The English Mystics of the Fourteenth Century [Paperback]

Karen Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 1991

In the 14th century, England produced mystical writers to rival those of India, the Sufis and the great European luminaries such as Meister Eckhart. In Richard Rolle of Hampole we see his experience of the joy of the love of God, and learn from his classic "The Fire of Love" his step-by-step approach to God. The author of "The Cloud of Unknowing" rejects the intellect as a means to God, preferring rather that devout thought and belief be cast under a "thick cloud of forgetting". Dame Julian of Norwich is perhaps the best-loved English mystic; in her "Revelations of Divine Love" her meditations on the mysteries of divine providence, the nature and purpose of evil and the love of God are couched in gentle imagery. Walter Hilton shows how to find a clear path through the nebulous and tortuous complexities of inner man. This is a collection of some of the most lyrical and inspired of these religious writings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kyle Cathie (September 5, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856260232
• ISBN-13: 978-1856260237
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,603,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Anglo-Saxon mystical tradition, October 11, 2009

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Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The English Mystics of the Fourteenth Century (Paperback)

The four medieval mystics discussed here bear witness to the depth and variety of English spirituality in the 14th century. By lifting the veil of obscurity, Armstrong makes an admirable contribution towards restoring to prominence some of the important voices of the Western mystical tradition. These texts may show the way forward for a religion that seems to have become sterile in its senescence, especially in its mainstream Protestant tradition and particularly in Europe.

Armstrong analyses each of the four mystics in an introduction to selections from their major works that are reproduced here:

(a) The eccentric Richard Rolle of Hampole and his work "The Fire Of Love".

(b) The unknown author of "The Cloud Of Unknowing" and this moving text.

(c) The sober Walter Hilton and his "Ladder Of Perfection".

(d) Julian of Norwich and her book "Revelations Of Divine Love."

All four of the authors journeyed inward to the core of the self and each in their own way articulated a personal faith that represents an intimate relationship with the divine. In the introduction Armstrong argues that the mystical experience is similar across all religions. Her analyses and interpretations of these texts ought to inspire and encourage contemporary seekers in the Christian tradition.

The Cloud Of Unknowing, accessible and appealing with its gentle humor and emphasis on the heartfelt spiritual experience is mentioned in Leonard Cohen's song "The Window" on his 1979 album Recent Songs. I also relate to the more complicated work of Dame Julian of Norwich whilst Richard Rolle comes across as a bit too intense and one-dimensional for my taste and I found Walter Hilton to be not quite "mystical" enough.

The Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study of Human Nature - A Psychology Classic on Religious Impulse by William James remains a landmark text on the different ways in which spirituality is expressed. James considers the feelings, conduct and experiences of individuals insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consider the Divine. It has nothing to do with churches, doctrine or dogma, concerning itself only with the religious experiences of everyday life. For information on contemporary mysticism in the Christian tradition, I highly recommend these two works:

(1) Inner Christianity by Richard Smoley draws upon a wide spectrum of esoteric and mystical sources to demonstrate how multidimensional the Christian tradition really is. In simple language he brings to light the most profound wisdom of the religion as a remedy for the loss of faith in these times. The book explores the history of the hidden teachings with reference to hermeticism, kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, monasticism, the church fathers Clement and Origin, plus Rudolf Steiner and Carl Jung. He also looks at modern practitioners of inner Christianity like Stephan Hoeller.

(2) Practicing The Presence by Deborah G. Whitehouse and C. Alan Anderson applies the ideas of Alfred North Whitehead on life and consciousness (New Every Moment) to spiritual practice. It lays the pantheistic idea of an impersonal deity to rest, a concept which has been problematic for those in the Divine Science (Mental Science, New Thought) tradition who practice faithfully but yearns for a closer relationship with a personal God.

Practicing the Presence of God for Practical Purposes is not a practical guide with ready-made affirmations and visualizations but rather an explanatory text that covers the ideas behind the aforementioned and more. Its greatest benefit for me lies in its convincing arguments for God as a limitless person rather than a set of laws.

It is incumbent to mention that Karen Armstrong's recent works on Islam have deeply disappointed me; the books deliberately omit the less savory aspects of this religion like those acts of violence committed from the very beginning as well as antisemitism and the promotion of violence in its foundational documents. Most of her other books, however are honest, inspiring and well-written.