Roots of Christian Mysticism: Texts from Patristic Era with Commentary (Paperback)

~ Oliver Clement (Author), Jean-Claude Barreau (Author), Theodore Berkley (Translator)

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Product Description

Discover the core of the Christian spiritual experience. Newman compared the early history of the Church to the opening chords of a symphony when the subjects that will later be brought out one by one are introduced all together in a concentrated burst of creativity. Here Clement takes these opening chords as a starting point for a voyage of discovery that brings us to the origins of Christian faith life and prayer as a whole. This anthology combines brilliantly chosen texts from the first seven centuries of Christianity with the author's vivid commentary to reveal the roots of Christian mysticism.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: New City Press (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565480295
• ISBN-13: 978-1565480292
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #130,760 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ancient christianity accessible, December 2, 2000

By	Wyote (Seoul) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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Olivier Clement is a French Eastern Orthodox Christian theologian. He has gathered selections from the Church Fathers (and some Mothers too) by topics. Some selections are just a sentence or two, others are several paragraphs. His commentary is brief and usually helpful, but the book's real greatness is that the spirit of the Fathers is so accessible. In this book, everyone can have easy access to the spirituality of ancient Christians. There is deep theology, but also extensive practical sections on prayer and virtues. The English title is inappropriate; the French title is simply "Christian Sources." Clement does not present Christian esotericism but mainstream ancient Christian thought.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone. If you think you are familiar with Christianity, it will open your eyes to the true depths of Christian wisdom. If you are not familiar with Christianity, this book presents the heart of God and the ancient Christian path with clarity, compassion, and wisdom.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Grow Old Without It, April 22, 2003

By	Wayne Mcdaniel (Lawrence, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent, excellent book. Clement does an outstanding job of bringing together quotes by early church fathers. They are organized in a cohesive manner with useful commentary by Clement.

My first reaction as I began to read the book was, "Awesome." I have read some of the early church writings, but generally got bogged down in their style of writing. Clement brings out the richness of what they wrote and said. I am analytical and tend to think a lot, but was blown over by the depth of thought of some of these fathers. They wrote of things I never even considered. They contemplated mysteries and concepts in a way which brings out the shallowness of modern Christian thought.

This is a scholarly work, but which reads more like a devotional. I usually read through a book in a matter of days. However, this one took months. There is such depth that it requires reading a few pages and setting it aside to contemplate what was said. In terms of its value to me, I would place this book second only to the Bible.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, October 9, 2003

By A Customer

This is the best book I've read on this subject. This type of Christian thought certainly attracts a lot of pseudo-Christians and there seems to be more books written on Christian mysticism by non-Christians than real ones nowadays, but this book is not one of them. It's basically a compendium of mystical Christian thought from the first millenium. This is a book that needs to be read more than once, the information in it is incredibly complex and engaging. When reading this book the Truth of it can be felt on every page; nothing less than the science of love.