Mystical Tradition: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Table of Contents
Professor Biography ....................................................................................i
0] Course Scope 1
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
- J. Neusner and A. J. Avery, eds. The Routledge Dictionary of Judaism. New York: Routledge, 2004;
- F. L. Cross.The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd ed. Edited by E. A.Livingstone. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997; and
- 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.
