The Brotherhood of the Common Life and Its Influence (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions) [Hardcover]

Ross Fuller (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Brotherhood of the Common Life and Its Influence presents a lost tradition of inner work, the way of the householder, which was believed by the Brotherhood of Common Life to have been the teaching of the Apostles. It focuses on the emergence, amidst the decay of medieval culture, of "the mixed life," this reconciliation of action and contemplation, as the essential link between Catholic spirituality and Protestantism. The transmission of this work to lay persons seeking the interior dimensions of their lives without withdrawing from the world is presented. The hitherto monastic spiritual exercises for strengthening attention are discussed in depth. The traditional and vital Christian knowledge of the human condition, which the Brothers and Sisters verified for themselves, is emphasized, especially the crucial significance of the force of attention in the recollection of oneself and God. The importance of strengthening attentive awareness is everywhere alluded to in the sources, but virtually ignored in current accounts of the Christian heritage. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 378 pages
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791422437
• ISBN-13: 978-0791422434
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,825,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Lay Practices Outside Monasticism, August 6, 2004

By 

Reijo Oksanen "Reijo Oksanen" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brotherhood of the Common Life and Its Influence (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions) (Hardcover)

This book traces the inner teachings in the 14th to 16th century Europe, where one of its main exponents Gerald Groote (1340-1384) (Gert Groote - Gerhardus Magnus) lived in Holland, Deventer.

A quote from Gerald's life (of which very little is known): "...His life ran smoothly enough, no doubt, until one day in Cologne when a stranger confronted him as he wandered the busy streets and challenged him with a question:

'Why are you standing here like this, intent on empty things? You must become another man.'

The width and scope of the subject is enormous; I hope there will be more of similar thorough studies made in the future. It is about the brothers and sisters outside the monastic life, the lay people, living in the spirit of oral teachings and studies of the Desert Fathers. This theme is actual also in the new Millenium.

The book shows clearly how little we (or at least: how little I) know of the past and how little of the knowledge of the past can reach and actually has reached us.