Integrating the wisdom of Christian tradition and recent psychological findings on effective decision-making, this book presents a view of Christian discernment that honors the body-spirit unity of the person and the broad and mysterious ways we can be led by the spirit of God in our life-choices. Going beyond discernment skills and concrete practices, this book presents a coherent theoretical understanding of discernment that grounds the many spiritual practices used by Christians today. By providing a broad and inclusive understanding of the multiple ways God can provide guidance to individuals, this book helps individuals to honor the unique and idiosyncratic way that they receive divine guidance, as well as provides guidelines that guard against possible self-deception and personal blind-spots. While including anecdotal accounts and practical elements or Christian discernment, this book provides a conceptual understanding of discernment that will be helpful for those training to be professional ministers, pastors, priests, religious counselors, and spiritual directors. It is unique in applying Christian tradition and contemporary psychological insights to the process of discernment.

THE MYSTICAL JOURNEY FROM JESUS TO CHRIST Discover the ancient Egyptian origins of Christianity before the Catholic Church and learn the mystical teachings given by Jesus to assist all humanity in becoming Christlike. Discover the secret meaning of the Gospels that were discovered in Egypt. Also discover how and why so many Christian churches came into being. Discover that the Bible still holds the keys to mystical realization even though its original writings were changed by the church. Discover how to practice the original teachings of Christianity which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The fourth volume in the universally-acclaimed The Presence of God series, "The Harvest of Mysticism" is a tour-de-force study of medieval German mysticism from Thomas Aquinas and his master, Albert the Great to Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, and including Jan van Ruusbroeck, Meister Eckhart, and John Tauler.

Wendy Farley (WJK author of Tragic Vision and Divine Compassion: A Contemporary Theodicy 1990]) has written a unique manuscript that considers human life from the perspectives of the wounding and healing of desire. Desire as that which longs for connection, home, beauty. We yearn for these things but in so doing attach ourselves to things unworthy of our longing. We are in bondage to those things that ultimately prevent humans from flourishing or fulfilling their desires. Contemplation, prayer, and love are ways one can be freed from bondage and find the fulfillment of our desires in God. We are then opened up to the world and drawn into struggles for justice and well being for all people. This is a passionate, moving account that draws strongly on Christian meditative and mystical spiritual traditions - sources that are not often tapped in traditional Christian theology.

This book investigates the problem of esoteric traditions in early Christianity, their origin and their transformation in Patristic hermeneutics, in the West as well as in the East. It argues that these traditions eventually formed the basis of nascent Christian mysticism in Late Antiquity. These esoteric traditions do not reflect the influence of Greek Mystery religions, as has often been claimed, but rather seem to stem from the Jewish background of Christianity. They were adopted by various Gnostic teachings, a fact which helps explaining their eventual disappearance from Patristic literature. The eleven chapters study each a different aspect of the problem, including the questions of Gnostic and Manichaean esotericism. This book will be of interest to all students of religious history in Late Antiquity. Revised and extended paperback edition. Originally published in 1996. Please click here for details.

A biographical introduction to the spiritual psychic and his most influential readings discusses how he regarded himself as a healer and Christian mystic, introducing his major contributions to today's popular spiritual practices that draw on both eastern and western traditions. Original. 15,000 fir

St. Francis de Sales' classic guide to the Christian life using allegories of plants and flowers, illustrated with contemporary woodcuts of the plants and flowers themselves.

Drawing from both her published writings and her private journals, this compilation presents a candid look at the extraordinary journey of Evelyn Underhill. For the many readers who have been moved by the writings of Evelyn Underhill, and for those who are merely intrigued by mysticism or captivated by a good memoir, this book presents a vivid and deeply personal rendering of a life that was, both intellectually and spiritually, radiant.

This book is the outgrowth of a seminar in mysticism recently conducted at Yale University. There is an element of mysticism in all religion, and the aim of the seminar was to study its various aspects in the religious experience and teachings of those in whom it was conspicuous. Contents: Mysticism of: Hebrew Prophets, Jesus, Augustine, Dante, Meister Eckhart, St. Theresa, George Fox, Wordsworth; Mysticism in India and in Islam; Mystical Experience of St. Paul.

This book is a psychological study of human nature. It includes, it is true, a philosophical chapter and also one in which are set forth the practical consequences to religion of some of its conclusions. The book is to be judged as primarily a psychological study of the aspects of human nature more conspicuous in mystical religion. Contents: mysticism and religion; mystical ecstasy as produced by physical means; yoga system of mental concentration and religious mysticism; Christian mysticism; methods of Christian mysticism; moral development of the great mystics; great mystics, hysteria and neurasthenia; ecstasy, religious and otherwise; main characteristics of trance consciousness; sense of invisible presence and divine guidance; religion, science and philosophy; disappearance of the belief in a personal Superhuman cause and the welfare of humanity.

This work discusses mystic Americanism in twenty lessons. It helps in unveiling the symbology of the designs of the seal and flag of the United States. The lessons are given in the form of question and answer.

Through a study of Biblical teachings, commentaries, and ecclesiastical histories, this book leads you through what Apocalyptic events are coming on the earth, when they are coming, why God is bringing such judgments, who will be most affected, and what escape has been provided by God. Learn about the beast and Satanic church of Revelations, image of the beast, mark of the beast, number of the beast; and antichrist.

Here is a critique of religion and a random composite of fanciful tales. (Christian Religion)

Hildegard of Bingen: An Integrated Vision shows that Hildegard's opus was filled with balance, unity, and a stress on the Gospel-a life and work that served as an inspiration and a challenge for the twelfth century and now for us at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Hildegard of Bingen: An Integrated Vision considers Hildegard as a whole person and places her within her own century and context. It accents what makes her such a compelling figure for the modern reader while retaining the integrity of her peerless voice. It also serves as an introduction to Hildegard and a resource for simplistic interpretations of a complex and gifted woman whose legacy is a multitude of works. The first chapter explains Hildegard's mystical polyphony by exploring the forces which shaped Hildegard's development throughout her life, stressing her historical context, personal history, and the setting in which she lived and wrote. Chapter two explores her mystical polyphony in the explicitly visionary theological works: the Scivias, the Liber vitae meritorum, and the De operatione Dei. The third chapter considers Hildegard's musical vision in depth. Chapter four explores her non-visionary works, including the "unknown language," the lingua ignota; her lives of the saints and founders; and her commentaries and theories about the natural world, linked to her cosmology. Chapter five looks at Hildegard's prophetic gifts and voice. It examines her relationships with others: in the communities in which she lived and governed, "in the world" by correspondence or encounter, in her encounters with authority, and in her claim to be an authority in her own right. King-Lenzmeier concludes with such questions as What makes Hildegard unique as a mystic, and what does she share with others? and How is Hildegard's mystical journey a paradigm for other mystical journeys? She draws forth the major elements that integrate Hildegard's life and work and indicates in what way she is an example for other mystics who share her polyphonic character and spiritual path. The final chapter demonstrates Hildegard's uniqueness among the mystics while presenting the universal appeal of her mysticism. By considering all of Hildegard's talents, works, and trials Hildegard of Bingen: An Integrated Vision shows the depth of the challenge she presents to us. She calls us to look beyond the everyday, but to value it at the same time; to challenge our preconceived notions of gender in the divine and human spheres; to see that in times of hardship we cannot give up; and to love life, even when it is hard to bear. She gives us her example and her tools: now it is our turn to figure out, singly and together, how to bring viriditas more fully into the world of today and tomorrow. Chapters are "Shaping Forces," "Mystical Polyphony in the Visionary Works," "Bringing the Strands Together-The Gift of Music," "Earth and Heaven in Dialogue," "From Mystical Vision to Prophetic Witness," and "Concluding Remarks." Includes illustrations.

This book examines the extraordinary flowering of the English spirituality in the fourteenth and early fifiteen centuries, and shows its continuing power to nourish contempory life and prayer.Though each the writers discussed in this book each has a unique voice they share a common experience of living in an age of fear, violence and disintegration, and their work has a strange resonance for us.

Exploring the religious impulse known as mysticism - the "silent cry" at the heart of all the world's religions. Mysticism, in the sense of a "longing for God," has been present in all times, cultures, and religions. But Soelle believes it has never been more important than in this age of materialism and fundamentalism. The antiauthoritarian mystical element in each religion leads to community of free spirits and resistance to the death-dealing aspects of our contemporary culture. Religion in the third millennium, Soelle argues, either will be mystical or it will be dead. Therefore, Soelle identifies strongly with the hunger of New Age searchers, but laments the religious fast food they devour. Today, a kind of "democratized mysticism" of those without much religious background flourishes. This mystical experience is not drawn so much of the tradition as out of contemporary experiences. In that sense, each of us is a mystic, and Soelle's work seeks to give theological depth, clarity, and direction. This, her magnum opus, conjoins Soelle's deep religious knowledge and wisdom with her passion for social justice into a work destined to be a classic of religious literature.

Explores the relationship between the mystical and the political dimensions of religious existence, beginning with the thirteenth-century Franciscon movement and ending with a feminist opproach to the norralives of African Americons who serve in the ministry. From the thirteenth-century Franciscan movement of African American mystics, this wide-ranging volume of essays considers exemplars of Christian mysticism (including Teresa of Avila, lgnatius of Loyola, the Quakers, and the Society of Friends) whose practices and influence brought about social change. Linking major conceptual issues and social theory, the essays examine the historical impact of mysticism in contemporary life and argue for a hermeneutical approach to mysticism in its historical context. The contributors look at how mystical empowerment can serve as a catalyst for expressing compassion in acts of justice and long-term social change. We learn how Sojourner Truth and Rebecca Cox Jackson, driven by mystical experiences to take up lives of preaching, faced the same misogynistic religious environments as did women mystics throughout history, which has submerged this key area of women's experience. The final two essays describe the development of socially engaged Buddhism in Asia and America and the mystical roots of deep ecology.

A treatment of thinking about the "mystical way" in spirituality. Drawing on academic research, Melvyn Matthews looks for a balanced view of the spiritual life which is open to everyone, not just a contemplative elite or those who have had particularly extraordinary experiences or visions of God. The study is based on the Bible, as well as on popular figures such as Thomas Merton and Teresa of Avila.

St. John of the Cross is one of the greatest mystics of the West. He lived in the 16th century in Spain, was monk, reformer, and best known for "Dark Night of the Soul" and his deep friendship with St. Teresa of Avila. St. John is considered one of the most important poets of the Spanish language.

Responding to our modern disillusionment with any claims to absolute truth regarding morality or reality, this book offers a conceptual approach for discussing absolutes without denying either the relevance of divergent religious and philosophical teachings or the evidence supporting postmodern and poststructuralist critiques. Case studies of mysticism within Advaita-Vedānta Hinduism, Mādhyamika Buddhism, and Nicene Christianity demonstrate the value of this approach and offer many fresh insights into the metaphysical presuppositions of these religions as well as into the nature and value of mystical experience. Like Douglas Hofstadter's Gōdel, Escher, Bach, this book finds ultimate reality to be rationally graspable only as an eternal fugue of pattern and paradox. Yet it does not so much counter other philosophical views as provide a conceptual tool for understanding and classifying incommensurable views.