Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness [Paperback]

Evelyn Underhill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1993

Drawing on sources from all over the world, the author provides an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of humanity's mystical experience. It defines mysticism from different perspectives, sets out its characteristics and explains its relationship to psychology, theology and symbolism. It explores the "mystic way", the stages of mystic consciousness from the self to the union with the Absolute. The book also includes a summary of European mysticism. In 1921, Evelyn Underhill was Upton Lecturer on the Philosophy of Religion at Manchester College, Oxford, the first woman to give a series of lectures on theology at Oxford. But, it was her writing that brought her an international reputation and a fellowship at King's College for Women.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), a novelist and poet, published her first book in 1902 but her growing interest in mysticism led in 1911 to her greatest work. A comprehensive study of the spiritual life and religious experience, Mysticism remains a classic. In 1921 she was Upton Lecturer on the Philosophy of Religion at Manchester College, and was the first woman to give a series of lectures on theology at Oxford.

Product Details

• Paperback: 542 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Pubns Ltd (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851680772
• ISBN-13: 978-1851680771
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,528,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

192 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 90 years later, still THE essential book on mysticism, January 21, 2001

By 

Carl McColman (Clarkston, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness (Paperback)

I read Underhill's magisterial "Mysticism" the summer after I graduated from high school, and I've been a student/devotee of the western contemplative tradition ever since. Underhill's accessible if British-formal prose provides a wonderful, elegant stage on which the majesty and depth of the interior life can be celebrated. The book neatly divides into two halves: the first examines mysticism from theological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives; the second takes the reader on a tour of the process of mystical growth over the lifespan, looking at such key life passages and transitions as conversion, self-purification, illumination, the "dark night," and union. What emerges is a developmental map for adult spiritual growth, which is a tremendous corrective to many of the silly notions floating around in our society, such as the idea that one single "born again" experience is all that is necessary to achieve total spiritual attainment. What I especially love about Underhill is her evident enthusiasm and passion for her subject matter. Without ever saying it in so many words, she reveals in her writing that mysticism is more than a dry subject for disinterested study; it is a living, breathing tradition, that demands engagement and participation from those who would explore it. Ultimately, mysticism is not found in a book, but in the lived process of relating to the Divine. It's ironic that this message needs to be passed down in books, and yet, Underhill's wonderful study of the subject does just that. This was written in 1911, and shows some marks of age; for example, the chapter on "Vitalism" refers to a philosophical fad of her day that seems almost totally irrelevant a century later. Even so, I have a house full of books on this topic, ranging from the scholarly (Bernard McGinn) to the popular (Thomas Merton) to the just plain silly (Keith Harary's and Pamela Weintraub's "Mystical Experiences in 30 Days"), and I have yet to find a single volume that provides a better, more useful, and more potentially transformative introduction to the contemplative life than this book.

120 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evelyn Underhill's masterpiece!, May 1, 2000

By 

Greg (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness (Paperback)

Evelyn Underhill's "Mysticism..." is a true classic and is unique in its blend of intellectual rigor combined with the mystic/poet's love of Reality. Although written in 1911, and the first of many books and essays on the subject, Underhill writes in a style closer to 19th century romanticism, than to the 20th century's more technical and minimalist works. Her knowledge of Mystical (or Spiritual as she would later use) History and Christian Theology is encyclopedic and definitely up to the scope her title suggests. In terms of scholarly achievement, she is a giant.

And yet her skill as an academic is not even close to my favorite thing about this book. What is? Her prose! Her writing is simply the most beautifully brilliant I've ever read on the subject. She writes in a way that is not only poetic, but is also clear and illuminating. Here's an example from page 252: "It must never be forgotten that all apparently one-sided descriptions of Illumination-more, all experiences of it-are governed by temperament. 'That Light whose smile kindles the Universe' is ever the same; but the self through whom it passes, and by whom we must receive its reports, has already submitted to the molding influences of environment and heredity, Church and State. The very language of which that self avails itself in its struggle for expression, links it with half a hundred philosophies and creeds."

A treasure for anyone looking for inspiring text, but who's tired of the overly sentimental and non-discerning "new age" drivel of our day, and a must for any serious student of the subject.

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read!, April 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness (Paperback)

Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill, is a must read for any serious student of Christian mysticism. This is also a wonderful work for understanding the spiritual experiences of the great mystic saints. This classic text explores the common features that tie together the religious lives of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Francis of Sales, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John of Ruysbroeck, and others. She explores the core nature of the mystical experience both theologically and psychologically. Underhill is brilliant in her discourse on the mystic way. Her theology is impeccable. I highly recommend this book.