biographical sketches and a selected bibliography.

Praise for The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism
No one is better equipped than Bernard McGinn to provide a thorough and balanced guide to this vast literature....This is an anthology which deserves to be read not only by those who study Christian history and theology, but by believers who long to deepen their own lives of prayer and service. -- Anglican Theological Review

Bernard McGinn, a preeminent historian and interpreter of the Christian mystical tradition, has edited this fine collection of mystical writings, organizing them thematically....McGinn offers helpful introductions to each thematic section, author and entry, as well as a brief critical bibliography on mysticism. Published in the Modern Library Classic series, this is a great value. - Christian Century

No-one is better equipped than Professor McGinn to provide a thorough and balanced guide to this vast literature. A first-class selection, by a first-class scholar. -- Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

This accessible anthology by the scholarly world's leading historian of the Western Christian mystical tradition easily outstrips all others in its comprehensiveness, the aptness of its selection of texts, and in the intelligent manner of its organization. -- Denys Turner, Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology, Yale Divinity School

An immensely rich anthology, assembled and introduced by our foremost student of mysticism. Both the scholar and the disciple will find God's plenty here. -- Barbara Newman, Professor of English, Religion, and Classics, John Evans Professor of Latin, Northwestern University

An unusually clear and insightful exposition of major texts selected by one of the greatest scholars in the field of Christian mysticism, based on his vast erudition and uniquely sensitive interpretation. Like his other books, this one too is destined to become a classic. -- Professor Moshe Idel, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

Bernard McGinn's The Presence of God series is one of the most respected histories of Christian mysticism in print today. In this new book, Bernard and Patricia McGinn draw from the series to take a closer, personal look at the mystical vision of 12 great spiritual masters living before the Reformation. What were the deep insights of these early mystics? How can we apply their wisdom to our lives today? Chapters include Hildegard of Bingen on cosmic vision, John Cassian on prayer and purity of heart, and Bernard of Clairvaux on spousal love.

The year 1200 marked a dynamic turning point in the history of Christian mysticism. New forms of religious life provided the impetus for a new mysticism whose influence continues today. This book documents the spirited dialogue between men and women that made possible the richness of mysticism in the 13th and 14th centuries.

More than 25 years in the making, this magisterial volume uncovers the riches of one of the greatest periods of mystical wisdom in Christian history: the vernacular spirituality of the late medieval period in Europe. The compilation incorporates more than a century of new research from around the globe, demonstrating how this period gave rise to many mystical writers who remain influential even today, including Julian of Norwich, Eckhart's follower Jan van Ruusbroec, and the inspirational doctor of the church and visionary, Catherine of Siena. With unmatched knowledge of the primary works and scholarship around the globe, this study illustrates the unique genius of each mystical teacher as well as how they build on one another's insights to pursue a life in God's presence. Specific types of mysticism covered include Trinitarian, late medieval Italian, renaissance, and the golden age of English mysticism.

Building on the success of The Foundations of Mysticism, this second volume of McGinn's classic The Presence of God series covers the major theoreticians of the period 500 to 1200 CE. Major figures include Gregory the Great, John Scotus Eriugena, Bernard of Clairvaux, William of St. Thierry, and Hugh of St. Victor.

The Persistence of Mysticism in Catholic Europe is intended to complete the account of Early Modern mysticism of the period 1500-1650/1675 found in the Volume VI of The Presence of God. VI, Part 1 dealt with mysticism in the Reformation, while VI, Part 2 treated Spanish mysticism. This volume deals with the other Catholic areas, concentrating on France.

In this first volume of the highly-acclaimed Presence of God series, Bernard McGinn explores the origins of Christian mysticism, from early Jewish apocalyptic writings to pre-Christian Greek contemplative thought; the New Testament witnesses; early Greek Patristic thought; and the contribution of early monastic practice. In Part 2, McGinn discusses Western Christian mysticism proper, with special attention to Augustine of Hippo. Of special interest is the now-influential appendix, which reviews various theoretical approaches to mysticism.

Centuries after his work as a preacher, philosopher, and spiritual guide, Meister Eckhart remains one of the most widely-read mystics of the Western tradition. Yet as he has come to be studied more closely in recent decades, a number of different Eckharts have emerged. This volume reviews and synthesizes the diverging views of Eckhart that have been presented in recent past. For the first time, Bernard McGinn, the greatest living scholar of Western Christian mysticism, brings together in one volume the fruition of decades of reflection on these questions, offering a view of Eckhart that unites his reflections as preacher, philosopher, and theologian.

The great German mystic Meister Eckhart remains one of the most fascinating figures in Western thought. Revived interest in Eckhart's mysticism has been matched, and even surpassed, by the study of the women mystics of the late13th century. This book argues that Eckhart's thought cannot be fully be understood until it is viewed against the background of the breakthroughs made by the women mystics who preceded him.

Mysticism in the Reformation, Part I of Volume 6 of The Presence of God Series, is the first full account of the role of the mystical element of Christianity in the Reformers who broke with Rome in the period 1500-1650. Although some modern Protestant theologians tried to distance the Reformation from any contact with mysticism, recent scholarship, by both Protestants and Catholics, has shown that Protestant mysticism is an important part of the heritage of the Reformation. After an Introduction surveying modern disputes about the nature of the Reformation and the Catholic reaction to it (both Catholic Reform and Counter-Reformation), Chapter One deals with how the pioneering Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin reacted to the heritage of Christian mysticism, concentrating on Luther's complicated relation to mystical traditions. Chapter Two turns to the role of mysticism in select Radical Reformers of the sixteenth century, who created models of interior mystical religion that continued to have an effect over the centuries. Chapter Three analyzes the writings of the two most famous Lutheran mystics of the early seventeenth century, Johann Arndt and Jacob Boehme, whose impact in later Western religious traditions has been both powerful and controversial. Finally, Chapter Four considers the significance of mysticism in the English Reformation, both among those who accepted the Elizabethan Settlement that established the Anglican Church, as well as with the dissident Puritans who rejected it.

Bargains in books are rare today, but one would be hard put to find in American publishing anything superior to these in content and format. The Parish Visitor Meister Eckhart: Teacher and Preacher edited by Bernard McGinn with the collaboration of Frank Tobin and Elvira Borgstadt preface by Kenneth Northcott When this temple is thus free of all obstacles, namely, possessiveness and ignorance, then it sparkles so beautifully and shines so purely and bright above everything that God created and through everything that God created that no one can be compared to it in brightness but the uncreated God alone...If the soul of a man still living in time were standing on the same level as the highest angel, this person could reach immeasurable higher in his free capability above the angel in ever 'now', new beyond number, that is, and beyond manner and above the manner of the angels and any created intellect. Meister Eckhart (c.1260-1327) Here are the texts that illustrate the diversity of one of the most enigmatic and influential mystics of the Western Christian tradition. Eckhart the teacher is represented by the Commentary on Exodus and by selections from six other commentaries, including the Commentary on Wisdom 7:14, the Commentary on Ecclesiasticus 24:29, and the Commentary on John 14:8. Eckhart's ministry as a preacher was an equally important part of the man, and thus his sermons, from both the Latin and the Middle High German manuscripts, are included. What emerges is a comprehensive picture of the works of this great speculative theologian. Together with Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries and Treatises, this work form the most extensive corpus of Eckhart's writings in English. +

The life and times of the most important theological work of medieval Christendom

Thomas Aquinas's Summa theologiae holds a unique place in Western religion and philosophy. Written between 1266 and 1273, it was conceived by Aquinas as an instructional guide for teachers and novices and a compendium of all the approved teachings of the Catholic Church. It synthesizes an astonishing range of scholarship, covering hundreds of topics and containing more than a million and a half words--and was still unfinished at the time of Aquinas's death. Bernard McGinn, one of today's most acclaimed scholars of medieval Christianity, traces the remarkable life of this iconic work, examining Aquinas's reasons for writing it, its subject matter, and the novel way he organized it. McGinn looks at the influence of Aquinas's masterpiece on such giants of medieval Christendom as Meister Eckhart, its ridicule during the Enlightenment, the role of the Summa in the post-Vatican II church, and the book's enduring relevance today.

The fourth volume in the universally-acclaimed The Presence of God series, The Harvest of Mysticism is a tour-de-force study of medieval German mysticism from Thomas Aquinas and his master, Albert the Great to Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, and including Jan van Ruusbroeck, Meister Eckhart, and John Tauler.

The Classics of Western Spirituality(TM) series has itself become the acknowledged 'classic' in English for the study of Western spirituality. Jorge Floria Henry Suso: The Exemplar with Two German Sermons translated, edited, and introduced by Frank Tobin preface by Bernard McGinn This is the ground and foundation for our happiness--becoming less and an annihilation of oneself. Whoever wants to become something he is not, must of necessity become less of that which he is. Pure desirable Goodness, which is called and is God, exists in itself and dwells in its own substantial being, one substantial, immutable being existing and being for itself. All things should exist for him, not for themselves, but for him and through him. He is being, activity, life and all things; we are nothing except in him. Henry Suso (c. 1300-1366) The Dominican friar, Henry Suso, was one of the most fascinating mystics of the fourteenth century, an era of singular richness in the history of Christian mysticism. His Exemplar, here translated in its entirety, contains a rich diversity of religious experience- autobiographical, devotional, speculative and pastoral. Suso's Life compares with Augustine's Confessions in the realm of spiritual autobiography, while his major mystical works, the Little Book of Eternal Wisdom and the Little Book of Truth, witness to the intermingling of speculative mysticism dependent on Meister Eckhart and a devotional piety typical of the late Middle Ages. Henry Suso was one of the most popular of all late medieval writers. His Exemplar is a true classic of Western Spirituality. +

Written by one of the great authorities on Catholic wisdom, this user friendly resource is designed as a general introduction to the 33 remarkable individuals who shaped the understanding of the Church's faith. After a brief account of the concept and development of the office of doctor ecclesiae, sketches of the lives and teachings of the influential doctors are presented in chronological order. A list of major translations of each doctor's writings for further reading is also included.

Apocalypticism has been the source of hope and courage for the oppressed, but has also given rise, on many occasions, to fanaticism and intolerance. The essays in this volume seek neither to apologize for the extravagance of apocalyptic thinkers nor to excuse the perverse actions of some of their followers. Rather, they strive to understand a powerful, perhaps even indispensable, element in the history of Western religions that has been the source of both good and evil, and still is yet today.The Editors

The Continuum History of Apocalypticism is a 1-volume, select edition of the 3-vol. Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism first published in 1998. The main historical surveys that provided the spine of the Encyclopedia have been retained, while essays of a thematic nature, and a few whose subject matter is not central to the historical development, have been omitted. The work begins with 8 articles on The Origins of Apocalypticism in the Ancient World, extending from ancient Near Eastern myth through the Old Testament to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jesus, Paul, and the Book of Revelation. Next are 7 articles on Apocalyptic Traditions from Late Antiquity to ca. 1800 C.E., including early Christian theology, radical movements in the Middle Ages, and both Jewish and Islamic apocalypticism in the classic period. The final section, Apocalypticism in the Modern Age, includes 10 articles on apocalypticism in the Americas, in Western and Eastern Europe, and, finally, in modern Judaism and modern Islam.

From millenarists to Antichrist hunters, from the Sibyls to the Hussites, Visions of the End is a monumental compendium spanning the literature of the Christian apocalyptic tradition from the period A.D. 400 to 1500, masterfully selected and complete with a comprehensive introduction and new preface.

From the World Spirituality series, this is a broad-ranging, illustrated, scholarly treatment of core topics in Christian spirituality, focused on the Reformation and pre-Reformation periods.

From the World Spirituality series, this is a broad-ranging, illustrated, scholarly treatment of core topics in Christian spirituality in the period after the Reformation.