Customer Reviews

The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism (Modern Library Classics)

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At last! I've been teaching college courses on philosophy & mysticism for years, and I've always been frustrated by the absence of a good anthology of Christian mysticism. So I've either had to order armfuls of primary texts or settle for mediocre anthologies. But Bernard McGinn, who knows more about Christian mysticism than anyone else, has saved me (and others!). This wonderful collection of Christian mysticism is logically arranged, judiciously selected, and expertly commented on. How wonderful!

Selections are from ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary mystics, and from western as well as orthodox traditions. Fathers of the Desert, the Beguines, Simone Weil, Thomas Merton, Hugh of St. Victor, Symeon, Macarius, Eckhart, John of the Cross, Bernard of Clairvaux: these and many other Christian mystics are excerpted in sections that cover topics such as Biblical Interpretation, Asceticism and Purgation, Inner and Outer Practices, Trinity, Christ, Vision, Deification, and Love and Knowledge. McGinn even concludes with a section that focuses on the social/moral relevance of Christian mysticism, which would be nicely complemented by a reading of Dorothee Soelle's The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance.

McGinn's book is bound to be the definitive collection for years to come. Highly, highly recommended--and highly welcome.

For anyone on a spiritual journey, this book is fantastic. I have been carrying it around for over a year and read it through twice. From the teachings of Christian Mystics and Saints, you will understand how to be totally honest with yourself and permit the Holy Trinity to reign in your life. This book can become your "how-to" if you desire to achieve union with God.

Paperback has 559 pages. Includes: Contents of 3 Parts and 15 Sections, Preface, Introduction with a note on the translations, Bibliography with earliest citation "Studies of English Mystics" 1906, and a page About The Editor. The three Parts are entitled: Foundations of Mystical Practice (Origen of Alexandria c.180 to Madame Guyon c.1648), Aspects of Mystical Consciousness, Implications of the Mystical Life.

McGinnn presents a topically arranged selection of 17 hundred years of writing about Christian Mysticism. The broad topics start with Foundation of Mystical practice with highlights including Bernard of Clairvaux's sermon of the Song of Songs ("I feel that the Kind has not one bedroom only, but many", an Life of Mary of Oignies by James of Vitry ("at times she would rest sweetly with the Lord in a pleasant and blessed salience for thirty-five days, during this time taking no bodily food, and being unable to say anything but "I want the Body of Lord Jesus Christ". ". Throughout are introduced strong prayer elements as the Way of the Pilgrim ("Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner") and negative ("stripping away') dimensions as John of the Cross "Upon a Dark night.

The longest section is on aspects of mystical consciousness. Some remarkable sections there include Mechthild of Magdeburg on the Trinity ("I am an overflowing spring that no one can block"), and Julian of Norwich's love (`he also showed a little thing, the size of a hazel-nut in the palm on my hand. ... it is all that is made. ... It lasts and will last for ever because God loves it". The anonymous 14th century "beat upon that thick cloud of unknowing with the dart of your loving desire". There are some remarkable manifestations of the mystic life as St. Francis's stigmata, or Benedict seeing the bishop of Capua carried to heaven in a fiery sphere on angels. Perhaps my favorite quite is Meister Eckhart "The eye in which I see God is the same eye in which God sees me." Perhaps the chapter on distress and dereliction may be the most puzzling, but consoling.

The final section on implications of mysticism discusses the "dialectical relationship between the mystical and institution", between the orthodox and the edge of heresy, even Meister Eckhart was condemned. A result of contact with God, is a transformed life, and the final chapter discusses relation of contemplation and action. If your enemy is hungry. feed him Romans 12:20. The final election is Thomas Merton who in his last decade became involved in many public debates

Throughout the book, McGinn's concise writing introduces both the concepts as well as brief biographical material about the author. McGinn provides a wide selection of text, and picks the best English translation available, and if not is available, translates it himself. He does not stick to accepted Roman Catholic texts, and there are examples of Quietism, the Lutheran Johann Arndnt, Hesychast tradition in the Christian East, the poet William Blake ("to see the world in a grain of sand"), and the Quaker George Fox. Although writing about mystics is difficult, what we cannot know we can grasp, this book provides a good introduction.

As christians we struggle with the do's and dont's of Christanity and lose what true christianity is and was meant to be. This book helps to ignite a passion for christ. To serve out of love, To become one with christ in a world that draws you farther away each day.It helps to show that no two lives are the same and there are no blueprints for our christian walk. It teaches that our relationship with GOD is the most important relationship we will ever have, and our only joy is in him.

One of the very best compendiums of Christian mystical writers. Perfect for the beginning student to provide a broad spectrum of insight, as well as for the advanced/matured scholar who wants either a reference or exposure to the great authors.

I have found it an invaluable resource, authoritative and easy to use.

I will be buying ther books from Bernard McGinn!!!

Very well put together, this book is unique because it arranges the texts by theme rather than chronologically as in most anthologies of Christian mysticism. The depth of the book will really help to reader to become familiar with both the themes and authors of the Christian mystical tradition.
I must add that the notion that Christian mystics teach a unity of all religions and that Christ and the Trinity are just symbols of a deeper reality is an interpretive paradigm of modern scholars that is not reflected in the writings the Christian mystics themselves. They were simply devote Christians who experienced God in a deep and meaningful way.

This is a good introductory text regarding Christian Mysticism. The author is quite knowledgeable and the text is well-edited. This material provides a solid base from which the reader may expand his/her knowledge of the subject matter and put subsequent readings in context.

Overall, this book gave a decent general overview of Christian mysticism. My biggest complaint, though, was that there was too much focus on the West (and when the editor did use authors from the East, he chose pieces which are more in tune with Western Christianity than Eastern). There was also too much focus on very small heretical movements (why so many quotes from the Quietists?); their presence in the book was disproportionate to their presence in history. Not bad, but there's much better out there.

My expertise on religion lies outside of the Judeo-Christian faiths, so I have been looking for single volume anthologies to do some survey reading in. I settled on this one for Christianity, in part because the reviews were solid compared to other anthologies and in part because I had the privilege of meeting McGinn when I was at The University of Chicago (he was my friend's advisor). He is an excellent scholar and well worth checking out if you are interested in an academic angle on mysticism. While this anthology has its limitation, I would say it is one of the best single volume options available.

The topical arrangement of the collection will probably work best for Christians interested in mysticism for devotional reasons or literary theorists interested in themes and tropes over and above chronology. Because I am the latter, I have no problem with the arrangement. The historical prefaces to each author allows the reader to place the writer in the context of history and recognize how Christian mystics have returned to similar themes in different ways over the years.

The collection is tilted toward "Western mysticism." This makes perfect sense considering this book is being marketed to a Western audience and in light of McGinn's own scholarship. All anthologies have biases and limitations, but this particular bias is not debilitating. Still, readers should be aware that this volume doesn't quite survey the whole landscape and that the "East" has its own vibrant traditions that often depart substantively from the Western Church. If you want to know more about the East, you'll have to hunt down some other primary texts.

My major problem with this collection is the lack of an index. While my interest in the topic isn't scholarly (I have no plan to learn these languages and read the primary texts themselves), I still would like the ability to cross-reference and identify themes outside of the categories given to me by McGinn. Instead, the reader will be limited to the arrangement offered by McGinn and will be unable to explore other connections via key words. I'm not sure why a publisher would issue an anthology that has no index (cost? target audience?), but regardless of the reason, I feel this omission brings this volume down from excellent to just above average.

If you're fine with the lack of an index and you are not particularly interested in Eastern mysticism, purchase this volume. As usual, Modern Library Classics has put together an visually attractive text that will fit well on your shelf and expand your knowledge of the world.

Great book! a good hand book for spiritual seekers like me, read it along side your Bible or other spiritual literature.