The Harvest of Mysticism in Medieval Germany (The Presence of God) (Hardcover)

by Bernard McGinn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The fourth volume in the universally-acclaimed The Presence of God series, The Harvest of Mysticism is a tour-de-force study of medieval German mysticism from Thomas Aquinas and his master, Albert the Great to Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, and including Jan van Ruusbroeck, Meister Eckhart, and John Tauler.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 768 pages
• Publisher: The Crossroad Publishing Company (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082452490X
• ISBN-13: 978-0824524906
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,508 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #11 in	Books > History > Europe > Germany > Medieval
  #14 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Medieval Church
  #75 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Mysticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fourth installement to the series, November 15, 2006

By	Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Harvest of Mysticism in Medieval Germany (The Presence of God) (Paperback)

This volume is the fourth in the series of Bernard McGinn which aims to give a comprehensive history of Christian mysticism.

This volume focuses on the Rhineland mystical tradition (Eckhart, Suso and Tauler) in medieval Germany, and also examines the controversy over heretical mystics and mainstream mysticism, the historical and intellectual background to medieval German mysticism, and also examines the mysticism of Nicholas of Cusa.

The main dissapointment for this book was the omission of John Ruusbroec, the critical Flemish mystic, and the important medieval English mystics including the author of the Cloud of Unknowing. Perhaps they will be in the next volume.

Overall the very high quality and depth of McGinn's scholarship is retained in this volume and as such it is an essential purchase for any theological library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Enlightening, and Engaging Work, August 18, 2008

By	Kathryn Hall (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

McGinn's work engages the reader in an well-organized, fascinating discussion of mysticism in medieval Germany, placing the works in context of larger Church history and contemporary religious movements. I thought I would read chapters relevant to my research only (Eckhart and Suso) and scan the rest of the book, but it is so interesting and well-written that I plan to read the entire work. McGinn is a master of his craft.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of medieval mysticism, January 25, 2008

By	Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews

This book is the fourth in a general series by Bernard McGinn on the history of Christian mysticism. In this volume McGinn surveys the mystical movement which flourished in 14th century Germany, starting with the famous speculative mystic Meister Eckhart.

This work explores the historical, theological and philosophical currents which conditioned this flowering of mystical thought and writing, and also closely examines the mysticism of Meister Eckhart, Henry Suso, John Tauler, Nicholas of Cusa and other German mystics of the period.

This work is essential reading for any student of theology or mysticism and is a valuable addition to any personal theological library.