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The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

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I read Carl McColman's The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality (2010, Hampton Roads Publishing) while on a long flight from Singapore to South Africa, and reflected on the book while I was on safari in Kruger National Park. Amidst the raw chill of a morning on the African savannah plain while watching a glorious sunrise, adoration for the divine fills my heart, and I had a glimpse of what the mystics of all ages have been trying to explain to us. It resonates with what McColman writes about Christian mysticism,

"Christian mysticism is all about experience - the experience of union with God, or of God. But it is also about a spiritual reality that undermines experience itself, deconstructing all your masks and self-defen[c]es (sic) and leaving you spiritually naked and vulnerable before the silence of the Great Mystery. It is the spirituality of bringing heaven to earth, and of going through hell while here on earth in order to get to heaven" (p.9).



McColman structures his book into two parts. The first part explains what mysticism especially Christian mysticism is and the second is how to be a mystic through a contemplative life. The book is written in such an easy to understand way that a reader may easily miss how much knowledge and experience is needed to make such a complex subject appear simple. I discern that McColman has depth knowledge of many of the Christian mystics, notably Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, Bernard of Clairvaux, author of the Cloud of Unknowing and Hildegard of Bingen.

McColman's writing reflects the output of a gentle and kind soul who wants to share what he knows but is fearful of the repercussions. He walks gingerly through the minefield of what we commonly called mysticism. He is wise to limit himself specifically to Christian mysticism. Even then, he is aware of many well meaning Christians to whom the word mysticism is synonymous with New Age, not realising many Old and New Testament heroes of the faith may be considered mystics. I appreciate the way he grounds Christian mysticism in the Trinity, the revelation of God in his word (Bible), the Mystery of the Divine and in community. It is not often that mystics are understood in the context of their communities.

The second part deals with the heart of mysticism which involves kenosis (self-emptying) and perichoresis (analogy of the divine dance of the Trinity) which McColman calls the contemplative life. He introduces certain spiritual disciplines such as lectio divina (spiritual reading) and prayer-beyond-words which prime us to the contemplative life.

The heart of the book is what he calls the "mystical paradoxes." The mark of spiritual maturity is to be able to hold in tension two seemingly opposing spiritual truths and yet be at peace about it. This is Christian mysticism. Unlikely systematic theology which gives the illusion that everything can be neatly explained in propositions, mysticism reveals that God is still a Mystery to our finite mind. McColman notes that "[a] God that you cannot comprehend is a God you cannot manipulate. This, I believe, is a God of true grace, a God worthy of worship" (p.77).Obviously those "mystical paradoxes" needs to be unpacked to do them justice and understandably McColman will not be able to do that even in his "big" book of 309 pages. The only fault I can find (aside from the pagination) is that this "big" book is not big enough! It would have been evenbetter if McColman expands more than what he has already done on these "mystical paradoxes."

This is a good introductory book to Christian mysticism. Reading from the perspective of the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition, I do not have any issues with what McColman has written here. Christian mysticism is an essential part of the Christian spiritual life and I agree with McColman here that everyone is a mystic (see also Paul's writing in Ephesians 3). It will leave us with a truncated spiritual life if we neglect or reject this facet of our Christian spirituality.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the author's writing style and although it is jam packed with information it was not boring at ALL. I found it both practical and inspiring. Maybe that's because I was spiritually hungry for this topic. I have been a Christian for decades, and have become interested in Christian mysticism as a way to make myself available to God. American Christianity talks a big game about having relationship with God, but if I am honest about my own life I desire much more than just reading my Bible and me talking to God through prayer. I rarely feel Him communicating with me. Sure, I feel His presence, and it's not that I doubt my faith, but mysticism seems like a practical way to make space in my inner being for God to take up residence and actually change me. This book helped me understand the difference between Eastern meditation and spirituality and the rich tradition that Christianity has. I don't need to find an Indian guru to journey into the "unknowing". This book has a great list of books for further reading, too. So it answered all my basic questions, gave me direction to actually experience silence, solitude, meditation, contemplation, lectio divina for myself and paradoxically filled me with questions and ultimately a desire to learn more. Paradoxes abound in this book, and I realized, in life. Mysticism changes nothing, and changes everything. After years of dreading the Christian "quiet time" I now look forward to my 30 minutes of solitude with the God of the universe. What a relief.

This is one of those few books in which the author combines his knowledge of the "what" with the "how" and in doing so, he provides a solid theoretical look into Christian mysticism as well as practical steps and advice that one can use in their own journey towards fostering a deeper, more intimate, and experiential relationship with God. What is contained in these pages are tried and true, authentic Christian practices and teachings, and any Christian interested in the mystical aspect of Christianity would find this book to be a great companion on the journey. The author maintains a distinctively Christian approach to mysticism while not being "preachy" about it, and for this reason, I think seekers from all traditions would find value in reading this work as well. This book belongs on the bookshelf of any aspiring contemplative.

Carl McColman's Big Book of Christian Mysticism is an excellent introduction to the topic for beginners and is informative to those who have read widely on the topic. Its prose is inviting, its subject matter accessible, and its wisdom is that of the Christian tradition. It informs and inspires.
Dana Greene, author Evelyn Underhill: Artist of the Infinite Life.

As someone who has been reading about the Christian mystical tradition for several years, I was glad to run across this book. Though written for a general audience, the book does not lack intellectual vigor. McColman artfully weaves together both hagiography and history, telling stories of the great mystics and the movements that often followed them.

Part I is a series of essays that places Christian mysticism in its historical perspective as well as contextualizes mysticism among the diverse religious perspectives of the post-modern world. The second part of the book is much more practical, laying out practices and ideas that are central to those who self-identify as mystics or contemplatives.

The book is made complete by a nice series of appendices that list modern Christian mystics, a solid reading list, and (less helpful do to the fleeting nature of the technology) an online resource appendix.

This is certainly a good resource for those new to the study of mysticism as well as more seasoned readers. Both will appreciate the amount of information available in single volume work.

I find Carl McColman's steady, gentle pace of his presentation to be just right. I think one of the main goals of presenting and discussing the inherent mysticism in not only the roots of the Christian faith but also in the daily spiritual life of a Christian, is that it should entice and encourage exploration rather than alienate. Because many people nowadays are 'too busy' to do their own research or even to regularly read the Bible, they have instead developed a hair trigger response of automatic offense if a different word is used, or because the message doesn't come from an authority they have entrusted to keep their faith 'safe' for them. It is so much easier to entrust the maintenance of your faith to an 'authority' rather than explore the very dangerous territory of what God may want to do in the individual's life. After all, you may be sent to Nineveh.
Despite that the modern view of Christianity is one only of allegiance and compliance (kind of like thinking of citizenship as voting, paying bills, and doing taxes), true Christianity is about a relationship with God. Of course this relationship can never be captured, because it is one of love. A parent sets rules for his or her child, but to say that those rules are the entirety of parenthood or family life would be ludicrous. So this book, or any book, cannot adequately encompass all of God or all of our relationship with God. But it tries, and within those limits I think it has at least a partial success.
I think one of the worst, maybe even the absolute worst aspect of the fall of man was that it brought separation between all of us, and separation of us from God. And yet there is still a connection. Maybe it's buried deep and hard to find, but it is there. In a football stadium are different teams and fans taking different sides, but they are all there out of love for the spirit of the football game. We all are of the same human spirit breathed into us by God. We are our brother's keeper, and everyone is our neighbor that we are commanded to love as ourselves. One of the aspects of mysticism is that, because it is not a set of rules but a relationship with our Source, God, we begin to understand that everyone's relationship is personal and individual.
True, mysticism is not Christianity. But Christianity is mystical through and through, and this book explores that innate and intimate component.
I am also impressed with the author's listing of Christian mystic sources at the end of the book. Many directions are pointed at for further study, though as the author states, the best source is the Bible itself.

I am new to the mystical tradition. Every time I search or speak with someone about my interest I obtain a reference to a new author. Extremely excited, I hop onto Amazon and search for the book only to learn that the book is anywhere from 300-800 pages long!!! Though I have my own meditative practices using sacred texts,I felt led to learn more about the mystics and mysticism but began to feel overwhelmed. I learned quickly how deep and tumultuous the mystic waters can be. Discouraged, I happened upon Carl's book and felt the heavens open to me! FINALLY, a place where the "big name" mystics are listed, but not the main focus of the book (i.e. not a "life and times" description). He seamlessly weaves the "big names" into a deep and thoughtful description of what mysticism is; how it is approached/interpreted by some and even gives tips on how to enter into the mystic tradition through various meditative means (e.g. centering prayer). Carl takes on the seemingly impossible task of naming the unnamable in a way that is accessible to those such as myself who have a decent understanding of biblical text(and yearn to unfold the mysteries within); however, are by no means scholars. He ends the book with an extensive list of mystics, contemplative books and on-line resources. It really helps to break this area down (in less than 300 pages, no less...minus appendices). Thank you, Carl...AT LAST!!!

This book is a must if you want your relationship with God to come alive. If you want the Word of God to come alive and speak to you and you alone for yourself and the benefit of others then you need this book!!! Simple to understand, easy to learn and a must for disciplining yourself. Christ is alive and this book will prove it to you!

As a Christian trying to develope better disciplined prayer, especially the listening part, I have found this book a joy to read. I enjoyed the history presented. I appreciated his balanced and well reasoned way of presenting information on a topic that is essentially mystery and subject to conflicting interpretations. His writing style is clear and easy to read.

Putting what he teaches into practice is still difficult, but after reading the book it is not for lack of understanding of the basic concepts or lack of helpful, practical direction.

This is an exhaustive but very readable treatment of Christian mysticism as it has been practiced in the past and today. After reading it, I passed it on to my Spiritual Director, a Franciscan mystic. We both enjoyed it very much.