2021/02/11

The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation eBook: Butcher, Carmen Acevedo, Butcher, Carmen Acevedo: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store

The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation eBook: Butcher, Carmen Acevedo, Butcher, Carmen Acevedo: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store


The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation Kindle Edition
by Carmen Acevedo Butcher  (Author, Translator)  Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars    73 ratings
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Length: 289 pages Word Wise: Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled 
Page Flip: Enabled Audible Narration: Ready Language: English

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Product description
Review
"This classic deserves to be read by every age in its own cultural idiom. Dr. Butcher has done just that and has preserved a valuable treasure for our time. This is the book that balances our lust for knowing with the freedom of not needing to know at all!"--Richard Rohr, OFM, author of Radical Grace and Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer
"Brilliant, bold, and breathtaking. Carmen Acevedo Butcher is called to this work, and I have no doubt the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing is the one calling her. I loved her sensitivity to the original Middle English, her fascinating background details, and her high level of accuracy. I am delighted that this passionate and readable new translation of the Cloud is on the planet!"--Cynthia Bourgeault, author of The Wisdom Jesus and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description
This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom—while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English.

The Cloud of Unknowing consists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union. Its theology is presented in a way that is remarkably easy to understand, as well as practical, providing advice on prayer and contemplation that anyone can use. Previous translations of the Cloud have tended to veil its intimate, even friendly tone under medieval-sounding language. Carmen Butcher has boldly brought the text into language as appealing to modern ears as it was to its original readers more than five hundred years ago.

Also included in the volume is the companion work attributed to the same anonymous author, The Book of Privy Counsel, which contains further advice for approaching God in a way that emphasizes real experience rather than human knowledge.




 
About the Author
Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is Associate Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Shorter College, Rome, Georgia, where she is also scholar-in-residence. She was a senior Fulbright lecturer at Gogan University, Seoul, Korea. She has published a number of translations of Christian mystical classics from Latin, Middle English, and other languages. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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Product details
ASIN : B012TTACLQ
Publisher : Shambhala; 1st edition (14 April 2009)
Language : English
File size : 414 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 289 pages
Best Sellers Rank: 218,729 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
42 in Self Help for Catholics
84 in Christian Mysticism
119 in Mysticism
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars    73 ratings
===
From Australia
Judy Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Australia on 29 July 2016
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Easy to understand, great insight into what the author meant
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Dr Vikas Pandey
5.0 out of 5 stars Nonduality and contemplative prayer from the 14th century.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2020
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A beautiful book from the 14th century, lovingly translated. Nonduality from the Christian tradition. Be careful, after reading this book, the questions may just stop :)
One person found this helpful
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KGD
4.0 out of 5 stars Good buy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2018
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Good translation, easy to read chapters, lots of good in text references and links
One person found this helpful
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Charity Dlamini
5.0 out of 5 stars good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2020
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good
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R A Hailwood
5.0 out of 5 stars fresh air
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 November 2015
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readable, living, dynamic.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2016
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Excellent Translation. Very clear teaching. I recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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Krishnaflow
5.0 out of 5 stars Non-Duality and Christian Mysticism
Reviewed in the United States on 12 October 2018
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I read "the Cloud" many years ago in the original English (Medieval England,Chaucer's time) and it was hard to follow. This translation opened the book up in a very effective way. If one can go beyond the obviously Catholic context it becomes very lear that this unknown author had encountered the non-dual state and wished to pass his experience on to his student. Contemplate God alone and on your sin....sin being all that keeps one separate from the unity consciousness, just the obstacles to awakening. Very close to Adyashanti's "True Meditation" Anyhow, it was meaningful for me to see the clarity in a Christian context. Very monastic in tone but if one can read between the lines ,an epic writing on universal truth.
11 people found this helpful
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Craig Bosman
5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible & Profound
Reviewed in the United States on 30 December 2020
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As I began my foray into contemplation a little while ago I kept hearing about this book and realised that I just had to read it. But I kept putting it off because I knew it would be a huge effort due to the language. But then I found this translation and it was an absolute joy to read - understandable and profound. I'm so grateful for how people like this are making works like these accessible to people like me. Thanks!
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Sara Nelson
4.0 out of 5 stars Each short chapter is written to someone the author is ...
Reviewed in the United States on 16 August 2017
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Each short chapter is written to someone the author is mentoring. They are meant to help one understand ones self and to move on communicating with God. There is obviously church doctrine involved but still can be meaningful for those searching. It is a fairly simple read but with deeper connotations.
5 people found this helpful
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Author C. Orville McLeish
5.0 out of 5 stars Profound
Reviewed in the United States on 11 December 2020
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This book opened up my eyes to something I have known to work for a long time, contemplative prayer. I believe the depth to which this book has unpacked this subject is far more profound that I anticipated. I am still trying to process it.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation of a though and heavy text.
Reviewed in the United States on 7 October 2017
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Excellent translation of a though and heavy text.
I bought it on audible and kindle. to . be read once ever y few years.
3 people found this helpful
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Froggy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Translation
Reviewed in the United States on 10 October 2015
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The Cloud of Unknowing is one of the great works of Christian literature and spirituality. The limpid prose of this translation makes it accessible to many readers who might have been intimidated by more literal versions. Highly to be recommended.
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BigGiro20
5.0 out of 5 stars Contemplative prayer defined
Reviewed in the United States on 6 June 2018
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The modern language makes this ancient wisdom accessible to the modern student of contemplative prayer.
One person found this helpful
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DOUGLAS G BLACKBURN
5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation
Reviewed in the United States on 13 January 2019
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Makes a very difficult reading easy to understand.
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Habitformed
5.0 out of 5 stars Contemplative document for today and all days.
Reviewed in the United States on 11 July 2018
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Contemporary and accessible.This edition was quite a surprise after having tried an old classical version in past time.
Yet the scholarship is thorough and informative thanks to many footnotes. Its a warm and human treatise on contemplative prayer.
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CPXMD
5.0 out of 5 stars Great new "translation" - brings an old classic in the ...
Reviewed in the United States on 8 June 2018
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Great new "translation" - brings an old classic in the 21st century - makes it much easier to feel the punch of what the author was teaching.
One person found this helpful
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PA
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 6 May 2016
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Excellent translation.
One person found this helpful
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Beagle
5.0 out of 5 stars good read
Reviewed in the United States on 2 October 2016
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good read
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Simswildlife
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 24 September 2017
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Best book I ever read.
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The Cloud of Unknowing eBook: Anonymous, Underhill, Evelyn: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store

The Cloud of Unknowing eBook: Anonymous, Underhill, Evelyn: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store

Product description
From the Inside Flap
Written by an anonymous English monk during the late fourteenth century, The Cloud of Unknowing is a sublime expression of what separates God from humanity and is widely regarded as a hallmark of Western literature and spirituality. A work of simplicity, courage, and lucidity, it is a contemplative classic on the deep mysteries of faith.

Lift up your heart to God with a humble impulse of love and have himself as your aim, not any of his goods ... Set yourself to rest in this darkness, always crying out after him whom you love. For if you are to experience him or to see him at all, insofar as it is possible here, it must always be in this cloud and in this darkness. -- The Cloud of Unknowing

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author
Christian philosopher and teacher Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) helped establish mysticism as a legitimate philosophy. She achieved international fame with the 1911 publication of Mysticism and wrote nearly 40 other books, including novels and poetry. The first woman invited to lecture on theology at Oxford, she was the religion editor for Spectator.
Kim Boykin has a Ph.D. in theology from Emory University. She teaches at Marymount College and is the author of Zen for Christians. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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Product details
ASIN : B0046A9RU4
Language : English
File size : 174 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
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Print length : 138 pages
----
4.5 out of 5 stars 730
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The Way of Perfection by Saint Teresa of Avila (A Christian classic!)
The Way of Perfection by Saint Teresa of Avila (A Christian classic!)
Saint Teresa of Avila
4.6 out of 5 stars 83
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The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation
The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation
Carmen Acevedo Butcher
4.7 out of 5 stars 73
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Top reviews from Australia
Alwyn Noronha
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in Australia on 9 May 2020
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the book just meanders along until it gets so abstract it it becomes boring to go any further. I will still try and read through the book in time.
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Fr. Neville
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Australia on 15 December 2014
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This spiritual masterpiece demands attention no only in the Middle Ages.
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Samantha Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating Guidebook to Contemplative Life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2019
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This is a classic guide for the true Contemplative who desires to seek God's face, the Mary who sits at Jesus's feet. It wasn't until about halfway through the book that I reached the practical insight so persevere.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation of this incredibly valuable book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 March 2014
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I have struggled with other so called "modern" translation of this book that still sounded like old English to me. The language always got in the way of the deep spiritual concepts and wonderful guidance offered by the anonymous author. This translation keeps the beauty and warmth of the original, but allows ordinary readers like me to focus wholly on the concepts and advice he is offering, many of which need time and contemplation to be fully absorbed. I am thankful to the anonymous author for writing down his advice, and to Bernard Bangley for this excellent and loving translation.
14 people found this helpful
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James Maccabe
5.0 out of 5 stars none have done it better than this writer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2016
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Evelyn Underhill really understood this ancient work by an unknown monk. If you want to understand this mystical book ,
none have done it better than this writer. Excellent!
7 people found this helpful
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Anne
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2017
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I am growing in understanding of this text, but it could be a challenge for the general reader
3 people found this helpful
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Andy H
5.0 out of 5 stars ? ....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2020
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Great quality book, I am still to read and from other reviews - wish me luck!.
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Duncan Moss
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 December 2020
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A classic
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Aquinas
5.0 out of 5 stars I was disappointed and purchased Evlyn underhills translation instead which I find ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2014
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I found this particular translation of the Cloud more difficult to understand. I thought the English would be more up to date than it is. I was disappointed and purchased Evlyn underhills translation instead which I find very beautiful and would highly recommend its simplicity.
8 people found this helpful
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S. Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any Christian who wants to learn more
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2019
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Brilliant for students of Christian spirituality
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gerry divine
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2015
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Very good spiritual book full of insights
One person found this helpful
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E. Pascal-n
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2018
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Thnak you so much
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PS
5.0 out of 5 stars Precious and helpful. A spiritual guide that is timeless ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2017
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Precious and helpful. A spiritual guide that is timeless.
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Tony
5.0 out of 5 stars This book knows where it’s going
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 November 2017
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A book to stretch the mind
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Wren
4.0 out of 5 stars Mysticism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2014
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Very useful though the translation is not as easy to read as more recent trans;ations but it being available on Kindle means it can be easily available
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corricook
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2016
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Great Thanks
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William Heath
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great classics of religeous contemplation
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2014
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One of the great classics of religeous contemplation. For all those who seek and for those who believe they have found.
2 people found this helpful
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Happy Camper
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 29 January 2016
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Great to have on my digital devices for a very cheap price. Highly recommend
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Judith Oldridge
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condition!
Reviewed in Canada on 1 February 2013
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Excellent condition, and it was easy to obtain in Canada. It is a book well worth the money. We live in a small town, and don't have a book store for miles around! So this is such a blessing! Thank you so much!
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
Reviewed in Canada on 10 April 2017
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The book is great but this translation isn't.
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Andrew McDonald
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 24 October 2014
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An excellent translation of an important read for any serious Christian who desires to pray more effectively.
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Nancy Wanda Neumann
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in Canada on 5 October 2014
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This is a book of constant inspiration
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Elsie
4.0 out of 5 stars Cloud of Unknowing:The classic of Medieval Mysticism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2012
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The book arrived promply and in excellent condition. This is a book to read slowly and savour the depth of meaning within the words. An excellent book for a study group.
2 people found this helpful
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Susan Roddy
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant, I hope to grow into it
Reviewed in Canada on 12 November 2015
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Fascinating, nonsensical, brilliant, I hope to grow into it.
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Avid Reader
2.0 out of 5 stars This version is still in "ancient" English
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2012
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We tried the book and the principles and encouragement s are excellent. However, we found it too distracting perpetually having to decipher the "ancient" style of English. After a short trial, we sent it back and with the refund, bought a different version in modern English.
4 people found this helpful
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Mr Peter Essex
1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2016
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Cannot understand the old English text
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Sujittra Chaturongkul
5.0 out of 5 stars He makes me feel that there's still something good left of our humanity.
Reviewed in the United States on 27 August 2015
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I bought it for the reason that it says it's a Christian classic, and also I'd heard a lot about this book while reading about Christian mysticism. It's such a great book. The author is warmhearted, witty, genial, down-to-earth, very mature, contemplative, deep type of a guy. After I left the book for a while, I had the sense of a "true peace" and a "comfort with God" ( his words in quotations ) when coming back to it.

Evelyn Underhill writes the Introduction and says " The MS from which it was made is unknown to us." It's still controversial who the author really was. But it was written around the latter half of the fourteenth century, England. There are so many things around and about him such as his other books, his being a cloistered monk, his being a Carthusian etc. which are still uncertain and unprovable.

No doubt that the book is a mystical treatise. It talks about how to get to God by going over the cloud of unknowing leaving behind the cloud of forgetting. All just have to be between you and God, other things else have to be forgotten. It's the "speedily springing unto God as a sparkle from the coal." There are two kinds of the church life, the active life and the contemplative life. The active life is the life of busying with all kind of religious activities such as helping the poor, the needy, and doing other charity works. The contemplative life "should be occupied, in reading, thinking, and praying" and "contemplative sitteth in peace with one thing." His view of praying is that, "Prayer in itself properly is not else, but a devout intent direct unto God, for getting of good and removing of evil." And God is, " The everlastingness of God is His length. His love is His breadth. His might is His height. And His wisdom is His deepness."

The quotations were just to let you know of how he writes and his main ideas. I would recommend this book for anyone, religious, or mystic. I love the author so much, he makes me feel that there's still something good left of our humanity.
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Paul Towers
5.0 out of 5 stars An invitation of unknowing
Reviewed in the United States on 29 November 2017
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This is an excellent book concerning the understanding and practice of the contemplative life. Its purpose is clear and written by one who experiences this life. I would recommend the Cloud of Unknowing to anyone who desires a closer encounter with God.
15 people found this helpful
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Kay Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars A very useful translation
Reviewed in the United States on 6 January 2013
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The very simple language of this translation makes this spiritual classic available to those who might otherwise find it difficult to understand. I use it in a contemplative prayer group which I facilitate in a prison for inmates with psychological disorders. Many of them are illiterate or nearly so. We are moving very slowly through this book because it has stirred up the best discussions we have ever had., They are really getting it. I have used other more beautiful translations with better educated groups and many just don't like the book. I think it might be useful for children. This book really fills a need.
43 people found this helpful
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L. Reffett
4.0 out of 5 stars Know and Experience God's Depth and Love.
Reviewed in the United States on 16 August 2014
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The book is written by an anonymous English monk of the 14th Century, and he starts out with a warning - Only those who are serious in being a "perfect follower of Christ" is to read this book. I found this book very helpful in understanding how to go beyond meditation, and the monk states the exercise is "to hold nothing in your mind, but place yourself in the presence of God." The cloud of unknowing is a reference to a spiritual reality that we do not always know what may be blocking or hindering our relationship with God. We cannot completely know or understand God, but in this exercise, we do not use our mind, thoughts, feelings, or even self, to try to understand God. We simply place ourselves in the presence of God, and He come to us in a deeper way. I am currently reading, Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating, which seems to be expanding on this monk's work and the contemplative life. Keating states, "God's first language is silence." God meets you in the silence, and you "let God draw your love up to the cloud, for he who seeks God perfectly will not take his rest of any angel or saint." We do not ask God for anything or seek enlightenment in this exercise. We do not engage in thoughts about God or put any image in our mind which becomes a spiritual cloud, obscuring our quiet time with God. It is like being in a room with a friend you love and trust, and you know each other so well that you do not need to talk, but you are just enjoy being together, enjoying each other's love and company. This exercise is not to replace other forms of pray or the study of God's Holy Word, perhaps through Lectio Divina, where you Red, Reflect, Respond, and Rest in the Scripture and God. I will end this with how the monk ends his book, "Blessings to you, Spiritual Friend, and I beseech Almighty God that true peace, sane counsel, and spiritual comfort in God with abundance of grace always be with you, and with all those who on earth love God. Amen."
26 people found this helpful
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Silence
5.0 out of 5 stars As close as possible
Reviewed in the United States on 12 December 2018
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This translation is as close to exact as possible (I guess) given the history of its existence and of the English language.
This copy I sent to my brother who has a degree in (protestant) theology and objects to my being Catholic.

If he can understand it.

Thank you.
4 people found this helpful
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Asuvas
4.0 out of 5 stars It is my favorite translation. The format gets only 2 stars
Reviewed in the United States on 18 October 2014
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The actual text gets 5 stars. It is my favorite translation. The format gets only 2 stars; it is hard to read in my Kindle, as the pages are laid out like images--if you enlarge them so you can read it, the text doesnt wrap, and the lines grow longer until half the sentence is off the page.
16 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Horrendous translation
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2021
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The translation of this beautiful text obscures the glorious beauty of the book. If anyone ever actually spoke in "thees and thous" and "untos and wherefors" I have no doubt no two people ever understood the meaning of the speaker.
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Patricia A. Long
2.0 out of 5 stars Seeing through the Cloud
Reviewed in the United States on 3 June 2013
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I first read this book many, many years ago when I was a third degree Discalced Carmelite, We read it as a group and had discussions facilitated by a semi-cloistered Carmelite nun. It was such a beautiful book by a Catholic brother who totally gave himself over to God. It was so inspiring.

So, I decided to read it again. But this time I had trouble understanding the language he used. However, I plodded on, occasionally running into a sparkling jewel of a thought that I could meditate on. I never did finish it though because it was just too much work without a "interpreter."
10 people found this helpful
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R. Mcmillen
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on Biblical Contemplation but Middle English can be a challenge
Reviewed in the United States on 9 January 2021
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Love the content but I had some problems understanding this version. Bought an Audible version in modern English to continue my study.
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Jessica
2.0 out of 5 stars I should not have wasted my money on it
Reviewed in the United States on 27 September 2017
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This book is not complete; this is not the complete book and the print is so small, even if you don't need glasses, it takes a magnifying glass to read it. I should not have wasted my money on it.
2 people found this helpful
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William D. Curnutt
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic on the contemplative life
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2012
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This short book written hundreds of years ago by an unknown Monk is interesting, concise, humbling and relevant even today for the Christian who is seriously curious about delving into the spiritual realm of a contemplative.

This is not a "scholarly" writing, but that of a mentor to his friends whom he wants to instruct on how to go deeper in their walk with Christ. Some of the writing is a bit difficult at first to understand, you must read with a meditative reading style. I would alsonsuggestnreading it out loud as it will help with your attention and understanding.

The author expresses that this will be a difficult read for someone knew to the thoughts of a contemplative lifestyle. He recommends that you need to read this through two or three times to fully grasp the thoughts and lessons.

He also acknowledges that this task will be hard work. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't come quickly. It is a calling from God. But after all the hard labor the rewards are worth it.

I think that this translation by Harper Collins is well done and worth your consideration.

Enjoy!
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Charlie White
5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly, an inspired text
Reviewed in the United States on 20 April 2014
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For those willing to invest the time in wading through this book, with it's olde English prose, you will be rewarded with a treasure of insight . For those unwilling (or unable) to invest the time, you might want to find something a little more suited for your available time. The blessings shall be the same, if you follow your desires for grace.
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TDR
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Classic of Catholic Literature!
Reviewed in the United States on 11 November 2006
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Written by an anonymous Monk in the 1300s, you will find this book to be very different than many other Catholic reads. As a Catholic, I found this book to be refreshing and thought-provoking, and yet even more proof that there are so many different sides to Catholicism, Catholic thought, and Catholic practice. At times, the book has a very Eastern feel to it- almost Buddhist-like- and yet at other times, it has much more of a classic-medieval-Christian feel...

However, please be forewarned: (1) Even though this version of the book is translated into modern English, the sentences can still be rather long, and are not very concise at times (at least when compared to most modern English writing). So you may find yourself having to re-read some sentences, and/or contemplating the meaning of what you just read- which for me was worth the effort, but may not be for everyone... We are not talking brain-surgery here, but I think you get the idea. (2) This book was written a very long time ago, in a different age with different outlooks on the world- and I think there are strong indicators in certain chapters that the author assumes his readers will (for the most part) be people who are in some religious order of some sort from his time period. Consequently, some readers may find this book interesting, but not that practical for every day use in their lives. However, I also think that there is a large set of people, (especially many Catholics), who will find this book, in addition to being a fascinating read, to also (with its different approach) be very useful in their quest for deeper spirituality.

Sample (from one of the more concise paragraphs): ...Do not hang back then, but labor in it until you experience the desire. For when you first begin to undertake it, all that you will find is a darkness, a sort of cloud of the unknowing; you can not tell what it is, except that you experience in your will a simple reaching out to God. This darkness and cloud is always between you and God, no matter what you do, and it prevents you from seeing Him clearly by the light of understanding in your reason and from experiencing Him in sweetness of love in your affection. So set yourself to rest in this darkness as long as you can, always crying out for Him whom you love. For if you are to experience Him at all, insofar as it is possible here [that is, in this existence], it must always be in this cloud and in this darkness...

There are many chapters, but they are very short. Most will find reading a chapter a day a very realistic goal. I hope you enjoy this highly regarded classic as much as I did!
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C. V. Sawyer
3.0 out of 5 stars The cloud of unknowing
Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2014
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A bit too esoteric for what I sought, The Cloud of Unknowing is very deep. Though it would serve as a perfect introduction to the contemplative life, I was hoping for a shortcut. Another weak human here.
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S. Crayne
1.0 out of 5 stars Botched Kindle edition
Reviewed in the United States on 17 June 2015
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I had read about half of the William Johnston translation in an old copy of an Image paperback. I have old eyes- the forty year old pb had small print- so, knowing Underhill's own writing, I ordered her translation today on my Kindle, for the bargain price of 99 cents. Big mistake. I just deleted it without reading. It's just about illegible: no Table of Contents, formatted in some weird way with footnotes first, I couldn't make any sense of it.
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Ziprgun5
5.0 out of 5 stars An enigma and paradox in a conundrum wrapped in a cloud. Essential reading.
Reviewed in the United States on 2 February 2015
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This classic deserves a reading by any religious person on earth – no matter what the religion (re=again;ligare=to attach; ie, to reattach), there comes moments in a person seeking that are drier than a bone in the desert. But when you reach the cloud of unknowing you know it. It's an enigma a paradox in a conundrum wrapped in a cloud.
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Clarice Jane Mullikin
5.0 out of 5 stars The writing style is unique but the understandings I gleaned ...
Reviewed in the United States on 19 March 2018
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The writing style is unique but the understandings I gleaned as I studied this along with St. John of the Cross 'Dark Night of the Soul' was gratifying.
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JPra
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on 4 October 2020
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Great book and seller.
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Dennis McCown
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful spiritual insights’
Reviewed in the United States on 25 November 2019
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Challenging English but well worth the effort!
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mary a echols
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2017
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Wonderful addition to my spiritual library.
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Desiree Valenzuela
5.0 out of 5 stars for anyone interested in the tradition of Christian meditation
Reviewed in the United States on 25 March 2013
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this was written in the 13th century, by an obviously intelligent, well educated, and warm-hearted monk with a real desire to help others. Not all meditation traditions/techniques derive from eastern (Hindu, Buddhist, etc) sources- a common misconception which I once believed myself. The language has been updated, but certainly not dumbed-down. God Bless our unknown author for sharing this with us... the methods described in this book are not easy, quick-fix, psycho-babble of the sort to be found in all too many modern books on the subject of meditation. But they are very well worth the time and effort for the sincere seeker of God and His truth. A very old Christian monastic tradition with ancient roots, just waiting to be discovered and put to use by the rest of us. Highly reccomended.
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The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works (Penguin Classics) Spearing, A.

The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works   Spearing, A.,


The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works (Penguin Classics) New Ed Edition, Kindle Edition
by A. Spearing (Editor, Translator)  Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars    145 ratings
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Contains 
  1. The Cloud of Unknowing, 
  2. The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, 
  3. The Book of Privy Counselling, and 
  4. An Epistle on Prayer. 

Against a tradition of devotional writings which focussed on knowing God through Christ's Passion and his humanity, these texts describe a transcendent God who exists beyond human knowledge and human language. These four texts are at the heart of medival mystical theology in their call for contemplation, calm, and above all, love, as the way to understand the Divine.
==========




About the Author
Born and raised in Surrey, Laura Hoggins developed her passion for lifting after discovering a CrossFit box in Hammersmith over three years ago. Inspired by the community of individuals whose priority was athletics and not their aesthetic, Laura quit her office job and moved into fitness full time. Now a fully trained Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer, Laura runs her own concept class, LIFTED, at the Ministry of Sound Fitness. 
Laura has over 11,000 Instagram followers and has worked with British Women's Lifting, Women in Sport and This Girl Can to spread a campaign that she supports that 'strong is not a size'. Runner Up in Men's Health Gym Awards '18 for 'Smartest Coach' and a regular contributor to Woman's Health, Metro and Health & Fitness Magazine, Laura speaks on podcasts, at festivals and events across the country and is the female face celebrating lifting in the UK.
======
@laurabiceps
https-//www.lifted.fitness/ --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
ASIN : B002RI9X7Y
Publisher : Penguin; New Ed edition (30 August 2001)

Print length : 202 pages
--
From Australia
HELEN LEETE
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for comparing the mystical experiences
Reviewed in Australia on 25 April 2015
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Lovely little book. Again have both hard copy and Kindle. Good for comparing the mystical experiences, and writing of, say, Dr. David Hawkins, and Plotinus with Meadiaeval English mystics like St John of the Cross. Especially liked they way some passages were printed in Old or middle English!
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Nadine
5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to reading it when I've the time.
Reviewed in Australia on 25 April 2019
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Looking forward to reading it when I've the time.
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Mr B
5.0 out of 5 stars The cloud of Unknowing and other works. Spearing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2017
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There are a number of different translations of this, surprisingly perhaps, very English Medieval text, on the market. What it shares with Julian of Norwich, is in fact a kind of Englishness of spirit that is rarely acknowledged; you have to perhaps go back through the beautiful ‘Piers Ploughman’ to the Anglo Saxon ‘Dream of the Rood’, to recover that flavor. In fact it was Denys Turner’s brilliant book on Julian that prompted me to try it: and part of the power is in the language. Language in fact forms a key issue in the very readable and illuminating introduction, but it raises a perennial question: to what extent can a modern translator both access and replicate, the ‘sound’ of the original, and the language of Chaucer’s time is neither strange nor incomprehensible, it is just that it is unfamiliar.

So what have we got? It opens a translation from Dionys the Aperogite, or ‘The Mystical Theology of St. Dennis,’ which establishes the basic conceptual foundation stone for the ‘Cloud.’ There are two approaches to understanding God: one is to take the kataphatic approach that the knowledge of God is revealed by what he has created, an approach adopted beautifully by many of the Psalms; the other approach, the apophatic approach, is that God is so totally unknowable that we cannot say anything about him; the former is affirmative, the latter, reductive. The approach of the latter is also found in Plotinus, and is perhaps exemplified in the approach of St. John of the Cross, with the Via Negato, which is not to suggest that they are mutually exclusive, and in fact the contrast has been likened to the Mary or Martha debate. ‘The Cloud’ which to describe over-simply, is a manual for the practice of contemplation, is followed by a text on perhaps more general advice. One has to bear in mind that what the religious - the author is believed to have been a Carthusian Priest, writing in English – and that raises questions, who remained anon, is that for the Medieval religious, the boundary between what we would call prayer and what we might call contemplation, did not exist; and they were only the guidelines established by the earlier Desert Fathers.

One of the interesting things about ‘The Cloud’ is that in a way, it continues with a Platonic thread: from Plato, to Plotinus, to Proclus, to Denys – a Christian student of Proclus. Aquinas, concerned as he was about the purity of doctrine, was concerned about the Greek element he discerned in the writings of Denys, but that concern is no different from the concern of the early Islamic Theologians, as to the influence coming from outside of the prophetic tradition, which in their view really began with Adam. That is in a way, a by the way. This is a lovely translation that is as illuminating as it is perhaps practical, and its in a Penguin!
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Momac
5.0 out of 5 stars Union with God in this life.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2017
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Very interesting and uplifting book for those who have a desire in their heart to be united with God in unconditional love.
The concepts of the cloud of unknowing and the sea of forgetfulness are very practical and useful ways of guiding the seeker towards God.
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colin skilton
5.0 out of 5 stars Will chnage your life forever
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2019
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For those who follow the Christian faith this is book comes very highly recommended. the first time I read this book it changed my life forever and for the better. The wisdom and insight into human understanding is amazing and every time I read it I find something else there to enjoy. I whole heartedly recommend this book and hope you enjoy the words as much as I have.
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Colin Wimsett
4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring but vague.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 December 2020
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Unlike other versions I have looked at, the language in this translation is easy to understand. Inspiring book - more on philosophical side than practical, as quite vague in personal application.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2018
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Powerful religious read.
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Mrs. J. S. E. Greenhalgh
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 April 2018
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a difficult read, needs explaining
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E. Pascal-n
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2018
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Thank you so much
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dJinga
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2018
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Fascinating
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Ian D
5.0 out of 5 stars It was hard to get into but very rewarding once I managed it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2013
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It was hard to get into but very rewarding once I managed it. I find it best reading this particular work at a rate of no more than a chapter a day, allowing time for reflection.
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Martin Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 May 2016
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Worth reading
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5.0 out of 5 stars Beware -language can be a barrier between the Soul and God, but there is no alternative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 June 2013
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This is a Christian spiritual classic, written in the fourteenth century, which sets out to capture in language the nature of God and the longed-for relationship of the contemplative soul with God. The author is unknown but thought to be a priest who was probably also a monk. He argues that essentially God is unknowable and indescribable and that therefore all words are inadequate and sometimes quite misleading, as in when He (for want of a better pronoun) is described as 'out there' or 'up there' or 'within'. This sort of language is not to be understood in a bodily or physically spatial sense but spiritually. We have to use words because we inhabit the physical world and have only those terms to describe what is essentially of the spirit and not describable in words at all. However, if we don't use words we have only silence which doesn't enable us to share wisdom and experience. Fortunately, the book is written in short chapters which enables the reader to digest and absorb (to use more physical terms) what is being put forward.
I have found the book really helpful at this particular stage of my own journey. It helps me to make sense of some of my own experiences because it deals with questions I have had and which had not been addressed to my satisfaction before. As there is a lot within the writing to take in it is the sort of guide to come back to from time to time, and specific chapters might be of particular help in particular life situations.
I would recommend this to anyone seeking, through setting aside a time of quiet, a closer relationship with God.
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kdv
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cloud of Unknowing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2011
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This modern version of "The Cloud of Unknowing" has made the work more intelligible to todays readers by replacing the archaic language of older versions whilst retaining the original sense. This has always been a challenging book to read and understand but I feel that this version has gone a long way towards providing the practical guidance that the original author intended for his readers. It is not an easy book, as instructional treatises go, but at least with this edition you are not confused by the mysteries of language.
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upanishads
5.0 out of 5 stars the cloud of unknowing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2011
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known this book for years,don't need to be a Christian, it is full of honest wisdom a classic of true spirituality.
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Jim
4.0 out of 5 stars The Cloud moves you.
Reviewed in Canada on 21 June 2015
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Reading this book must be like eating your favourite desert, slow and meditatively.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 22 April 2017
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A very insightful read. I'm ready.
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Chris Morse
5.0 out of 5 stars Do not read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2011
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This is a most intresting book. It's definatley not for everyone and even starts off with a warning from the unknown 1370's writer to not read, speak of or quote the book to anyone who is not ready to follow through with what this book is offering.
With that in mind, I will just explain the title.
There are 2 ways to think of God:
1- Positive. God is Good, Great, Wonderful etc. All based on characteristics we are familiar with because we see them as human attributes as well.
2- Negative. God is not Good, Great, Wonderful etc, because these are all human words and attributes and can never describe God the unmade Spirit. So when we come to face God our mind cannot comprehend Him and instead comes to a blank, or, Cloud of Unknowing.

This book will shed light on what could be misunderstood by anyone who is not already in a place of seeking Him and not what He can offer.

This version is translated by Colin Wolfer and has some great notes before each book.
Recommended, but bear in mind the Authors warning. if you are not ready you will be wasting your time completley.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 November 2013
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While I think this is an indispensable companion book, I strongly suggest you also download the freely available copy written in old English. Although it is not as easy to read, in some ways the old-english version transmits the concepts, which are truly not easy to transmit in words, better than the modern English version. Because the concepts in the cloude of unknowing are really so alien to modern life and properly a new language should be invented to discuss them, the use of old english in some way achieves this by using slightly unfamiliar versions of words that if written in the common language lose meaning simply because of how we are used to treating the word and the automatic sensations it brings up in us.
My practice is to read the old english first and then if a word stumps me use this book to "translate" it for myself.
I need to add that I have no religion whatsoever, however the concepts described by the 14th century anonymous mystic who wrote it are truly universal and I wonder if he didn't keep his name out of it to avoid being burned at the stake!

One last point, I don't know if others will relate to this, but this book might have been utterly incomprehensible to me had it not been for an event that completely re-wired my outlook on life. I had a sudden experience that flung me into what i can only describe an alternate reality based in love, and in it, all the common rules of the material world no longer apply, in fact, many of the normal ways we go about our lives could even be seen as wrong and liable to only bring misery to our lives instead of love and joy. This book, so far, is the only thing I have found that actually describes this alternate reality well. It has been helpful to me to understand when my faith has been weak. I say faith, but please not I have no religion, yet there is a love, a indeed...Cloude of Unknowyinge as it were, and to be in it in faith is the only way to really have that sense that you are fulfilling your purpose here on Earth by just being yourself, your true self. It is difficult to describe and will always sound cliched, and never in a million years did I think i would find myself finding guidance, and comfort, even joy and laughter in a book written more than 500 years ago by a mystic who had also discovered this alternate reality, and captured its essence in the form of a guidebook so beautifully.
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Mrs. H. R. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfied customer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2013
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I purchased this book for my father who had been looking for a copy for some time. It was delivered quickly and was just what he wanted.
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Dr Kevin
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2014
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A excellent read.
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Genny, Harlow
4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Lenten reading.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 May 2016
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Much food for the soul here. Recommended.
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Mr E.L. Newsome
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful spritual writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2014
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Very challenging to read but sublime writing. Not for those who are out for an easy way into Christian spirituality but for a more seasoned spiritual travellers.
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christopher whittington
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2014
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Great
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Sinead McCarthy
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2014
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Good service
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Douglas Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars Cloud of Unknowing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 August 2014
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Very interesting book. A classic of English medieval mysticism.
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Debra Dyson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2014
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Exellent
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David Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading if you want spiritual awakening.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2017
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It gave a good account to reach a balance in your life and achieve spiritual contentment. A very good read from an author born six centuries ago.
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Witchwork
3.0 out of 5 stars The Cloud of Unknowing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2013
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I bought it because it is about making contact with a spiritual entity (God). I liked it because it matches other sources in placing great empahsis on clearing the mind of existing ideas and wisdom. I found it rather repetitive.
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Dolly Daydream
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2014
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unfinished
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Silence
5.0 out of 5 stars This is complete PLUS other Medieval writings
Reviewed in the United States on 12 December 2018
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This one I kept to read myself. My degree is in philosophy. This book not only presets "the Unknowing" but also touches on what others writers were doing at that time.
I love it.

Thank you.
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jwoodard
5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual Investment
Reviewed in the United States on 11 July 2014
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Taking the warning at the beginning that it is not meant for those with a casual or shallow spirituality into account, this work is an immensely deep and timeless guide to any Christian seeking nearness to God. Even in instances where I might disagree with the author's theology on some point, The Cloud of Unknowing is thought provoking and inspiring. The other works placed with the Cloud help put it into context. It is important that anyone who wishes to follow the author's advise do so thoughtfully and carefully. Concepts such as the impossibility to truly KNOW God and the impossibility for the senses and the mind to come to Him, along with the necessity to rely to a certain extent on the heart and emotions can easily lead in non-Christian directions if the reader does not have a mature understanding of spiritual matters. No matter how strange his teaching may seem at times, the author was an absolutely orthodox Catholic. It is important to remember where the author is coming from in such lofty literature to keep things in context. That done, it is easy for me, an Evangelical Baptist, to say that this work is as applicable for me today as it was during the middle ages when it was written. I also want to say that I always try to buy Penguin editions of any classic work I may be looking for. Penguin combines annotated and informational style that lends context with affordability. As a student, I appreciate both.
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Carl Hall
3.0 out of 5 stars Great Text Small Print
Reviewed in the United States on 28 June 2009
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As a student of the "Cloud" for many years I appreciate having this text in my library, especially since it includes the "The Mystical Theology of St. Denis," "The Book of Privy Counselling," and "An Epistle on Prayer." However, the type face is so small that my 65 year old eyes tire easily when attempting to read it. If you're subject to eye strain, I'd recommend William Johnston's edition of "Cloud" and "Privy" or the "Cloud" from the "Classics of Western Spirituality" put out by Paulist Press along with its companion volume, "The Pursuit of Wisdom," containing other works by the "Cloud's" author. In any case, no student of contemplative prayer/meditation should be anything but thoroughly familiar with the treasure these texts contain.
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Matt N
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book. Given its age, it was ...
Reviewed in the United States on 18 July 2016
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Very interesting book. Given its age, it was much easier to read than I was expecting and provided insight into the more mystical and contemplative practice of prayer meditation.
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aminod
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 1 July 2018
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Excellent insights
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John D. Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars Well liked but Underappreciated
Reviewed in the United States on 7 February 2010
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Are we and our institutions--individually and collectively--irredeemably mired in the flesh?

"Not!", says the wisely anonymous author of Penguin Classics' "The Cloud of Unknowing and [Three] Other Works", all dealing with the flesh-to-Spirit path to spiritual perfection.

The unknown author's recommendation that one pay particular attention to short words of one syllable (God, love, in, up, and so forth) is well taken, as is his insistence that one must read the entire text (to avoid misunderstandings) and indeed repeatedly re-read, in order to arrive at a proper understanding of all that the author would so dearly love to convey.

I was greatly helped by including translator A. C. Spearing's Introduction in the cycle of readings.

Your friend in Christ Jesus, John Douglas Adams.
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Barbara C. Sceusa
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Reviewed in the United States on 4 May 2015
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This is not a novel, but a book that explains religion and man of a certain time period that is still just as relevant today.
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arthur j barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars great service.
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2015
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what a read!!!great service....thank you
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Allan Lindh
5.0 out of 5 stars A climbers guide for the inner world of a human being.
Reviewed in the United States on 3 July 2013
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Nothing quite like it in English. Almost convinced me to learn Middle English. Speculation that it was written by a Carthusian, the great monastic order that has kept the faith for over 1000 years. Even Henry VIII's "investigators" admitted that they could no misconduct by the Carthusians, but they took their property and burned their leaders anyway. "Into Great Silence" is a marvelous documentary shot at their head monastery in France.
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Truth Seeker 1
5.0 out of 5 stars Coming to Prrfection
Reviewed in the United States on 4 September 2015
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This book is a gold mine of direction in coming to a closer relationship with the One who loves us totally!!
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Ron J Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoying the Unknowing
Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2015
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A collection of anonymous spiritual writings from ancient teachers of the mysteries of faith.
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Timothy Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars have found this to be the best of a blend of scholarly and yet readable
Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2016
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This particular translation, in keeping with many regarding this, have found this to be the best of a blend of scholarly and yet readable. Understandably I have a few variant copies of different translations, all affording different issues regarding history, etc.Here, however, the conveyance is more readily experienced and understood. In particular "Mystical Theology". What is more is the price is outstanding.
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Chris M.
5.0 out of 5 stars They don't teach you this in church
Reviewed in the United States on 25 December 2013
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There's a realm of Christianity that I never found in church. It's been around for about 2000 years. It's been secreted away and practiced in remote locations, and it's always been hard to find. If you're looking for that realm, here is a good introduction to it. This isn't exactly a guide to that realm, but if you read the Cloud of Unknowing, you can figure out the path, the technique on how to approach the mystic's God and find that experience.
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mtngunr
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic contemplative prayer direction
Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2017
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From the 1100s and well translated works by the anonymous author, a spiritual director of souls. Quoted in the Office of Readings for those who know that official publication, if wondering as to orthodoxy.
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Evolvingelder
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a spiritual book of ancient origin by anonymous ...
Reviewed in the United States on 23 November 2016
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This is a spiritual book of ancient origin by anonymous that focuses on ways to become closer in relationship to God.
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Sam McMillen
5.0 out of 5 stars I very much enjoyed this book
Reviewed in the United States on 20 January 2016
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I very much enjoyed this book. It is easy to understand but difficult to practise, but I will spend the rest of my life attempting it.
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Rodney
5.0 out of 5 stars This edition is as good as any and can be kept at hand on ...
Reviewed in the United States on 21 May 2015
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I have been enjoying this treatise in various forms for the last thirty years. This edition is as good as any and can be kept at hand on our mobile phones.
If I was to speculate as to the author's identity, well, who other than a Carthusian could have written such a work?
Chapter 68 gives the climax and crux of the treatise. The first dozen or so chapters give the practical instructions. Simple and sublime.
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Darin
4.0 out of 5 stars good price
Reviewed in the United States on 3 June 2016
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Decent quality, good price
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Msstma
4.0 out of 5 stars Review for The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works
Reviewed in the United States on 1 May 2011
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I ordered this book as a suggested read. It is one of the books Marilyn Manson studied.

I was very eager to get it but also hesitant as I am not as learned as he is. I do not believe in God or religion so wanted to see what it was about.

It has a very long introductory which I tried to skip but did have to got back and read because I would have been lost if I hadn't.

My second disappointment was the print in this particular issue is very teeny tiny! I had to use a ruler magnifier as well as my glasses to see it.

The writings themselves: the first part is a background and explanation of the real text. These are writings that apparently Monks and people from the middle ages who wanted to become closer to God were studying. The second half are the actual prayers and meditations.

I almost wish they had reversed the order of this book and let me read the prayers and meditations first. I hate having things explained to me before I read them because I like to make my own mind up and once you read interpretations one can't help but be influenced by that.

The prayers and meditation guides are mostly the usual give up all vices and study the Word and meditate, instruction's you'd expect to be given to monks. In all fairness I have not finished this book and hope to come back and write another review.

The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition, just jeers to the printing industry on how they are using uber small print now!
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Deborah Beasley, Parent Coach and Consultant
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and transformational!
Reviewed in the United States on 13 October 2014
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This little book opens the mysteries of the mystical life. Best read and understood by those with an established spiritual and prayer life.
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Cloud Of Unknowing by William Johnston

Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: Cloud Of Unknowing (Image): And the Book of Privy Counseling: 15


Cloud Of Unknowing (Image): And the Book of Privy Counseling: 15
byWilliam Johnston
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178 global ratings | 89 global reviews
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From other countries
Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T BUY THE VERSION ON AUDIO CD
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2018
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DON’T BUY THE VERSION ON CD: the reader is great but the audio production is not professional. Very often on the CD, I only listened to 1 and 2, the phrases are left incomplete and one is left wondering why they made such a work …. You can hear the sentences are left incomplete, yet you have purchased the unabridged version and the copy ordered, shipped from the US …. St. Anthony Messenger Press is I believe, an American publisher that produces these audio recordings on CD, they are supposed to be unabridged, but technically they are not really, the recordings sound as if the technical engineer or whatever the correct name is for the person who records the narration and burns the material on CDs, has not double checked the recording or the burning on the CD. The audio book on CD ‘Mother Theresa: come, be my Light’ was also published by the same editor and there too I noticed, on at least a couple of occasions, that sentences were not complete, one would hear the narration and at some point the sentence would be interrupted without apparent reason, in this instance however the incompleteness of the sentences were noticeable less regularly than this one, I was able to finish the book. In the Mother Theresa’s case, fortunately I was able to find the unabridged download version with Audible UK and the download version is, as far as I can tell, perfect, but of this title, it seems that in the UK, the Audible version is not available.
I would not recommend to buy audiobooks on CD from this editor.
I am not happy to think and to experience that these Religious books which in my opinion should have priority over other types of books,
which demand technical attention to be recorded correctly and burnt on CDs properly, are the least attended to …. Other books which are not religious have, not always perfect, but certainly better quality. Shame.
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DKSAL
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condition
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 December 2018
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Delighted to get a vooy
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mkpalmer09
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 June 2017
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excellent
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DAWN
5.0 out of 5 stars press through the cloud
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2010
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Well worth reading if you want to know how to learn to press closer into God and discover more of his nature.This book is best for people who are really serious about furthering their development in God.This book is no use to you if you want to gloryfy yourself instead of God. If you want to learn to humble yourself before God and be open to his words and his actions and to empty yourself of every thing but him then you will find this book a treasure.
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Margie
4.0 out of 5 stars Am glad I am drawn to read it again
Reviewed in Canada on 7 November 2016
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This is a book I first tried to read back in the 1970's. Today, it makes more sense and I can relate to at least some of it!! Needs much thought, attention and reflection and openness of heart. Am glad I am drawn to read it again.
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M. J. Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars thy kingdom come, thy will be done
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 July 2010
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Written by an unknown author in the 14th Century this spiritual classic is very, very deep and beware not easy to understand not only because of the subject matter but because of the language and metaphor of the time. It might take a lifetime to understand it and not everyone is likely to want to go this deep. However, anyone who takes the first step and suspends all expectations and listens to these CDs will find that the subject matter will resonate in different ways. If you truly have faith ('pistis') then this work is for you. If dabbling then potentially dangerous as the author points out. Proceed with caution.

The narrator's voice is very soothing (a monk no less). Just remember that this classic is all about an all embracing love, a mystery that invites us to seek it. There is so much more I could say but that is only my impoverished opinion. Find out for yourself. Just know that it involves a spirit of deep contemplation and not book learning and once you embark into the depths there is no end to the plumbing that ensues and not always pleasant ... but persevere ...

There is not much more to say. Words are wasted and rather futile as they will colour your idea of the message. Taste and see. Hear and understand. Each time you LISTEN you will come away feeling you have grown slightly in your own understanding. The book is all about that cloud of unknowing ... how can anyone begin to unravel what it all means in words? A paradox.

Practice. Sit, listen and keep coming back to the word 'love'. That is it put simply. You may not need to get entangled in the words and thoughts of this book which might throw you off kilter. However, useful to read it if you want to understand something of what other authors are referring to when they speak of 'the cloud of unknowing'.

Also remember that a review is only one person's opinion and the opinion changes all the time so best not fix an idea in your mind and this is in a way is precisely what the anonymous author of the cloud is saying of his / her subject matter.
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Zorba
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Zen
Reviewed in Germany on 10 March 2015
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This is an amasing book which can bring that one vital aspect of health, the mind & soul, into balance. Beautifully written and a real tip!
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Arthurian Tapestry
5.0 out of 5 stars A book to be read across a lifetime
Reviewed in the United States on 26 February 2018
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This is the second time I've completed this book and I suspect there will be a third. This is not a book to rush through and given the shorter attention spans of our generations, I think the short but dense chapters are best read one at a time. I've carried the softcover Image paperback edition containing the William Johnston translation and now have the Kindle edition with an introduction by Huston Smith (who singlehandedly changed my former fundamentalist ways).

Johnston is an Irish Jesuit priest whose vocation has done much to bridge the wisdom traditions of East and West. If you are not of a sound ecumenical mind, you may want to skip his introduction which shows the parallels of this text with the rejection of concepts that can be found in certain Buddhist schools. Perhaps the first time, I read this book I found this aspect to be of the utmost interest along with the focused counsels of not overthinking or the casting of reason to enter naked contemplation, without focusing on any aspect of one's own being. Or as the anonymous author of the text states, "do not think what you are but that you are."

Now that I am older and somewhat fatigued by the onslaught of evangelical trumpeters that surround me and crowd my everyday existence, I found myself returning to those things that inspired me when I was younger and the world seemed to be full of promise. My renewed interest in all things Arthurian led me to pick up this 14th century text written by an Englishman, who does not want us reading his book out of mere curiosity or for the sake of knowledge. And yet, even as I may have fallen somewhat in these categories, I found renewed refreshment in this book just when I thought Christianity to have lost its relevance in this topsy-turvy world.

When I was younger, i read to put myself somewhere. With university behind me and quiet evenings of reflection and study at my small desk, I have found the acceptance of the turmoils that surround me to look beyond. Now, I strive to be nowhere because "nowhere, physically, is everywhere spiritually."

Like a Grail-seeking Galahad, I draw from this book as from a refreshing and nourishing chalice "with a gentle stirring of love" without expectations, realizing my limitations without having to endlessly define them and pressing forward into that supra-conceptual and "dark cloud of unknowing."

Note: there are other editions of this medieval classic, but the Johnston translation includes "The Book of Privy Counsel" which may be read across a lifetime.
38 people found this helpful
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Dr. Greg A. Grove
5.0 out of 5 stars Demystifying the Unknowing of God
Reviewed in the United States on 18 April 2017
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This book contains two streams of useful, highly spiritual thought. The first part grounds you in a dedicated and devotional practice that cuts away at all the emotional and (sometimes) spiritual baggage acquired via various spiritual practices in your background. The teaching is potent and direct but not without heart. Recommendations and things to do along the way mix within the descriptive 75 brief lessons, resulting (hopefully) in understanding God better while continuing to live in the Cloud of Unknowing. The second part is geared for counseling yourself and others. Application of concepts in part one are woven into new fabric of spiritual dimension, that is, a more extrovert application than experienced in the first part. Either way this classic is a must for any serious student of religion and/or spirituality, from the most orthodox to New Thought.
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David G. Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable edition of The Cloud
Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2020
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Johnston's edition of The Cloud of Unknowing provides a very readable edition of this 14th century anonymous classic. Most people who begin to read The Cloud get tripped up with the middle English words and oddities of the mystical language of the author. Johnston's edition is a great help in making this classic approachable and understandable. For the most recent contemporary translation/paraphrase of The Cloud of Unknowing published in 2020, see CLOUD DEVOTION: THROUGH THE YEAR WITH THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING by David Robinson (Paraclete Press, 2020), a 366 daily reading approach to this medieval spiritual classic. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1640604332?pf_rd_r=HZ3E5KNX7TB4GGAQBGPG&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee
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Bernard Stephenson
5.0 out of 5 stars Good readable translation, great work on contemplative prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 22 September 2013
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I had read The Cloud of Unknowing before, but in archaic English style that made it difficult to follow. It wasn't very accessible. Even though this translation has been in print for quite some time, it seems fresh. For me it made all the difference. With this translation spirituality oozes out of each chapter, so it is uplifting and a delight to read. I'm glad that unlike other books out there, it included The Book of Privy Counseling, which I found to be a concise summary of much of the material in the Cloud of Unknowing - pared down and to the point. I actually like it better than the more famous Cloud of Unknowing.

Anyone who practices contemplative prayer, or one of its many-named variants, will appreciate this classic text. Just goes to show that when you get to the heart of the matter, a fourteenth century work is as relevant today as it was back then.
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B. S. T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for anyone who interested in Spirituality
Reviewed in the United States on 8 October 2014
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Written in a very relaxed conversational style that is quite inviting and appropriate to the subject of contemplative prayer, I would highly recommend this edition. Contemplative prayer is the practice of entering into God's love. The author describes this love as the Cloud of Unknowing in which we loose ourselves in God's presence. Having stood the test of time (written in the 14th century) the Cloud of Unknowing feels quite contemporary, yet cuts through the superficial spirituality that is pervasive today to provide a robust connection with God and tradition.

While I come out of the Christian tradition, I would think that the Cloud of Unknowing would be helpful to people of other faith traditions who are seeking a spiritual awareness. It's concepts and language would be quite easily adapted. I think that most people who approach the book with an open mind will find that they are drawn closer to the divine.
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Em B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Spirituality
Reviewed in the United States on 5 November 2017
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If more Catholics read books like this, including priest and bishops, the Church would be better off. The only thing you can know for sure is that you don't know much about God. This author understood that centuries ago.
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Louis Drew
5.0 out of 5 stars Well what can I say? If you are interested ...
Reviewed in the United States on 6 January 2016
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Well what can I say? If you are interested in the contemplative way then this is the book to read -- if you dare -- given the introduction to the book suggesting that you not read it if you are only interested in the unknown of a spiritual tradition for the sake of intellectual curiosity and not practice.
8 people found this helpful
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Ed Barton
5.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Christian Contemplative Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 21 August 2013
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This timeless classic is a must read for anyone who is serious in their prayer practice. Written nearly 700 years ago, the author touches the mystic that transcends religion, time, creed or geography. The translation reads easily, and any modern reader will appreciate both the introduction as well as the modern English translation of the original. There are both practical and theoretical elements of contemplative prayer reviewed, and a focus on transcendence of love and perfect prayer.
12 people found this helpful
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Monica Giordano
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Spiritually Enhancing Book
Reviewed in the United States on 12 February 2016
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This is a must read for those who wish to spiritually enrich themselves. As a theology student, this was a universally inspiring book.
5 people found this helpful
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Carol Eugenia
5.0 out of 5 stars 700 years ago this amazing book was written
Reviewed in the United States on 25 June 2017
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700 years ago this amazing book was written. Starts slow and takes a Contemplative Soul straight to the Unknown - if that is possible - and you are satisfied with the not knowing. God does exist.
4 people found this helpful
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William K Wills
5.0 out of 5 stars "Seek and ye shall find"
Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2017
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Words can not express how profound this work is. Any one seeking a deeper relationship with your Creator will count the "Increase" by ten fold. I find it to truly be like "pealing an onion", layer upon layer, revelation upon revelation.
2 people found this helpful
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Vincent Van Gogh-san
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cornerstone of Contemplative Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 19 July 2017
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This one book was the impetus for my beginning a Centering Prayer practice 30 years ago. Although it does have a mystical bent to it. -- it is easily understood!
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From other countries
RckRllRfg
4.0 out of 5 stars so treat the book like a study rather than a read
Reviewed in the United States on 10 September 2015
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Though this is book for Christian meditation, its not for someone starting out in meditation. It was written originally for those who had already had some level of formation (primarily priests and religious) in the area of meditation. The initial commentary by William Johnston is a bit academic, so treat the book like a study rather than a read.
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Judy
5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging...
Reviewed in the United States on 23 April 2017
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The idea the original manuscript was written in the fourteenth century is crazy beautiful! Too wrap my brain... better yet heart around such simple truth. This book feels new and fresh in today's challenges.
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Tricia Erickson
5.0 out of 5 stars Contemplative Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 22 July 2017
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A book to read slowly and to savor!
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Robert Gerding
1.0 out of 5 stars For catholic only
Reviewed in the United States on 20 July 2019
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Only Roman Catholic prospective
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Jim L. Medlock
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cloud of Unkowing is not a book to be ...
Reviewed in the United States on 3 March 2015
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The Cloud of Unkowing is not a book to be merely read and therefore taken lightly. Reading or listening to this book demands time spent in reflection. The guidance it offers for the spiritual journey is timeless. Spiritual direction is guaranteed to the one whose heart hungers for God.
7 people found this helpful
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light
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT CONTENT
Reviewed in the United States on 20 April 2017
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excellent content and every christian should read it for their spiritual growth
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Paul Craska
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for reflections and guidance.
Reviewed in the United States on 27 September 2013
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Organization is great for reflecting on individual concepts without being overwhelmed. Over time the reflections come together and give rise to the truth that God is love and love of God can't be separated from love of neighbor. Do not try reading it straight through. Take one Chapter a day and take the time to reflect on how the idea presented can aid in being more open to God in daily life.
4 people found this helpful
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Ann from The Bronx
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I ever read on Christian Meditation
Reviewed in the United States on 22 August 2011
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If you are serious about learnimg about contemplative prayer, this is the book for you. It's like having your own private teacher -- so inspiring!! I had read it once before but this time it is even more wonderful. I have a feeling that I will read this over and over again. No wonder it has inspired many spiritual leaders throughout the years!!!
3 people found this helpful
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Robert Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars ... helped me see how my spiritual malady impacts my happiness, wellbeing
Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2015
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It helped me see how my spiritual malady impacts my happiness, wellbeing, and struggles with addiction - the translation makes it easy to apply - especially the notion of the Cloud of Forgetting...
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Martha E. Lujan
5.0 out of 5 stars I've read this book before - some 40 years ago ...
Reviewed in the United States on 28 March 2015
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I've read this book before - some 40 years ago - and this time around, it spoke to me in a more direct and gentle way.
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