Christian Mysticism East and West: What the Masters Teach Us [Paperback]

Maria Jaoudi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

Both Eastern and Western mystical traditions emphasize one profound process: the transformation of the individual into God-likeness. This is the means and the end of Christian salvation. Jaoudi's beautifully written book reflects on transformation, wholeness, and healing as presented by Christian mystics of both East and West. It also explores how these ideas parallel the global insights found in Hinduism, Taoism, Islam, and especially Buddhism. The mystics and traditions examined include Catherine of Sienna, Symeon the New Theologian, Bonaventure, Gregory of Nyssa, Meister Eckhart, and the Jesus Prayer. The author also looks at spirituality and iconic painting, music, and poetry. Taken together, this collected wisdom shows how to navigate one's thoughts, emotions, body, dreams, and aspirations while maintaining focus on spiritual development. This is a deeply moving book for all spiritual seekers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A very down to earth and practical book. -- Monos

An eloquent, luminous journey with deeply felt insight. Jaoudi brilliantly leads us by example. -- Esther Denaro Maltese, Ph.D., Nazareth College of Rochester

Leads the reader into the quiet of a contemplative life filled with integrated knowledge of spiritual openness. -- NAPRA ReView

Stimulating. -- New Directions

About the Author

Maria Jaoudi is an associate professor in the department of humanities and religious studies at California State University in Sacramento, as well as a well-known retreat director. She is the author of Christian and Islamic Spirituality: Sharing a Journey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press; First Edition edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809138239
• ISBN-13: 978-0809138234
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Upcoming Author Event at The Avid Reader at the Tower
Sacramento, CA 95818
Sunday 22 May 2011 2pm
http://www.avidreaderbooks.com

Please see my Faculty Webpage and Art Gallery online at:

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/j/jaoudim/

Exhibits of Jaoudi's paintings are titled Spirit and Nature or Inner and Outer Space. The intuitive wisdom of the mystical traditions is visually integrated to form landscapes of the Spirit in nature. These inner and outer worlds are taken from microscopic, ordinary observations, and telescopic imagery.

Jaoudi's paintings draw on the philosophical and spiritual traditions of the world in combination with descriptions from biology, astronomy, and other illustrations of nature. The textures of earth and skin, a crow in the rain, and a nebula born are metaphors combined with insights from The Dao De Jing, Buddhism, Bonaventure's The Life of Saint Francis, Rabi'a and Rumi's teachings and poetry, The Upanisads, and others.


Maria Jaoudi, PhD
Professor
Humanities & Religious Studies
California State University Sacramento
6000 J. Street
Sacramento, California 95819-6083

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Contemplation 101, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Christian Mysticism East and West: What the Masters Teach Us (Paperback)

This was the first book I read after becoming interested in contemplative prayer/Christian meditation. It served my limited purposes well by providing a nice "who's who" of contemplative writers, clear explanations sometimes hard-to-grasp concepts, and inspired "practical applications." This book isn't exactly the seminal work on the topic, but still a good read for anyone interested in or just plain curious about contemplative prayer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, December 4, 2008

By 

Dorothy "Mystical Friend" (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christian Mysticism East and West: What the Masters Teach Us (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from a library, kept it for months with sticky tabs all over it, and was hard-pressed to restrain my nervous highlighting hand! Today, I am purchasing the book for myself. This is one of those books that teaches in every sentence. The author's breadth of knowledge and experience make this a wonderful quick-to-read resource on mysticism of all faiths, emphasis on Christianity. I LOVE quotations, so to have excerpts from the mystical fathers/mothers themselves is a treat. Simeon, St Catherine of Siena, Gregory of Nyssa, Meister Eckhart, Bonaventure and more are thoughtfully described and represented here. I have a serious interest in, and enjoyment of, interfaith theologies and practices. I am always looking for the unity, for the this in one faith that supports and affirms the that in another. In my opinion, it is these meeting places that point us to universal truths. Maria Jaoudi has done an excellent job or providing such a meeting place.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother, October 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Christian Mysticism East and West: What the Masters Teach Us (Paperback)

I thought this book is going to be interesting but I was wrong! Don't bother reading this book if you are interested in Mysticism because you are going to be disapointed! Every other page seems to be a quote from another source, nothing original. Very boring.