Early Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision of Spiritual Masters (Paperback)

by Bernard McGinn (Author), Patricia Ferris McGinn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

From the Publisher
The McGinns gather together the wisdom of Christianity's greatest spiritual teachers. Each section offers insight into the mystic's teachings and how we can apply that wisdom in our own lives today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Crossroad Publishing Company (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824521064
• ISBN-13: 978-0824521066
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #34 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Mysticism
  #52 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Early Church
  #76 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Mysticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Contemplative Introduction to Some Christian Mystics, August 17, 2003

By	benjamin (USA) - See all my reviews

Firstly, let me tell you what this book is not: it is not an in-depth study on the visionary experience of Christian mystics. Furthermore, it is not a study on early Christian mystics - the mystics in this book cover almost a thousand years, from the 3rd through the 12th centuries. This book is also not the fourth volume of McGinn's four-volume The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism, although it does at points expand a bit on what McGinn has written in the three already-published volumes in that series.

This book deals with 12 Christian mystics - 1 Celtic, 5 Greek and 6 Latin - and introduces some of their key ideas to the reader so that the reader may gain from their insights and progress further down the spiritual path. This is a contemplative introduction to some of the more important ideas from some of the more important mystics of the Christian tradition.

The book is broken up into two parts, with six mystics in each part. The mystics in the first part of the book, which deals with practices for finding God, are:

Origen (Greek) - Scripture
Evagrius Ponticus (Greek) - Contemplation
John Cassian (Greek) - Prayer and Purity of Heart
Gregory the Great (Latin) - Repentance
Hildegard of Bingen (Latin) - Visionary Experience
Richard of St. Victor (Latin) - Modes of Contemplation

The mystics in the second half of the book, which deals with transformation in God, are:

Gregory of Nyssa (Greek) - Endless Pursuit and Transformation
Augustine of Hippo (Latin) - The Body of Christ
Dionysius (Greek) - Mystical Theology
John the Scot (Celtic/Greek/Latin) - Nature as Revelation
Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin) - Spousal Love
William of St. Thierry (Latin) - Living the Trinity

Each chapter places the mystic in his/her historical context before proceeding on to talk about their distinctive teachings; each chapter ends with a bibliography for further reading, citing both translations of primary texts as well as relevant secondary readings.

This book is a great place to start if one has little or no knowledge of the Christian mystics and one wishes to grow spiritually. The spiritual depth and integrity of these mystics will be relevant to you wherever you are and it is for this reason that this book is worth reading. If one is interested in a more academic reading or in a more in-depth explanation, one may further consult Bernard McGinn's four-volume series (three of which have been published) The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intense, spiritual study, September 10, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Bernard McGinn, dubbed "the world's greatest interpreter of Western mysticism" (Choice), combines his talent and insight with licensed professional counselor Patricia Ferris McGinn in Early Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision Of The Spiritual Masters. An accessible and informative study of the uplifting words and wisdom of Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Dionysius, Hildegard of Bingen, and many others, Early Christian Mystics is an intense, spiritual study striving to better understand the depths of metaphysical Christian wisdom, wholeness, and the love of these teachings that have endured the centuries through their innate strength and inherent virtue.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Depth, October 19, 2008

By	Stephen Long - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very well done for an introductory study, McGinn provides good insights into 12 major Christian writers. There is a great deal of spiritual wisdom in this book and it provides a good launching bad for doing primary source readings. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.