Romancing God: Contemplating the Beloved (Christian Classics) [Paperback]

Ramon Lull (Author), Henry L. Carrigan (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Series: Christian Classics | Publication Date: May 1999

Romancing God contains two of Ramn Lull's most accessible mystical works, The Art of Contemplation, an attainable guide to devotions through the virtues of God; and The Book of the Lover and the Beloved, 365 short verses of conversation between the soul and God.

A prolific writer, scholar, philosopher, and theologian, Lull wrote with a burning desire to inspire conversion through education and instruction, enabling people to defend their faith without violence. The excerpts in this volume were written expressly for the faithful of Rome.

Romancing God offers a glimpse into the life of a devoted soul conversing with his Creator, a learned man finding the meaning of life through his own search and discovery of God's love. The timeless wisdom and guidance offered in Lull's writing are as relevant today as they were 700 years ago.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With these two titles, Paraclete begins a highly praiseworthy series of spiritual classics, one each by a female and male mystic of the Middle Ages. Editor Carrigan's commendable "mild modernizations" slightly alter the syntactic difficulties and archaisms of the originals while allowing them to retain both their otherness and their rhetorical power. Ardent spiritual seekers, especially Christians, can scarcely do without Mechthild and Lull, and for any library lacking the "Classics of Western Spirituality" versions of these authors, these convenient paperbacks should be an essential purchase. [Carrigan is an LJ reviewer and former Spiritual Reading columnist.AEd.]
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Seeking union with God, Catalan mystic Ramn Lull (1232-1315) describes, in the ecstatic language of love, the mystical ascent of the soul to God. Well-versed in the traditions of courtly love, Lull delivers a love letter to God in the devotional aphorisms of The Book of the Lover and the Beloveda grand, dazzling poem consisting of 365 short meditations. With its exalted and lyrical prose, Lull's account of his desire for God will inspire readers on their own journeys. The Art of Contemplation offers an instructional guide for the mystical journey, covering topics such as prayer, the sacraments, and virtue. Mr. Carrigan's mild modernization of this classic will introduce Lull's lyrical spirituality to a whole new group of lovers of God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Pr (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557252165
• ISBN-13: 978-1557252166
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,421,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Those who Understand, September 5, 2008

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Gerald E. Jalbert "hondiat" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Romancing God: Contemplating the Beloved (Christian Classics) (Paperback)

The previous review reminds one of someone who was presented with a 5th grade science introduction and then commences to comment on quantam mechanics, celestial quarks, and pervading pulsars. Sorry, but that reviewer should not have read that book. Only those who have a heart for a relationship with the Creator/Beloved God and understand the language of Love are welcomed to come in. Please, don't read the Song of Songs, or Mechthilde of Magdeburg, or Julian of Norwich, or John of The Cross, or Mother Teresa, or Therese of Lisieux, or................enough said!

1 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Roman Catholic Masochism, April 10, 2005

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lucifer-dianus "lucifer-dianus" (Louisville KY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Romancing God: Contemplating the Beloved (Christian Classics) (Paperback)

I am afraid that so far, I only find Ramon Lull to be useful as a historical reference and not for anything original which he contributed himself. This is somewhat ironic, since he was considered a heretic. In the Book of the Lover and the Beloved, what I find is a rather worrisome repetition of his desire to "suffer" for his beloved, which echoes the sentiments of Roman Catholic traditions of spiritual masochism. Personally, I find this kind of thing to be not only unnecessary to spirituality, but somewhat detrimental. The romantic mysticism of the book seems to be an echo of the same, which was prevalent in the Arabic Sufi mystical literature of the time, and I suspect this influenced Lull and other christian mystics. In fact, I think it is likely that these currents of thought, in their Sufi manifestations are probably more concise, pure, and free of superfluous elements. I do not say this because I have some bias, since I do not belong to either religion, and neither am I a Sufi. I only say it as a neutral outsider.