This book presents the first-ever English translation of the Prison Narratives written by the seventeenth-century French mystic and Quietist, Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717). Although she was marginalized and ignored by French historians for two centuries after her death, Guyon became a major figure in the development of transatlantic Protestant spirituality in the eighteenth century, and her writings have remained popular among English-speaking audiences.
Guyon's narrative describes her confinement between 1695 and 1703 in various prisons, including the dreaded Bastille. It also maps, in moving and unforgettable detail, the political and religious hegemony that sought to destroy her reputation and erase her from history. Although she published an autobiography in 1720, Guyon kept the part that described her experience in prison private and the text remained undiscovered for almost three centuries - until an archival version was found and published in 1992 under the title Recits de Captivite (Prison Narratives).
Mourad and Guenin-Lelle provide here not only a translation of the full Narratives but a thorough introduction, including a brief biography of Guyon, an analysis of the Quietist Affair (the religious and political conflict responsible for her persecution), and a summary of the key historical, literary, and theological aspects of Guyon's prison writings. The introduction represents the most detailed examination of the Prison Narratives presently available in either English or French.
"

Separate Fact from Fiction
For centuries, men, women, and children have been fascinated by stories of angel sightings. Yet many contemporary beliefs are based on misconception and myth rather than solid, biblical truth. Responding to our widespread, modern cultural interest in the agents of heaven and their role in our world, popular Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah provides an in-depth, biblical look at the hot topic of angels. His broad and thorough survey of scriptural teaching is illustrated by powerful quotes from prominent teachers Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and others.
Separate Fact from Fiction
Popular Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah explores the Bible's rich teaching on angels, revealing a fascinating doorway into reliable, eye-opening truth.
Discover the reality of how angels can draw you closer than ever to God as you sharpen your sensitivity toward spiritual realities.
[Endorsements]
"Outstanding! As one would expect from David Jeremiah, this book reflects a theologian's concern, a pastor's heart, and a Biblicist's accuracy."
--Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, "New York Times "bestselling author
"David has that uncanny ability to be deliberate without being dull. His words will deepen your gratitude for God's messengers in light of God's Word."
--Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author
"Dr. David Jeremiah shifts the focus from contemporary 'angel hype' to the fascinating biblical truth about God's powerful messengers."
--Dr. John C. Maxwell, founder of INJOY, Inc.
Story Behind the Book
Endorsements
"Simply put, this is an outstanding book! As one would expect from David Jeremiah, this book reflects a theologian's concern, a pastor's heart, and a biblicist's accuracy." --Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, "New York Times" bestselling author
"David has that uncanny ability to be deliberate without being dull. His words will deepen your gratitude for God's messengers in light of God's Word."
--Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author
"Dr. David Jeremiah shifts the focus from contemporary 'angel hype' to the fascinating biblical truth about God's powerful messengers."
--Dr. John C. Maxwell, founder of INJOY, Inc.

This book is an in-depth, comparative study of two of the most popular and influential intellectual and spiritual traditions of West Africa: Tijani Sufism and Ifa. Employing a unique methodological approach that thinks with and from-rather than merely about-these traditions, Oludamini Ogunnaike argues that they contain sophisticated epistemologies that provide practitioners with a comprehensive worldview and a way of crafting a meaningful life. Using theories belonging to the traditions themselves as well as contemporary oral and textual sources, Ogunnaike examines how both Sufism and Ifa answer the questions of what knowledge is, how it is acquired, and how it is verified. Or, more simply: What do you know? How did you come to know it? How do you know that you know? After analyzing Ifa and Sufism separately and on their own terms, the book compares them to each other and to certain features of academic theories of knowledge. By analyzing Sufism from the perspective of Ifa, Ifa from the perspective of Sufism, and the contemporary academy from the perspective of both, this book invites scholars to inhabit these seemingly "foreign" intellectual traditions as valid and viable perspectives on knowledge, metaphysics, psychology, and ritual practice. Unprecedented and innovative, Deep Knowledge makes a significant contribution to cross-cultural philosophy, African philosophy, religious studies, and Islamic studies. Its singular approach advances our understanding of the philosophical bases underlying these two African traditions and lays the groundwork for future study.

Through the teachings of Jesus, and Christian mystics such as St Augustine and Meister Eckhart, Stefan Gillow Reynolds demonstrates that the practice of Mindfulness leading to silent meditation, recommended by many therapists, is not a modern fad but has always had a place within contemplative Christianity.

Mechthild of Magdeburg and Her Book Gender and the Making of Textual Authority Sara S. Poor Winner of the 2006 First Book Prize of the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship Winner of the 2008 John Nicholas Brown Prize from the Medieval Academy of America "Authoritative, convincing, well argued."--"Choice" "Everyone who is genuinely interested in problems of women's writing, vernacularity, and the construction of textual authority will have much to learn from this book."--Barbara Newman, Northwestern University "Poor has not only contributed to our knowledge of Mechthild and the textual history of her work but provided an ambitious model for how to engage with a medieval text, its author, its reception by disparate readers, and its perception by modern scholars."--"The Medieval Review" Poor's astute examination of Mechthild's authorship and the historical transmission of her text contributes significantly not only to the fields of feminist medieval scholarship but also demonstrates how a medieval text can more broadly engage in the construction of religious, philosophical, and literary traditions across time."--"Medieval Feminist Forum" "This remarkable book, a kind of textual biography, is the product of meticulous research and is an astute reflection on the paradoxes of textual authority in mystical texts."--"Journal of Religion" Sometime around 1230, a young woman left her family and traveled to the German city of Magdeburg to devote herself to worship and religious contemplation. Rather than living in a community of holy women, she chose isolation, claiming that this life would bring her closer to God. Even in her lifetime, Mechthild of Magdeburg gained some renown for her extraordinary book of mystical revelations, "The Flowing Light of the Godhead," the first such work in the German vernacular. Yet her writings dropped into obscurity after her death, many assume because of her gender. In "Mechthild of Magdeburg and Her Book," Sara S. Poor seeks to explain this fate by considering Mechthild's own view of female authorship, the significance of her choice to write in the vernacular, and the continued, if submerged, presence of her writings in a variety of contexts from the thirteenth through the nineteenth century. Rather than explaining Mechthild's absence from literary canons, Poor's close examination of medieval and early modern religious literature and of contemporary scholarly writing reveals her subject's shifting importance in a number of differently defined traditions, high and low, Latin and vernacular, male- and female-centered. While gender is often a significant factor in this history, Poor demonstrates that it is rarely the only one. Her book thus corrects late twentieth-century arguments about women writers and canon reform that often rest on inadequate notions of exclusion. "Mechthild of Magdeburg and Her Book" offers new insights into medieval vernacular mysticism, late medieval women's roles in the production of culture, and the construction of modern literary traditions. Sara S. Poor teaches German at Princeton University and is coeditor of "Women and Medieval Epic." The Middle Ages Series 2004 352 pages 6 x 9 ISBN 978-0-8122-3802-0 Cloth $69.95s 45.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-0328-8 Ebook $69.95s 45.50 World Rights Literature, Women's/Gender Studies

'Alas that I ever did sin! It is so merry in Heaven!' The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1436-8) is the extraordinary account of a medieval wife, mother, and mystic. Known as the earliest autobiography written in the English language, Kempe's Book describes the dramatic transformation of its heroine from failed businesswoman and lustful young wife to devout and chaste pilgrim. She vividly describes her prayers and visions, as well as the temptations in daily life to which she succumbed before dedicating herself to her spiritual calling. She travelled to the most holy sites of the medieval world, including Rome and Jerusalem. In her life and her boisterous devotion, Kempe antagonized many of those around her; yet she also garnered friends and supporters who helped to record her experiences. Her Book opens a window on to the medieval world, and provides a fascinating portrait of one woman's life, aspirations, and prayers. This new translation preserves the forceful narrative voice of Kempe's Book and includes a wide-ranging introduction and useful notes. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

This is the fourth in an influential series of volumes on mysticism edited by Steven T. Katz, presenting a basic revaluation of the nature of mysticism. Each presents a collection of solicited papers by noted experts in the study of religion. This new volume explores how the great mystics and mystical traditions use, interpret, and reconstruct the sacred scriptures of their traditions.

The diversity of prophetic voices in the Bible provides a message that is rich and variegated. But the variety of the testimony can be lost by limiting one's interpretations or application of the prophetic word. Interpreting the Prophetic Word helps readers understand the harmony of the voices that reveal God's purposes in redemptive history. Dr. Willem VanGemeren explains clearly and fully the background of the prophetic tradition. He then interprets the message of the major and minor prophets, using historical context and literary form and structure as tools in his analysis. He concludes with an explanation of the relevance of the prophetic word today. Dr. VanGemeren's extensive research and scholarship is presented in a readable way to unlock the door of prophecy for readers. He helps them to interpret prophecy and invites them to listen to the prophets and to lives the prophetic word.

Part oracle, part meditation book, and part Aladdin's cave of Middle Eastern myth and sacred story, Desert Wisdom offers a fresh way to hear the ancient visionary voices of the Middle East that generated three (or more) of the world's great religions.
Renowned Sufi scholar and teacher Neil Douglas-Klotz, author of The Sufi Book of Life and Prayers of the Cosmos, has revisioned his acclaimed 1995 classic for the 21st century. Praised by scientists, poets and mystics alike for its ecological approach to "hearing" the native wisdom of the Middle East on its own terms, Desert Wisdom takes us on a journey from ancient Egypt throughout the Middle East to Sufi poets like Rumi and Hafiz. In between, we spend time hearing Genesis the way a storyteller might have told it and sit at the feet of the Aramaic-speaking prophet, Yeshua of Nazareth. Through it all, Desert Wisdom presents us with ancient wisdom about life's biggest questions like:

"Why am I here? Who am I? And how do I love?"

"Eternal greatness! You made yourself low and small to make mankind great." While in an ecstatic trance, St. Catherine of Siena dictated The Dialogue. In this intense and searching work, she offers up petitions to God, filling her conversation with instruction on discernment, true and false spiritual emotion, obedience and truth, and revealing her famous image of Christ as the Bridge. Catherine's brilliant insights into the nature of the spiritual life have motivated Christians for centuries to unite a life of prayer with a life of action. "This have I told you, my sweetest daughter, that you might know the perfection of this union-producing state, when the eye of the intellect is ravished by the fire of my charity, in which it receives supernatural light. With this light the souls in the state of union love me, because love follows the intellect, and the more it knows the more it can love." (from the book)

Is there more to the world than meets our eyes – another realm that’s transforming our world at this very moment? Is there an ancient vision that unlocks what is really happening to our world and what is yet to come? A dangerous force from ancient times that is now operating in the world and determining the course of world events? Did a three-thousand-year old mystery actually foretell the invasion of Israel by Hamas down to the year – and even the exact date? Is there a secret to the Book of Revelation that actually reveals what is taking place right now? After eight New York Times bestsellers, Jonathan Cahn NOW releases his newest stunning blockbuster….

For the first time ever, Jonathan Cahn will open up End-Time Prophecy to reveal the mysteries behind the End of the Age and what is now happening before our eyes - even the hidden keys to victory in the light of what’s coming – and how to overcome your Dragon!

THE DRAGON’S PROPHECY will reveal…

• The long-hidden secret of the Last Days
• The Dark Resurrection
• The Colors of the Apocalypse
• The Return of the Sea People
• The Day of the Dragon
• The Black Sabbath
• The Inverted Angel
• The Revenge of the Three Thousand
• The 2,315th Day
• The Secret on the Mount
• The Invaders
• The Beast and much, much, more!

What does the future hold? What do you need to know and do? And what about the Dragon?

THE DRAGON’S PROPHECY will change the way you see the world. It will open your eyes and blow your mind!

THE DRAGON’S PROPHECY - the book you can’t afford NOT to read!

"The Way Of The Practical Mystic" is an astonishing rediscovery: a full-scale spiritual course in twenty-six lessons by one of the great figures in New Thought from the last century. Timeless in application, as relevant today as ever; it is the most complete guide to the art of living itself. Henry Thomas Hamblin was the populariser of 'applied right thought'. He teaches that we control our lives by our own thoughts, and we have responsibility to use that remarkable power for the good of all. Each of us can develop subtler, intuitive abilities and become more sensitive to the profound richness of life. The way to bring about the lasting creation of good is completely in accord with both the Christian way and the principles of New Age thought. The use of affirmations in realising abundance and harmony is described here with clarity. There is a new look at prayer, in the book, and Hamblin describes a threefold path towards successful self-realization. "The Way Of The Practical Mystic" is suitable for the religiously-minded of all persuasions, and is particularly helpful for those who wish to look in and beyond the Christian tradition. The words of Saint Matthew, 'Therefore if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light', sum up the philosophy.

An important addition to the Classics of Western Spirituality (TM) series is this volume of the writings of Nil Sorsky (+1508), an influential spiritual writer whose major contribution to Eastern Christianity was his bringing to ancient Russia the spirituality of the early Fathers and Mothers of the Desert. This is called the hesychasm spirituality of the heart, which finds the perfection of the human person in union with God through continuous prayer. This first-time translation from Russian into English of Nil's complete writings includes: The Tradition, The Rule, his letters (only four of which have actually been attributed to him) and his last will and testament. The Tradition is his earliest attempt to give his disciples a written but very simplified rule of skete monasticism, which he practiced on Mt. Athos. The Rule is an extended ascetical treatise on what Nil calls "mental activity" or, in today's terms, perpetual or continuous prayer. An informative introduction examines the significance of Nil's spirituality and places it within the historical setting of 15th century Russia.

An introduction to the life and work of Hildegard.

- Reveals the life and teachings of one of the greatest female artists and intellectuals of the Western Mystical Tradition.

- Contains 24 full-color illustrations by Hildegard of Bingen.

- Includes commentary by Matthew Fox, author of "Original Blessing" (250,000 sold).

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was an extraordinary woman living in the Rhineland valley during most of the twelfth century. Besides being the abbess of a large and influential Benedictine abbey, she was a prominent preacher, healer, scientist, and artist. She also was a composer and theologian, writing nine books on theology, medicine, science, and physiology, as well as 70 poems and an opera. At the age of 42, she began to have visions; these were captured as 36 illuminations--24 of which are recorded in this book along with her commentaries on them. She also wrote a text describing these visions entitled "Scivias" (Know the Ways), now published as "Hildegard of Bingen's Mystical Visions,"

Author Matthew Fox has stated, "If Hildegard had been a man, she would be well known as one of the greatest artists and intellectuals the world has ever seen." It is a credit to the power of the women's movement and our times that this towering genius of Western thought is being rediscovered in her full grandeur and autonomy.

Virtually unknown for more than 800 years in Western history, Hildegard was featured as one of the women in Judy Chicago's "Dinner Party" in the early 1980s and published for the first time in English by Bear & Company in 1982. In addition to her mystical teachings, Hildegard's music has been performed and recorded for a new and growingaudience.

The first woman known to have written in English, the fourteenth-century mystic Julian of Norwich has inspired generations of Christians with her reflections on the "motherhood" of Jesus, and her assurance that, despite evil, "all shall be well." In this book, Denise Baker reconsiders Julian not only as an eloquent and profound visionary but also as an evolving, sophisticated theologian of great originality. Focusing on Julian's "Book of Showings," in which the author records a series of revelations she received during a critical illness in May 1373, Baker provides the first historical assessment of Julian's significance as a writer and thinker.

Inscribing her visionary experience in the short version of her "Showings," Julian contemplated the revelations for two decades before she achieved the understanding that enabled her to complete the long text. Baker first traces the genesis of Julian's visionary experience to the practice of affective piety, such as meditations on the life of Christ and, in the arts, a depiction of a suffering rather than triumphant Christ on the cross. Julian's innovations become apparent in the long text. By combining late medieval theology of salvation with the mystics' teachings on the nature of humankind, she arrives at compassionate, optimistic, and liberating conclusions regarding the presence of evil in the world, God's attitude toward sinners, and the possibility of universal salvation. She concludes her theodicy by comparing the connections between the Trinity and humankind to familial relationships, emphasizing Jesus' role as mother. Julian's strategy of revisions and her artistry come under scrutiny in the final chapter of this book, as Baker demonstrates how this writer brings her readers to reenact her own struggle in understanding the revelations.

Originally published in 1997.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Mysticism of Ordinary Life: Theology, Philosophy, and Feminism presents a new vision of Christian mystical theology. It offers critical interpretations of Catholic theologians, postmodern philosophers, and intersectional feminists who draw on mystical traditions to affirm ordinary life. It raises questions about normativity, gender, and race, while arguing that the everyday experience of the grace of divine union can be an empowering source of social transformation. It develops Christian teachings about the Word made flesh, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the Christian spiritual life, while exploring the mystical significance of philosophical discourses about immanence, alterity, in-betweenness, nothingness, and embodiment. The discussion of Latino/a and Black sources in North America expands the Western mystical canon and opens new horizons for interdisciplinary dialogue. The volume challenges contemporary culture to recognize and draw inspiration from quotidian manifestations of the unknown God of incarnate love. It includes detailed studies of Grace Jantzen, Amy Hollywood, Catherine Keller, Karl Rahner, Adrienne von Speyr, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Michel Henry, Michel de Certeau, Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, Gloria Anzaldua, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Alice Walker, M. Shawn Copeland, and more.

Tap Into the Wisdom of the Mystics

"For too long the moral has been a substitute for the mystical. This fine study places the mystics back at the center of Christianity. These spiritual elders tell us that all true religion must be grounded in experiential knowledge of God, 'a lump in the throat, ' and not just ideas about God."
--Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

"In this day and age when our feet and our hearts seem to go in so many different directions--how good it is to find in this book an offering of earthy men and women whose feet and hearts were drawn like a magnet to the Divine. The Way of the Mystics will be a very good companion for anyone who is searching for intimacy with God. I joyfully recommend it."
--Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., monastic, author, spiritual guide

"John Michael Talbot is a faithful worshiper of our Savior, whose music and meditations not only refresh many, but whose witness reminds us of the breadth of the scope of vital, living witness throughout the whole Body of Christ, and how much we who love Jesus Christ have to give to each other of our mutual growth and benefit."
--Jack W. Hayford, chancellor, The King's College and Seminary, Los Angeles, California

St Symeon was the most important teacher of mystical experience of God in the Orthodox Church. This book seeks to place the teaching of the discourses in their proper context, both among Symeon's other writings and with regard to his sources in the Tradition. Included is a sketch of Symeon's life and times, together with an extensive discussion of this thought, particularly against its background in the ascetical, mystical and theological literature of the Christian East prior to the 10th century.

This earliest-known British autobiography is a remarkable and touching record of the author’s difficult pilgrimage from madness to Christian faith.

This distinctive comparison of Islamic and Christian mysticism focuses on the mystic journey in the two faith traditions - the journey which every believer must make and which leads to the Divine. The author clears away misconceptions and highlights similarities and differences in the thought and lives of six key mystics: Al-Kalabadhi, Al-Daylami, Al-Qushayri, Julian of Norwich, Thomas A. Kempis and Teresa of Avila. He considers the ways of Perfection on the Mystic Path and asks in what ways these authors have embarked on the mystic journey. He looks at the themes they have in common, as well as their differences, and asks how they envisage the concept of 'union' with the Deity. Readers will gain a broad understanding of the interdisciplinary and intertextual nature of the subject, as well its the diverse intellectual and historical contexts. Key Features Highly interdisciplinary: embraces both Eastern and Western mystical traditions Surveys themes as diverse as secular chivalry and union with the Divine Examines the role of al-Khidr/ al-Khadir/ Elijah/ Elias/ St George in both the Islamic and Christian mystical traditions Considers the negative and positive articulations of each tradition Assesses and compares three major Islamic and three major Christian mystics A companion volume to Islam, Christianity and Tradition: A Comparative Exploration by Ian R. Netton (978 0 7486 2392 1)

This collection includes The Cloud of Unknowing, The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, The Book of Privy Counselling, and An Epistle on Prayer.

St. John of the Cross has been called "the most sublime of all Spanish mystics," and his spiritual masterwork, Dark Night of the Soul, stands as one of the greatest contributions to the literature of mysticism.

'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well' Julian of Norwich is one of the most celebrated figures of the English Middle Ages. She is esteemed as one of the subtlest writers and profoundest thinkers of the period for her account of the revelations that she experienced in 1373. Julian lived as an anchoress in Norwich, and after recovering from a serious illness she described the visions that had come to her during her suffering. She conceived of a loving and compassionate God, merciful and forgiving, and believed in our ability to reach self-knowledge through sin. She wrote of God as our mother, and embraced strikingly independent theological opinions. This new translation conveys the poise and serenity of Julian's prose style to the modern reader. It includes both the short and long texts, written twenty years apart, through which Julian developed her ideas. In his introduction Barry Windeatt considers Julian's astonishingly positive vision of humanity and its potential for spiritual transformation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.