2022/05/20

10] Mystical Tradition: Timeline, Glossary, Biblio

 Mystical Tradition: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam



Table of Contents


Professor Biography ....................................................................................i
0] Course Scope 1
===
Judaism1]
Lecture One A Way into the Mystic Ways of the West 4
Lecture Two Family Resemblances and Differences 9
Lecture Three The Biblical Roots of Western Mysticism 14
===
Judaism2]
Lecture Four Mysticism in Early Judaism 18
Lecture Five Merkabah Mysticism 22
Lecture Six The Hasidim of Medieval Germany 26
Lecture Seven The Beginnings of Kabbalah 30
Lecture Eight Mature Kabbalah—Zohar 34
===
Judaism3]
Lecture Nine Isaac Luria and Safed Spirituality 38
Lecture Ten Sabbatai Zevi and Messianic Mysticism 42
Lecture Eleven The Ba’al Shem Tov and the New Hasidism 46
Lecture Twelve Mysticism in Contemporary Judaism 50
===
Christian4]
Lecture Thirteen Mystical Elements in the New Testament 54
Lecture Fourteen Gnostic Christianity 58
Lecture Fifteen The Spirituality of the Desert 62
Lecture Sixteen Shaping Christian Mysticism in the East 66
===
Christian5]
Lecture Seventeen Eastern Monks and the Hesychastic Tradition 70
Lecture Eighteen The Mysticism of Western Monasticism 74
Lecture Nineteen Medieval Female Mystics 78
Lecture Twenty Mendicants as Mystics 82
===
Christian6]
Lecture Twenty-One English Mystics of the 14th Century 86
Lecture Twenty-Two 15th- and 16th- Century Spanish Mystics 89
Lecture Twenty-Three Mysticism among Protestant Reformers 93
Lecture Twenty-Four Mystical Expressions in Protestantism 96
Lecture Twenty-Five 20th-Century Mystics 100
===
Islam7]
Lecture Twenty-Six Muhammad the Prophet as Mystic................. 104
Lecture Twenty-Seven The House of Islam........................................ 108
Lecture Twenty-Eight The Mystical Sect—Shi’a.............................. 112
===
Islam8]
Lecture Twenty-Nine The Appearance of Sufism............................. 116
Lecture Thirty Early Sufi Masters.......................................... 120
Lecture Thirty-One The Limits of Mysticism—Al-Ghazzali ........ 123
Lecture Thirty-Two Two Masters, Two Streams............................ 127
===
Islam9]
Lecture Thirty-Three Sufism in 12th–14th Century North Africa...... 131
Lecture Thirty-Four Sufi Saints of Persia and India....................... 134
Lecture Thirty-Five The Continuing Sufi Tradition....................... 137
Lecture Thirty-Six Mysticism in the West Today ........................ 141
===
Timeline ................................................................................................... 145
Glossary ................................................................................................... 154
Bibliography............................................................................................ 163
====

Timeline

 

B.C.E.

c. 1800.............................................Abraham.

c. 1300.............................................Moses and the Exodus.

8th century .......................................Isaiah, Hoshea.

7th–6th centuries...............................Jeremiah, Exile, Ezekiel. 323 ..................................................Death of Alexander the Great.

c. 167–164.......................................Book of Daniel.

1st century........................................Essene community at Qumran. C.E.

c. 28–31...........................................Ministry and crucifixion of Jesus.

c. 33–64...........................................Paul’s ministry and correspondence.

c. 50.................................................Death of Philo of Alexandria.

64 ....................................................Persecution under Nero.

68–100 ............................................Gospels and other New Testament compositions.

70 ....................................................Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

96 ....................................................Persecution of Christians under

Domitian.

c. 115...............................................Martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch.

135 ..................................................Bar Kochba Revolt, destruction of

Jerusalem, martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva.

c. 135–155.......................................Marcion and Valentinus flourish (Gnosticism).

c. 160–225.......................................Irenaeus and Tertullian flourish.

c. 184–254.......................................Life of Origen of Alexandria.

c. 200...............................................Mishnah composed by Judah ha-Nasi. 251–356 ..........................................Antony of Egypt.

4th century .......................................Compilation of the Talmud of the Land of Israel.

303 ..................................................Great Persecution of Christians under Diocletian.

313 ..................................................Constantine issues the Edict of Milan.

325 ..................................................Ecumenical Council at Nicea.

c. 332–395.......................................Gregory of Nyssa.

345–399 ..........................................Evagrius Ponticus.

347–407 ..........................................Life of John Chrysostom, great preacher and theologian in the Orthodox tradition.

354–430 ..........................................Life of Augustine of Hippo.

c. 360–c. 430...................................Palladius and John Cassian, who write of desert monks.

381 ..................................................Council of Constantinople under Theodosius I, theological dominance of the Cappadocians (Gregory, Basil, Gregory).

5th–6th centuries...............................Compilation of the Babylonian Talmud, Pseudo-Dionysius (the Aereopagite).

451 ..................................................Council at Chalcedon: Two Natures in Christ.

c. 525...............................................Benedict of Nursia founds a monastery at Monte Cassino, writes the Rule for Monks.

532–537 ..........................................Great church of Hagia Sophia

constructed in Constantinople.

c. 540–604.......................................Gregory I (the Great), bishop of Rome, pope 590–604.

570–632 ..........................................Life of the Prophet Muhammad.

c. 579–c. 649...................................John Climacus, abbot at Mount Sinai.

c. 580–662.......................................Maximus the Confessor, defender of Orthodoxy in the monotheite controversy.

610 ..................................................Muhammad begins recitation of the Qur’an.

622 ..................................................Hijrah, emigration to Medina, first year of Islamic dating.

632–661 ..........................................Orthodox caliphate.

641–725 ..........................................Islamic expansion across North Africa to France.

661–751 ..........................................Umayyad caliphate.

726 ..................................................Iconoclastic Controversy in Eastern

Orthodoxy.

732 ..................................................Charles Martel defeats Muslim forces at Tours.

742–814 ..........................................Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor.

750–1258 ........................................‘Abbasid Caliphate.

801 ..................................................Death of Rabi’a al-‘Adawiyya, female Sufi.

873 ..................................................Disappearance (or death) of the 12th imam.

874 ..................................................Death of Abu Yazid al-Bistami, early Sufi.

910 ..................................................Death of al-Junayd, early Sufi.

922 ..................................................Death of Mansur al-Hallaj, Sufi “heretic.”

c. 936...............................................Death of early Sufi theologian Abu’lHasan al-Ash‘ari.

942 ..................................................Death of great scholar Saadia Gaon.

c. 950...............................................Death of al-Farabi, Arabic philosopher. 988 ..................................................Death of Abu Nasr as-Sarraj, early Sufi.

1006–1089 ......................................Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Persian Sufi.

1037 ................................................Death of Ibn Sina, Arabic philosopher.

1054 ................................................Schism between Eastern (Greek) and Western (Latin) churches.

1058–1111 ......................................Al-Ghazzali, theologian, philosopher, Sufi.

1085–1148 ......................................William of St. Thierry, associate of Bernard, scriptural interpreter.

1088–1167 ......................................Founding of the universities at Bologna, Paris, and Oxford.

1090–1153 ......................................Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the Cistercian order of monks.

1095–1099 ......................................First Crusade against the “infidels.”

1098–1179 ......................................Hildegard of Bingen, Benedictine visionary.

1100–1160 ......................................Peter Lombard, beginnings of Scholasticism in universities. 1135–1204 ......................................Moses Maimonides.

1150–1250 ......................................Hasidei Ashkenazi—German “Pious/Devout.”

c. 1160–1235...................................Isaac ben Abraham (Isaac the Blind), early Kabbalist.

1165–1240 ......................................Ibn al-’Arabi, poet and Sufi visionary.

1170–1221 ......................................St. Dominic, founder of the “Order of Preachers” (Dominicans).

1173 ................................................Death of Richard of St. Victor, student of mysticism. 

1181–1235 ......................................‘Umar ibn al-Farid, Egyptian Sufi poet.

1181/82–1226 .................................Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans (mendicants).

1193–1254 ......................................Clare of Assisi, founder of Poor Clares.

1198 ................................................Death of Ibn Rushd, Arabic philosopher.

1202–1204 ......................................Fourth Crusade, sacking of Constantinople.

1207–1273 ......................................Jalal ad-Din Rumi, great Sufi poet in Persian.

1208–1282/94 .................................Mechtilde of Magdeburg, Beguine mystic.

1213–1289 ......................................Fakhruddin Iraqi, Persian Sufi poet.

c. 1221–1274...................................Bonaventure, biographer of Francis and mystic.

1225–1274 ......................................Thomas Aquinas, great Scholastic theologian.

1240–c.1291....................................Abraham of Abulafia, prophetic Kabbalist.

1242–1325 ......................................Nizam ad-Din Awliya, Persian Sufi master.

1250–1309 ......................................Ibn ‘Ata’illah, third shaykh of the Shadhiliyyah order.

1258–1924 ......................................Ottoman Caliphate.

c. 1260–1328...................................Meister Eckhardt, Dominican mystic.

1263–1381 ......................................Sharafuddin Maneri, Indian Sufi master.

1265–1321 ......................................Life of Dante, author of The Divine

Comedy.

1296–1359 ......................................Gregory Palamas, advocate of

Hesychasm.

1300–1349 ......................................Richard Rolle of Hampole, English mystic.

1300–1361 ......................................Johannes Tauler, disciple of Eckhardt.

1300–1366 ......................................Henry Suso, Dominican mystic. 1303–1373 ......................................Birgitta, visionary from Sweden.

1305 ................................................Death of Moses de León, author of the Zohar.

1330–1384 ......................................John Wycliffe, English reformer and translator of the Bible.

1330–1400 ......................................English mystics flourish (Julian, Rolle, Hilton).

1332–1390 ......................................Ibn ‘Abbad of Ronda, Sufi master of North Africa.

c. 1342/43–1400..............................Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales.

1342–c. 1416...................................Julian of Norwich, English anchoress and mystic.

1343–1396 ......................................Walter Hilton, English mystic. 1347–1380 ......................................Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic.

c. 1373–c. 1440...............................Margery Kempe, English mystic and autobiographer.

1380–1471 ......................................Thomas à Kempis, author of Imitation of Christ.

1453 ................................................Constantinople falls to Turkish Muslims; the age of exploration begins.

1483–1546 ......................................Martin Luther, German reformer.

1484–1531 ......................................Ulrich Zwingli, Swiss reformer. 

1488–1575 ......................................Safed spirituality: Karo, Cordovero, Luria.

1489–1556 ......................................Thomas Cranmer, key figure in establishing the Church of England and leading author of the Book of Common Prayer (1549).

1492 ................................................Expulsion of the Jews from Catholic Spain.

c. 1492–c. 1540...............................Francisco de Osuna, Spanish mystic.

1509–1564 ......................................John Calvin, French reformer.

1515–1582 ......................................Teresa of Ávila, mystic and reformer of the Carmelites.

1517 ................................................Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses.

1534 ................................................Divorce of Henry VIII, beginning of the Church of England.

1540 ................................................Jesuits founded by Ignatius of Loyola to defend faith and the pope.

1542–1591 ......................................John of the Cross, mystic and reformer of the Carmelites.

1545–1563 ......................................Council of Trent.

1555–1621 ......................................Johann Arndt, author of True Christianity.

1575–1624 ......................................Jakob Boehme, German Lutheran mystic.

1582 ................................................Congregationalist churches in England.

1596–1650 ......................................René Descartes, French philosopher who, with the British philosophers Locke and Hume, anticipated the Enlightenment and Deism.

1612 ................................................Baptist churches in England.

1613–1667 ......................................Jeremy Taylor, Anglican spiritual writer.

1626 ................................................Death of Isaiah Horowitz, author of The Two Tablets of the Covenant.

1626–1676 ......................................Sabbatai Zevi.

1635–1705 ......................................Philipp Jakob Spener, founder of German Pietism.

1686–1761 ......................................William Law, Anglican spiritual writer. 1698–1760 ......................................Israel ben Eliezer (also called the Ba’al Shem Tov, “Master of the Good Name”).

1703–1791 ......................................John Wesley, with his brother Charles (1707–1788), founds the Methodists in England and America.

1703–1792 ......................................Muhammad al-Wahhab, Islamic reformer.

1726–1750 ......................................Great Awaking in America.

1726–1791 ......................................Jacob Frank.

1749–1809 ......................................Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain, Hesychast.

1776 ................................................American Declaration of Independence.

1789 ................................................French Revolution.

1799–1877 ......................................August Tholuck, pastor in the German Awakening.

1859 ................................................Death of Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sanusi, Algerian Islamic reformer.

1865–1935 ......................................Abraham Isaac Kook.

1869–1870 ......................................First Vatican Council (papal infallibility).

1869–1934 ......................................Ahmad al-Alawi, Algerian Sufi.

1877–1938 ......................................Muhammad Iqbal, Islamic modernist.

1878–1965 ......................................Martin Buber.

1881–1955 ......................................Teilhard de Chardin.

1891–1978 ......................................Fatima al-Yashrutiyya, Palestinian Sufi.

1907–1972 ......................................Abraham Heschel.

1909–1943 ......................................Simone Weil.

1915–1968 ......................................Thomas Merton.

1924–1996 ......................................Idries Shah, advocate of universal Sufism.

1962–1965 ......................................Second Vatican Council.



Glossary

 

allegory: A method of interpreting (especially) sacred texts for a deeper, esoteric meaning, as when the Song of Solomon is understood as referring to the love between God and Israel.

almsgiving: The sharing of possessions; in one fashion or another, a required element in all three religious traditions.

anchorite: From the Greek anachorein, “to withdraw,” a man (the female is “anchoress”) who lives as a hermit; in the Middle Ages, anchorites were sometimes walled into chapels or churches.

apocalyptic: From the Greek “out from hiding,” a literature or worldview based on a vision of heaven and/or the future.

apocrypha: From the Greek for “hidden things,” the term refers to books not included in the Jewish or Christian canon of Scripture.

apophasis: In orthodox theology, affirmation through negation, such as “God is not good” (in the manner humans understand goodness).

apostle: Literally, “one sent on a commission”; used of early Christian leaders, such as Paul, and sometimes used to translate rasul for Muhammad.

asceticism: From the Greek askesis, or “discipline,” a disciplined way of life that emphasizes the rejection of physical pleasure and possessions, as well as the control of the passions.

Besmillah: The short statement preceding every sura of the Qur’an: “In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.”

Christology: The understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Differences in this doctrine caused major conflicts in Christianity from the 4th to the 7th centuries.

cenobite: From Greek koinos bios (“common life”), monks of the West, especially following the Rule of Benedict, who live a life of full community; includes both male and female houses.

Constantinople: The “New Rome” founded by the Christian emperor Constantine in the 4th century; center for the Byzantine Empire and named Istanbul when conquered by the Turks.

creed: From the Latin, credo, “I believe,” a formal statement of belief; Christians recite either the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed in worship. Muslims recite the shahadah.

Crusades: Between the 11th and 15th centuries, a series of military expeditions undertaken by Christian rulers and popes in an effort to wrest control of the Holy Land from Muslims.

dervish: In Sufism, a wandering beggar; the “whirling dervishes” are those in a state of ecstasy during the samas, the song and dance associated especially with the Mawlawi order. 

dhikr: The Sufi mode of “recollection” in prayer, often involving the telling of the names of Allah and, in some orders, the simple name of Allah itself. 

esoteric: From the Greek for “within,” the inner or secret meaning or significance of texts or rituals, favored especially by mystics.

Essenes: The separatist Jewish sect at the Dead Sea whose scrolls reveal a devotion to Torah and distinct mystical tendencies.

Eucharist: The Christian sacrament of the Lord’s Supper; in the medieval period, the conviction that the body and blood of Christ were truly present in the host made the Eucharist an ontological link to union with Christ.

exoteric: From the Greek for “outside,” the outer and public understanding of texts and rituals within a religious community.

Eyn Sof (or Ein-Sof): In Kabbalism, the divine in itself, distinct from all existents though the source of all existent things.

fana: The next-to-highest state in Sufi Mysticism, “annihilation” or “passing away”; the loss of the self in Allah.

fana al-fana: The highest state in Sufi Mysticism, “passing away of passing away”; a state of union with Allah that “abides.”

gematria: The practice of deriving mystical meaning from the fact that the Hebrew letters are also numbers, so that combinations of letters have both numerical and semantic value. Found in Kabbalah and in the Prophetic Kabbalism of Abraham Abulafia.

ghazal: A love song (also called diwan), used in some Sufi poetry to express the love of the mystic for Allah.

gnosis: In Greek, “knowledge,” used especially for knowledge that is nonempirical or revealed. In all three traditions, the approach to God through the mind; in Christianity, the heretical movement of the 2nd and 3rd centuries is called Gnosticism.

Hadith: Stories about the Prophet that were passed on after his death by associates, often containing authoritative statements, and one of the important sources for the Shari’ah.

Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five Pillars of Islam and is required of Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the pilgrimage once in a lifetime. The Hajj climaxes in the common prayer on the Plain of Arafat.

hanyf: “Righteous man,” applied to Abraham, who was neither Jew nor Christian yet was submissive to Allah.

Hasidism: The “Pious/Devout”; used in the Jewish mystical tradition for the Hasidei Askenazi of medieval Germany and the followers of the Ba’al Shem Tov in the 18th century.

Hekaloth: In Jewish Mysticism of the Rabbinic period, the heavenly palaces within which the presence of God is to be found; from hekal,

“palace.”

hermit: An individual who lives in complete solitude to devote his or her life to prayer. The form of asceticism associated with Antony of Egypt.

Hesychasm: From the Greek hesychia, “silence” or “quiet,” the contemplative prayer associated especially with Eastern orthodoxy; makes use of the “Jesus Prayer.” 

Hijrah: The flight or emigration of Muhammad and his followers (“the emigrants”) in 622 C.E. from Mecca to Medina. The Hijrah marks the start of the Islamic dating system because of its symbolic importance in the success of the Islamic movement.

Holy Spirit: The power from God that was active in biblical prophets that Christians associated especially to the resurrection of Jesus; the “third person” of the Christian Trinity (along with Father and Son).

icon: From the Greek eikon, “image,” a pictorial representation of Christ or a saint; devotion expressed through such icons was a staple of Hesychastic piety.

iconoclastic: Literally, the breaking of icons or images. Islam was aniconic—it did not allow representations of Allah—and Orthodox rulers in the context of Islam agitated for the elimination of icons in Byzantium. John of Damascus was the champion of the Orthodox practice of venerating idols, grounded in the Incarnation.

Illuminative Way: In Christian Mysticism, the second stage of progress, consisting in moments of union, insight, or vision.

Incarnation: In Christianity, the belief that the second person of the Trinity, the Son, became fully human, so that Jesus is both human and divine. Lesser realizations of “incarnation” are found in Judaism—as is some understandings of the tzaddik—and in Islam—as in the imam.

infallibility: An inability to be in error; a characteristic claimed by Shiite Muslims for the imam and by Roman Catholics since the 19th century for the bishop of Rome.

inspiration: The conviction that God’s Holy Spirit can find expression through human words of the prophets or of Scriptures.

islama: Submission, from which the religion of Islam draws its name. Found already in Abraham the Righteous.

jihad: Literally, “to strive,” with the meaning of “striving in the way of Allah,” which includes waging war in defense of Islam.

Kabbalah: Literally, “tradition,” the form of Jewish Mysticism, especially based in the Zohar, the Book of Splendor, that interpreted Torah in terms of exile and return to God. kalam: In Islam, the application of reason to the truths of faith; theology.

kataphasis: In orthodox theology, the form of speech that makes positive affirmations, such as “God is good.”

Lectio Divina: Latin phrase meaning “Holy Reading”; the meditative reading of Scripture characteristic of Western monks.

liturgy: From the Greek for “public work,” the official worship of a religious community; in Christianity, it refers, above all, to the Eucharist (or Mass or Lord’s Supper).

martyr: From the Greek word for witness, someone who endures death for the sake of a religious conviction. In Judaism, Rabbi Akiva died testifying to the oneness of God; in Christianity, Ignatius of Antioch died testifying to Christ; in Islam, Hussein died testifying to the prophetic principle embodied by ‘Ali.

mendicant: A beggar. In Christianity, a member of a religious order dedicated to evangelical poverty; in Islam (see dervish). 

merkabah: The “throne-chariot” of Ezekiel’s vision of God that becomes the central symbol of Jewish Mysticism in the Rabbinic period.

Messiah: From the Hebrew for “anointed,” a conviction shared by all three traditions concerning a redeemer/rescuer of God’s people. For Jews, there have been a number of failed Messiahs, including Sabbatai Zevi; for Christians, Jesus is the Messiah; for Shiite Muslims, the return of the imam as Mahdi (“enlightened one”) is messianic.

midrash: The process of interpretation of Torah that extends and contemporizes the ancient text. If applied to legal material, it is halachic; if applied to non-legal material, it is haggadic. 

Mishnah: The codification of Jewish Law carried out by Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. on the basis of the interpretation of Torah.

Monasticism: From the Greek monos (“alone”), the oldest form of religious fellowship in Christianity, taking the forms of semi-eremitical and cenobite.

mysticism: In every religion, the effort or process aimed at a direct experience of, or union with, the divine (in Islam, al-haqq, the “real”), especially through prayer and contemplation—recollection.

New Testament: The 27 writings in Greek that constitute the Christian portion of the Bible, which encompasses also the writings found in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (TaNaK), now called the Old Testament by Christians.

opus dei: In Latin, the “work of God,” also called the “Divine Office,” referring to the round of prayer in monastic life consisting mainly of psalms.

orthodoxy: In Christianity, “right teaching,” a title claimed by the Eastern Church (Greek/Russian Orthodoxy); in Judaism, the term refers more to right practice and is claimed by Orthodox Jews who continue the Talmudic tradition. In Islam, the Orthodox Caliphate refers to the caliphs up to and including ‘Ali.

Passion: That part of the Gospel story that relates the suffering and death of Jesus; a main focus of meditation for medieval mystics in particular.

penitence: Remorse or sorrow for sins and a turning away from sin found in all three traditions: in Judaism, especially in the Pious Ones of Germany in the Middle Ages; in Christianity, through the entire history of asceticism; and in Islam, as one of the first stages of the Sufi path.

persecution: The effort to punish or eliminate a religious movement. Christians claim to have been persecuted by Jews in the beginning and, later, by Romans; Jews were persecuted sporadically by Christians throughout their history; Shiite Muslims claim a long history of persecution from the Sunni.

Pharisees: The sect in 1st-century Judaism whose commitment to the observance of Torah in all its Laws by all Jews became the basis for the oral Torah and the normative form of Judaism for two millennia.

pilgrimage: Physically, a journey to a place regarded as holy, such as the Hajj in Islam; metaphorically, the journey toward God through personal transformation. 

Purgative Way: In Christian Mysticism, the first stage of mysticism, consisting in physical asceticism and control of the passions.

qasida: A pre-Islamic poetic form that provides motifs to Sufi mystics: the meeting and separation of lovers, a journey, and recollection of the beloved.

Qur’an: The Muslim Scripture, believed to be the literal word of Allah in Arabic. The Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad beginning at Mount Hira in 610, edited after the death of the Prophet, and arranged in 114 suras (sections).

rabbi: Literally, “great one,” the teacher within the Jewish community whose work is based in observance of the Commandments of Torah.

recollection: The form of contemplative prayer particularly associated with 15th- and 16th-century Spanish Mysticism, emphasizing not a “going out” in ecstasy but a “gathering in” that focuses on inner unity with God.

reformation: In general, the effort to restore a religion to what is regarded as its true nature. In Christianity, the term is associated especially with the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century; in Judaism, with the Reform Judaism of the 19th and 20th centuries; and in Islam, with the 18th- and 19thcentury movements begun by Wahhab and Sanusi.

sacrament: In the broad sense, a ritual sign that effects what it symbolizes. Christians recognize either seven such sacraments (Roman Catholics) or two (baptism and the Lord’s Supper).

saint: In all three traditions, a human being who has achieved or attained a state of transformation that makes him or her “holy,” or more like the divine.

salat: One of the five Pillars of Islam; prayer, whether in private or common, that consists of a series of prostrations facing Mecca (the qiblah means “orientation”).

sanctification: The process by which humans grow more like God—holy— through God’s empowerment.

sawm: In Islam, fasting for discipline and the study of Qur’an during the month of Ramadan; one of the five pillars of the religion.

scribes: “Men of the book” (ha soferim) whose ability at scriptural interpretation through midrash supported the religious commitments of the Pharisees.

sefirot: In classical Kabbalah, the emanations from the divine, 10 in number, that are found in the world, in the human body, and in Torah.

semi-eremitical: The form of Monasticism found among the desert fathers and in Eastern Orthodoxy; monks live mainly alone but meet for worship.

shahadah: The Islamic confession of faith: “I affirm that Allah alone is God, and I affirm that Muhammad is his prophet [Rasul].”

Shari’ah: From shar, “path,” the system of law in Islam derived from the Qur’an and the Hadith of the Prophet. There are four distinct schools of legal interpretation: the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali.

shaykh: The leader of a Sufi fellowship (taquiya) who exercises absolute authority over those who are students (murid); assumed to have achieved an exalted state of sanctity.

Shiite: The minority sect within Islam, technically the shiat’ Ali (“the party of ‘Ali”), which recognizes only imams descended from the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet as the legitimate source of authority and which reads the tradition esoterically.

shirk: In Islam, the opposite of righteous submission to Allah: forgetfulness, neglect, disobedience, giving partners to Allah.

Shiur Koma: Literally, “measure of the body,” a feature of Merkabah Mysticism consisting in speculation on the divine body; also plays a role in Kabbalism.

Shoah: The Holocaust; term used for the murder of some 6 million Jews by the Nazis in the mid-20th century.

sin: In Judaism and Christianity, the deliberate rejection of God’s will through disobedience; in Islam, the term is shirk. 

stages (or stations): The steps that a Sufi can accomplish through human effort: repentance, renunciation, watchfulness, and so on.

states: Conditions that a Sufi cannot bring about but are given by Allah, such as fana (“annihilation”) or flashes (illuminations).  

Sufi: In Islam, one dedicated to the path of union with Allah or al-haqq, a path of knowledge, love, and prayer.

Sufism: The term describes everything involved in the Sufi way of life as it has existed in the history of Islam.

Sunni: The majority version of Islam, based on the Sunna, the custom of the Prophet.

sura: The name for each of the 114 divisions of the Qur’an, which after the first (Fatihah means “opening”), run from the longest to the shortest.

Talmud: The compilation of rabbinic lore in two forms: the Talmud of the Land of Israel (4th century) and the Babylonian Talmud (5th–6th centuries), with the latter being more authoritative. Both add Gemara (Aramaic discussion) to the Mishnah (Hebrew statement of Law).

TaNaK: An acronym describing the contents of the Hebrew Bible: Torah, Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Tannaim: From the verb “to repeat,” the first generations of those handing down the midrashic traditions that form rabbinic Judaism, including such figures as Yochanan ben Zakkai and Akiva.

Tawhid: The divine unity in Islam, which in some Sufi speculation turns out to be something close to Pantheism or, perhaps, Panentheism.

theology: The classical definition is “faith seeking understanding”; the use of human reason in investigating and interrogating the belief of a religious community.

theosis: Greek term meaning the process of divinization; thought to be possible in Greek Orthodoxy because of a conviction that grace gives a “participation in divine nature,” which is realized through the practice of the spiritual life.

theosophy: In the study of mysticism, the construction of reality found in a mystic or mystical school, sometimes based on visions.

tikkun: In Kabbalism, “mending the world” (tikkun ha-olam) is the task of Israel by observance of the Commandments and, especially, the task of the mystics, who accomplish unity (devequt) with the divine through their prayerful “attention” (kawwanah) and speed the process of cosmic healing. 

Torah: The most inclusive symbol for God’s word in Judaism. Refers, first, to the five books of Moses in TaNaK; then, to all of Scripture; then, to all the tradition embracing the faithful interpretation of Torah in the community.

Trinity: In Christian theology, the understanding that there is only one God and that this same God subsists in three “persons”: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

tzaddik: Within the Hasidic movement, the head of a community, not because of learning in the Law but because of personal holiness and charismatic power. 

Unitive Way: In Christian Mysticism, the final stage of progress, “spiritual marriage” between the soul and God, characterized by great peace and with a simple accessibility to all things.

zakat: In Islam, one of the five pillars, the poor-tax; a portion of one’s goods yearly is dedicated to the poor and needy.

zawiya: The room, sometimes found in a mosque, where the members of a Sufi brotherhood meet for study and prayer.

Zohar: The Book of Splendor, the central text of Kabbalism, holding a canonical position within the tradition.




Bibliography

 

Essential Reading:

  • Readings from the Bible are from the Revised Standard Version, found in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: Revised Standard Edition. Edited by H. G. May and B. M. Metzger. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. 
  • Readings from the Qur’an are from The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, An Explanatory Translation. Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall. New York: Mentor Books, 1953. 
  • Although somewhat difficult, it is praised for its accuracy in rendering the Arabic. More accessible is The Qur’an Translation. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. New York: Thrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 2007.
  • I have made particularly heavy use of the introductions, translations, and notes found in the monumental series, The Classics of Western Spirituality. R. J. Payne, ed., et. al. New York: Paulist Press, 1978–2007. It makes available new (sometimes the first) translations into English of authors from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions—as well as others. 
  • I list below the specific volumes used in the lectures. 
  • Further resources are available for questions of religion in general in a volume edited by M. Eliade, The Encyclopedia of Religion. 16 vols. New York: MacMillan, 1986.
  • For three distinct traditions see 

  1. J. Neusner and A. J. Avery, eds. The Routledge Dictionary of Judaism. New York: Routledge, 2004; 
  2. F. L. Cross.The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd ed. Edited by E. A.Livingstone. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997; and 
  3. J. L. Esposito. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

  • On the topic of mysticism in general, one can consult 
    • E. Underhill’s classic(but dated) Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man’sSpiritual Consciousness. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1911; and 
    • E. Underhill’s The Essentials of Mysticism and Other Essays. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1960; as well as the more recent collection of essays edited by 
    • R. Woods, Understanding Mysticism. Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1980. 
  • For guidance to each tradition of mysticism, see
    •  G. Scholem’s Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. New York: Schocken Books, 1941; 
    • B. McGinn’s The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism.4 vols. New York: Crossroad, 1991–2005; and 
    • S.H. Nasr’s Islamic Spirituality. 2 vols. (World Spirituality). New York: Crossroad, 1991.




Recommended Reading:


Allen, R. S., trans. Richard Rolle. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. A fine collection of writings from the hermit of Hamphole, whose prose and poetry exemplify 14th-century English mysticism.

Armstrong, R. J. and I. C. Brady, trans. Francis and Clare. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. This volume contains the most important writings of the founders of the Franciscans and the Poor Clares.

Attar, Farid ad-Din. Muslim Saints and Mystics. Translated by J. Alberry. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1966. A selection of encomia from the author of the authoritative account of early Sufi saints like Rabia‘.

Austin, R. W. J., trans. Ibn al-Arabi. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1980. This edition of the Bezels of Wisdom also provides an introduction and notes that place al-Arabi among the great Gnostic Sufis.

Bamberger, J. E., trans. Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos and Chapters on

Prayer. In Cistercian Studies 4. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1981. A translation of the 4th-century writer’s key works together with an introduction and notes.

Band, A. J., ed. Nahum of Bratslav. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. This volume contains a selection of the tales for which the Hasidic movement was renowned.

Berthold, G. C., trans. Maximus Confessor. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1985. The introduction places the great defender of the orthodox faith in historical context.

Bokser, B. Z., trans. The Talmud: Selected Writings. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1989. This anthology provides a sample of texts from the classic source for Rabbinic Judaism.

Buber, M. I and Thou. Translated by R. G. Smith. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1958. The classic statement of a form of mysticism written by a Jew who was thoroughly at home in contemporary philosophy.

———. Tales of the Hasidim: The Later Masters. New York: Schocken, 1948. The pioneer in the study of the Hasidic movement makes available a selection of the tales that characterize a major feature of the movement.

Bynum, C. W. Jesus as Mother: Studies in the Spirituality of the High

Middle Ages. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. The author examines the boldness on vision and theological expression of mystics such as Julian of Norwich.

Cadavid, L., trans. Two Who Attained: Twentieth Century Sufi Saints. Louisville: Fons Vitae, 2005. This book makes available the witness of alAlawi and Fatimah Yashrutiyya in an attractive translation.

Calvin, J. Institutes of the Christian Religion. 2 vols. Translated by J. Allen. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publishing, 1813. The classic work of reformed theology, with attacks on Catholic institutions and positive prescriptions for Christian life.

Carroll, T. K., ed. Jeremy Taylor. In The Classics of Western Spirituality.

New York: Paulist Press, 1990. The two classic works—Holy Living and Holy Dying—of the Anglican Divine are accompanied by an introduction and notes.

Chamberas, P. A., trans. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1989. The central role of the “Jesus Prayer” is especially clear in the writings of this master of the Hesychastic tradition.

Charlesworth, C. H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols.

Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1983–85. Complete collection of Jewish apocrypha, including 1 Enoch and 3 Enoch, cited in the lectures.

Chittick, W. C. and P. L. Wilson, trans. Fahkruddin Iraqi. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. A solid introduction, notes, and translation of the Sufi poet in the Persian language.

Clark, J. P. H. and R. Dorwwod, trans. Walter Hilton. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1991. This edition of the Scale of Perfection is accompanied by an introduction and helpful notes.

Colledge, E. and B. McGinn, trans. Meister Eckhard. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. The most difficult and controversial of the Dominican mystics of the Rhineland is represented by his relatively accessible sermons.

Colledge, E. and J. Walsh, trans. Julian of Norwich. In The Classics of

Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. A fine edition of the Showings from one of the greatest female mystics of the medieval period.

Colledge, W. The Medieval Mystics of England. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1961. A brief introduction of and selection from each of the great mystics of the English middle ages.

Cousins, E., trans. Bonaventure. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. Together with introduction and notes, this volume contains the most important spiritual writings of the Franciscan master.

Crouver, D. and G. Christianson, trans. The Spirituality of the German

Awakening. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 2003. A fascinating collection of texts from Lutheran pastors seeking to make Christianity respond to modernity in the 19th century.

Cupitt, D. Mysticism after Modernity: Religion and Spirituality in the Modern World. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1998. An intelligent but ultimately reductionistic rendering of mysticism in the context of modern thought.

Dan, J. trans. The Early Kabbalah. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1986. This volume pulls together texts that are otherwise difficult to find and places them in an intelligible narrative of development.

Danner, V., and W. M. Thackston, trans. Ibn ‘Ata’ Illah/Kwaja Abdullah

Ansari. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. This volume contains the first author’s Book of Wisdom and the second author’s Intimate Conversation.

Dervish, H. M. B. Journeys with a Sufi Master. London: Octagon, 1982. An uncritical but fascinating treatment of Idries Shah by an admirer.

Erb, P., trans. Jacob Boehme. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. A selection of texts that show the distinctive character of this German Lutheran Gnostic.

Fine, L., trans. Safed Spirituality. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1984. The introduction provides the historical and literary context for the form of mysticism that arose among Isaac Luria and his associates.

Ganes, G. E., ed. Ignatius of Loyola. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1991. The Spiritual Exercises, together with an introduction and notes.

Gibson, C. S., trans. “John Cassian.” In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Edited by P. Shaff and H. Ware, 2nd series, 11. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994 [1894]. A complete edition of Casssian’s Institutes and Conferences.

Giles, M. E., trans. Francisco de Osuna. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. The Third Spiritual Alphabet, with its teaching on recollection, had a profound impact on Teresa of Avila.

Goodenough, E. R. By Light, Light: The Mystic Gospel of Hellenistic Judaism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963. Advances the argument that Philo of Alexandria represents a mysticism within Judaism that was prevalent in the Diaspora.

Green, A., trans. Menahum Nahum of Chernobyl. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. The author is an example of the mainstreaming of the Hasidic movement within the longer tradition of Jewish spirituality.

Gregg, R. C., trans. Athanasius. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1980. Makes available a translation of the Life of Antony by the great Alexandrian bishop and defender of orthodoxy.

Hammer, R., trans. The Classic Midrash: Tannaitic Commentaries on the

Bible. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press,

1995. The interpretation of the Torah is the heart of the Rabbinic tradition. This volume makes some of the earliest examples of midrash accessible.

Harris, M. J., ed. Birgitta of Sweden. In The Classics of Western

Spirituality. Translated by A. R. Keyel. New York: Paulist Press, 1990. A selection of visionary and epistolary texts from the itinerant visionary.

Hart, C., trans. Hadewijch. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1980. Little is known of the Beguine, but the extant poetry and letters show a passionate nature and mystical impulse.

Hart, C. and J. Bishop. Hildegard of Bingen. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1990. Text and illustrations from the medieval Benedictine visionary, with a helpful introduction and notes. 

Hasbrouk, J. B., trans. William of St. Thierry, Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans. In Cistercian Studies 27. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1980. The devotee of Saint Bernard shows how scriptural exposition turns to prayer within the monastic tradition of reading the “sacred page.”

Heschel, A. God in Search of Man: a Philosophy of Judaism. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Cudahay, 1955. The title is revealing: The emphasis is not on mystical ascent, but on God’s love for humanity and for human justice.

———. The Prophets. New York: Harper and Row, 1962. A masterful treatment of the biblical prophets by a Jew whose thought emerges from tradition and addresses the contemporary world.

Hitti, P. K. Islam: A Way of Life. Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1970. As the title suggests, this introduction emphasizes the Islamic tradition as a living religion.

Homerin, Th. Emil, trans. ‘Umar ibn al-Farid. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 2001. A fresh poetic rendering of the great Sufi poet of North Africa, together with an introduction and notes.

Jacob, L. Jewish Mystical Testimonies. New York: Schocken Books, 1976. A fine collection of short primary texts, with introductions and notes from the earliest to latest periods of Jewish Mysticism.

Jeffrey, A., ed. Islam: Muhammad and his Religion. The Library of the Liberal Arts. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1958. The basic elements of Islam are illustrated by copious citations from primary texts.

Johnson, L. T. The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999. Treats the writings of the New

Testament in their historical context, literary form and religious purpose.

Kavanaugh, K., ed. John of the Cross . In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1987. Readings from each of the major works of the great Spanish mystic of the 16th century are accompanied by helpful notes. 

Kavanaugh, K., trans. Teresa of Avila (The Classics of Western

Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1979. This edition of The Interior Castle makes evident the humor, charm, and profundity of the great Spanish mystic of the 16th century.

———, trans. Israel Horowitz: The Generations of Adam. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: :Paulist Press, 1996. This first section of a much more massive work shows the way that Lurianic Kabbalism influenced subsequent Jewish literature.

Krey, P. D. W. and P. D. S. Krey, trans. Luther’s Spirituality. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 2007. A fine collection of Luther’s pastoral writings, showing what is new and what is traditional in his spirituality.

Lawrence, B. B., trans. Nizam ad-Din Awliya. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1992. An edition that places the moral discourses of this Indian Sufi into historical and social context.

Layton. B., ed. The Gnostic Scriptures. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1987. The most important of the 2nd-century Christian phenomenon are here made available, together with helpful annotations.

Liechtz, D., trans. Early Anabaptist Spirituality. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1994. The introduction and notes place these valuable testimonies into their historical context of radical reformation.

Lings, M. A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century: Shaikh Ahmed al-Alawi. 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1971. A sympathetic and thorough examination of the 20th-century North African head of a Sufi brotherhood; includes the first-person account of M. Carret.

Luibheid, C., trans. Pseudo-Dionysius. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1987. The key works of the writer influential on both Eastern and Western spirituality in his emphasis on the apophantic way.

Luibheid, C. and N. Russell, trans. John Climacus. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. Introduction and notes accompany this translation of the abbot whose Ladder was perhaps the most-read book in the Orthodox tradition.

Luther, M. Three Treatises. Translated by M. Jacobs. Philadelphia: Fortress

Press, 1970. This volume contains the two treatises, Letter to the German Nobility and The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, discussed in the lectures.

Malherbe, A. J. and E. Ferguson, trans. Gregory of Nyssa. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1992. Introduction and notes to his Life of Moses.

Maloney, G. A., trans. Pseudo-Macarius. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1992. Introduction and notes to the translation of key works by the figure of key importance in the development of mysticism in Eastern Christianity.

Matt, D. C., trans. Zohar, the Book of Splendor. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1983. An accessible translation of the classic text of Kabbalism together with a helpful introduction and notes.

Merton, T. The New Man. New York: Mentor Image, 1961. One among many writers who show the trappist monks’ immersion in the long tradition of monastic spirituality as well as his contemporary sensibility.

———. Raids on the Unspeakable. New York: New Directions, 1964. A slender volume that exemplifies the “turn to the world” of the iconic 20thcentury mystic.

Meyendorff, J., trans. Gregory Palamas. In The Classics of Western

Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1983. Introduction and notes accompany this fresh translation of the Triads, a key work in the development of Hesychasm.

Nasr, S. H. Ideals and Realities of Islam. Boston: Beacon Press, 1966. A scholarly work that is also written from the “inside” of the Islamic reality.

Neusner, J. The Way of Torah: An Introduction to Judaism. 4th ed. Belmont: Wordsworth, 1988. A world-renowned expert in the field covers the basics of this religious tradition at the collegiate level.

Nicholson, R. A. The Mystics of Islam. London: Routledge and Kegan, 1914. A short and masterful exposition of the basics of Sufism, richly supported by primary texts.

Noffke, S., trans. Catherine of Sienna. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1980. The reasons for the saint’s being designated a “doctor of the church” are abundantly displayed in this volume.

Norris, K. The Cloister Walk. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. An example of contemporary lay Catholic spirituality shaped by contact with the Benedictine tradition.

Palladius. The Lausiac History (Ancient Christian Writers 34). Translated by R. T. Meyer. New York: Newman Press, 1964. The firsthand account of the monks of the desert by a bishop and monk who spent years visiting them and gathering their stories.

Pentovsky, A., ed. The Pilgrim’s Tale. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. The tangled development of this fascinating apology for the Philocalia and the “Jesus Prayer” is dissected in this volume.

Peters, F. E. Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. A good comparison of the three traditions, hitting both elements of similarity and distinctiveness.

Rahman, F. Islam. Garden City, New York: Anchor Books, 1968. A scholarly treatment of the religion that uses modern historiography yet is respectful of tradition.

Renard, J., trans. Ibn Abbad of Ronda. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1986. A fine collection of the North African Sufi’s didactic writings.

Renard, J., trans. Knowledge of God in Classical Sufism. In The Classics of

Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press 2004. A collection of Sufi texts that are organized not by author but by the central issue of the knowledge of God attained by mystics.

Rubenstein, R. L. After Auschwitz: Radical Theology and Contemporary Judaism. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1966. Takes the Shoah as threatening to all classic forms of Jewish theology and life.

Savage, A. and N. Watson, trans. Anchorite Spirituality. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1991. This volume contains the advice given by male directors to female anchoresses in medieval England. Noteworthy is the full text of Ancrene Wisse.

Scholem, G. Origins of the Kabbalah. Translated by A. Arkech. Edited by R. J. Z. Werblowsky. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1962. The great student of Jewish mysticism takes on the puzzle of the historical sources and origin of the movement that defined the tradition for centuries.

———. Sabbatai Zevi: The Mystical Messiah, 1626–1676. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. Classic historical treatment of the most controversial figure in Jewish mysticism.

Sells, M. A. Early Islamic Mysticism. In The Classics of Western

Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1996. A collection of texts, with notes and an introduction, that shows how vibrant and intellectually challenging Sufism was from its inception.

Shah, I., The Sufis. London: W. H. Allen, 1964. An influential book that advances the case for Sufism being larger and more universal than Islam.

Shrady, M., trans. Johannes Tauler. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1985. A fresh translation of sermons from the great Rhineland mystic whom Luther thought the best of preachers.

Stanwood, P. G., ed. William Law. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. A useful edition of the works of this classic and beloved Anglican writer whose good sense is much valued.

Teilhard, P. De Chardin. The Future of Man. New York: Harper and Row, 1964. A collection of essays that puts the evolutionary mystic’s ideas in accessible form.

———. Hymn of the Universe. New York: Harper and Row, 1965.

Together with The Divine Milieu, the work of the Jesuit mystic that is most explicitly connected to his Christian faith.

Thomas á Kempis. The Imitation of Christ. Translated by L. Sherley-Price.

London: Penguin Books, 1952. The Christian writing that had a profound impact on later mystics, e.g., Ignatius of Loyola, and on ordinary believers down to the present.

Tobin, F., trans. Henry Suso. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1989. This edition is valuable for its inclusion of the materials that give insight into the personal spiritual development of this most self-revealing of the Rhineland mystics.

———, trans. Mechtild of Magdeberg. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1998. The texts of the Beguine, amplified by an introduction and notes, help fill out the picture of female mystics within Christianity and their use of courtly literature. 

Vermes, G. The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, 2nd ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1975. A readable version of the Essene texts, with a helpful introduction and notes.

Waddell, H., trans. The Desert Fathers. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1936. This volume makes available several compositions originating in the monks of the Egyptian wilderness of the 4th century.

Walsh, K., trans. Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs. 4 vols. In Cistercian Studies 4. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1981. The tradition of monastic spirituality with its multi-level interpretation of Scripture is well displayed in the work of the great Cistercian abbot.

Walsh, K., trans. The Cloud of Unknowing. In The Classics of Western

Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. The great apophantic witness of 14th-century England, deeply marked by Pseudo-Dionysius, but marvelously alive in its insight. 

Watt, W. M. Muhammad, Prophet and Statesman. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1961. A straightforward biography using the best in historical methods, and respectful of the prophet’s accomplishments.

Weil, S. Waiting for God. Translated by E. Craufurd. New York: Harper and Row, 1951. The collection of short writings that best communicates her mystical understanding on the fringes of Christianity.

Weiner, H. 9 ½ Mystics: The Kabbalah Today. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969. A first-person account of various forms of contemporary Jewish Mysticism, with fascinating personal profiles.

Whaling, F., ed. John and Charles Wesley. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. Key texts from John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, and a generous selection of hymns from his brother, Charles.

Wiesel, E. The Gates of the Forest. Translated by F. Frenaye. New York: Avon, 1966. A post-holocaust book by the Nobel-prize-winning survivor of the camps, which opens with a Hasidic tale.

Windeatt, B. A., trans. The Book of Margery Kempe. London: Penguin Books, 1985. The fascinating first example of an English autobiography as dictated by an illiterate but highly expressive mystic.

Zinn, G. A., trans. Richard of St. Victor. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1979. This volume contains both portions of the Victorine’s great mystical treatise, which brings close psychological analysis to the life of prayer.

Zion, B. Z., trans. Abraham Isaac Kook. In The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1978. The introduction places this attractive representative of modern Jewish Mysticism in historical context and provides a translation of major works. 


===
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,