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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
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.
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119 of 121 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Evelyn Underhill's masterpiece!, May 1, 2000
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.
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61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read!, April 20, 2000
By A Customer
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.
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