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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious experience > Mysticism
The widespread view that 'mystical' activity in the Middle Ages was
a rarefied enterprise of a privileged spiritual elite has led to
isolation of the medieval 'mystics' into a separate, narrowly
defined category. Taking the opposite view, this book shows how
individual mystical experience, such as those recorded by Julian of
Norwich and Margery Kempe, is rooted in, nourished and framed by
the richly distinctive spiritual contexts of the period. Arranged
by sections corresponding to historical developments, it explores
the primary vernacular texts, their authors, and the contexts that
formed the expression and exploration of mystical experiences in
medieval England. This is an excellent, insightful introduction to
medieval English mystical texts, their authors, readers and
communities. Featuring a guide to further reading and a chronology,
the Companion offers an accessible overview for students of
literature, history and theology.
The widespread view that 'mystical' activity in the Middle Ages was
a rarefied enterprise of a privileged spiritual elite has led to
isolation of the medieval 'mystics' into a separate, narrowly
defined category. Taking the opposite view, this book shows how
individual mystical experience, such as those recorded by Julian of
Norwich and Margery Kempe, is rooted in, nourished and framed by
the richly distinctive spiritual contexts of the period. Arranged
by sections corresponding to historical developments, it explores
the primary vernacular texts, their authors, and the contexts that
formed the expression and exploration of mystical experiences in
medieval England. This is an excellent, insightful introduction to
medieval English mystical texts, their authors, readers and
communities. Featuring a guide to further reading and a chronology,
the Companion offers an accessible overview for students of
literature, history and theology.
Ibn 'Ajiba (1747-1809) was a Moroccan Sufi of the Darqawi school
who studied in Fez and lived all his life in and around Tetuan.
Although still relatively unknown in the English-speaking world,
his writings are important for an understanding of Maghribi Sufism.
In this bi-lingual edition, with a Preface by Claude Addas and a
Foreword by Hamza Yusuf, Jean-Louis Michon presents two short
metaphysical treatises by Ibn 'Ajiba which shed new light on the
history of Sufism and show its vitality as a living tradition in
eighteenth-century Morocco. The key idea underlying both treatises,
the Oneness of Existence, reveals the enduring influence of the Ibn
Arabi, more than five centuries after his death. Students of Islam
in North Africa, those interested in the Sufi tradition and
spiritual seekers will welcome the publication of these treatises
and the useful presentation of both Arabic text and English
translation on facing pages.
Rabi'a, a female Sufi saint, was born in 717 CE and released from
slavery to lead a life in pursuit of purity and perfect union with
God. Her teachings and the numerous miracles attributed to her have
made her an influential and revered figure in Sufi theology. This
authoritative 1928 biography of the saint was written by Margaret
Smith, who mastered numerous eastern languages, travelled
extensively, and published a number of translations of important
Arabic texts. Smith's linguistic skill and her immersion in the
culture she studied has produced a book still considered an
important account of Rabi'a's life. Smith also includes an incisive
discussion of the role of women in early Islamic mysticism and an
examination of Sufi doctrine, and examines the issues of celibacy
and sainthood in Islam. A biography of one exceptional woman
written by another.
This book tells the story of the mystical Jewish system known as Kabbalah, from its earliest origins until the present day. We trace Kabbalah's development, from the second century visionaries who visited the divine realms and brought back tales of their glories and splendours, through the unexpected arrival of a book in Spain that appeared to have lain unconcealed for over a thousand years, and on to the mystical city of Safed where souls could be read and the history of heaven was an open book.
Kabbalah's Christian counterpart, Cabala, emerged during the Renaissance, becoming allied to magic, alchemy and the occult sciences. A Kabbalistic heresy tore apart seventeenth century Jewish communities, while closer to our time Aleister Crowley hijacked it to proclaim 'Do What Thou Wilt'. Kabbalah became fashionable in the late 1960s in the wake of the hippy counter-culture and with the approach of the new age, and enjoyed its share of fame, scandal and disrepute as the twenty first century approached.
This concise, readable and thoughtful history of Kabbalah tells its story as it has never been told before. It demands no knowledge of Kabbalah, just an interest in asking the questions 'why?' and 'how?'
This compilation of the mystical writings of Hadewijch of Antwerp is best described, in Andrew Harvey's words, as a "heroic song" of love. The book presents an honest picture of love from every angle, stripped of sentimentality, not disguising the high price love demands if it is to be taken or given seriously.
In a world torn by division, indifference and chaos, to read Love is Everything is to be awakened to the full potential and dignity of being human, and to be changed. Hadewijch of Antwerp was one of Christianity's greatest Christian mystics, a Beguine who lived in the 13th century.
Andrew Harvey is a world-renowned poet, novelist, translator, mystical scholar, spiritual teacher, and the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism. He saw in Hadewijch's writings a promise and hope for a broken world and felt called to make it accessible to more people by presenting it in daily-reading format.
Can the seeker after Truth wholly depend on the guidance found in
books on Sufism or are the oral teachings of a spiritual master
necessary? This was a heated debate in fourteenth-century Andalusia
that extended beyond the confines of Sufi circles. Ibn Khaldun (d.
808/1406), the celebrated social theorist and historian, ventured
into this debate with a treatise that is as relevant today as it
was then. Ibn Khaldun on Sufism: Remedy for the Questioner in
Search of Answers is the first ever translation into English of
Shifa' al-Sa'il li-Tahdhib al-Masa'il.Though Ibn Khaldun is
renowned for the Muqaddima and the 'Ibar-which are considered
milestones in the fields of medieval sociology and the philosophy
of history-little is known about his religious and spiritual life.
In her introduction to Ibn Khaldun on Sufism, Dr Yumna Ozer seeks
to restore Ibn Khaldun and his work to the context from which his
theories arose, both in intellectual and religious terms; she also
draws a vivid painting of Sufism in the fourteenth century and
rethinks Ibn Khaldun's relationship with Sufism. The translation
itself addresses the dichotomies or synergies between religious law
and the Sufi path, the roles played by jurists, and that played by
Sufis, and the particular position of the Sufi shaykh or spiritual
master. Dr Yumna Ozer gained a PhD in Islamic Studies from Indiana
University and is an independent scholar specialising in Sufism.
Menahem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) was the seventh and
seemingly last Rebbe of the Habad-Lubavitch dynasty. Marked by
conflicting tendencies, Schneerson was a radical messianic
visionary who promoted a conservative political agenda, a reclusive
contemplative who built a hasidic sect into an international
movement, and a man dedicated to the exposition of mysteries who
nevertheless harbored many secrets. Schneerson astutely masked
views that might be deemed heterodox by the canons of orthodoxy
while engineering a fundamentalist ideology that could subvert
traditional gender hierarchy, the halakhic distinction between
permissible and forbidden, and the social-anthropological division
between Jew and Gentile.
While most literature on the Rebbe focuses on whether or not he
identified with the role of Messiah, Elliot R. Wolfson, a leading
scholar of Jewish mysticism and the phenomenology of religious
experience, concentrates instead on Schneerson's apocalyptic
sensibility and his promotion of a mystical consciousness that
undermines all discrimination. For Schneerson, the ploy of secrecy
is crucial to the dissemination of the messianic secret. To be
enlightened messianically is to be delivered from all conceptual
limitations, even the very notion of becoming emancipated from
limitation. The ultimate liberation, or true and complete
redemption, fuses the believer into an infinite essence beyond all
duality, even the duality of being emancipated and not
emancipated--an emancipation, in other words, that emancipates one
from the bind of emancipation.
At its deepest level, Schneerson's eschatological orientation
discerned that a spiritual master, if he be true, must dispose of
the mask of mastery. Situating Habad's thought within the evolution
of kabbalistic mysticism, the history of Western philosophy, and
Mahayana Buddhism, Wolfson articulates Schneerson's rich theology
and profound philosophy, concentrating on the nature of apophatic
embodiment, semiotic materiality, hypernomian transvaluation,
nondifferentiated alterity, and atemporal temporality.
Presenting lore that can spiritually enrich anyone's life, this
one-of-a-kind encyclopedia is devoted to the esoteric in
Judaism-the fabulous, the miraculous, and the mysterious. In this
second edition, Geoffrey W. Dennis has added over thirty new
entries and significantly expanded over one hundred other entries,
incorporating more knowledge and passages from primary sources.
Jewish esotericism is the oldest and most influential continuous
occult tradition in the West. This comprehensive treasury of Jewish
teachings, drawn from sources spanning Jewish scripture, Talmud,
the Midrash, the Kabbalah, and other esoteric branches of Judaism,
is exhaustively researched yet easy to use. It includes over one
thousand alphabetical entries, from Aaron to Zohar Chadesh, with
extensive cross-references to related topics. With a quick
reference glossary and illustrations throughout, this encyclopedia
puts thirty-five hundred years of wisdom in your hands.
New and enlarged edition. Transpersonal Psychology concerns the
study of those states, processes, and events in which people
experience a deeper sense of who they are, or a greater sense of
connectedness to nature, other people, or the spiritual dimension.
Michael Daniels PhD taught the subject to postgraduate level for
more than 30 years and this book brings together the fruits of his
research. It will be of special interest to students, teachers, and
practitioners, while its accessible style will appeal to all
seeking greater understanding of this fascinating and challenging
field. This revised and enlarged edition incorporates new material
from the author's later writings and presentations. It also
addresses important developments in transpersonal theory and
research that have occurred in recent years, bringing a fresh
perspective on contemporary issues and debates.
In Everything is Spiritual, the author Rob Bell explores how ideas
about creation, love and connection shaped him and how they shape
every one of us. Bell observes that more than anything, people want
to understand their purpose here on earth. And when you embrace who
and where you come from, including your wounds, your pains and your
regrets, you will discover that lurking there in the mess of life
is an invitation to expand - just as the universe has been
expanding for 13 billion years. Written in a lyrical, almost stream
of consciousness style this wide-ranging book shares stories from
Bell's life to illuminate lessons about the world around you to
help you find purpose, meaning and connection. 'Rob Bell might have
left the church, but he will always be my minister - in the purest
and most uncorrupted sense of that word. Nobody else can take
ancient teachings and modern science, and blend them together into
wisdom that makes sense to me, and heals me. Rob's unorthodox and
bold thinking stirs my intellect, comforts my heart and makes me
believe that - within all the frightening chaos of the unknowable
universe - I still have a sacred place. His work is a sacred gift
to a troubled world.' - Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times
bestselling author of Big Magic
"The Fragrant Scent: On the Knowledge of Motivating Thoughts and
Other Such Gems" is the first English translation of "al-Arf
al-atir fi ma`rifat al-khawatir wa-ghayriha min al-jawahir" by the
great eighteenth-century scholar and Sufi master Abd al-Rahman
al-Aydarus. "The Fragrant Scent" is a meditation on the fleeting
thoughts that pass through the mind of the spiritual wayfarer, and
the author offers teachings on how to manage one's thoughts and
turn them to spiritual gain. This concise, yet wide-ranging
treatise covers topics such as the different types of passing
thoughts and their causes, knowledge of the soul and finding the
perfect spiritual guide, as well as the necessity of retreat and
practicing one's knowledge.---Shaykh al-Aydarus was a spiritual
master within the Ba Alawi tariqa, a famous Sufi order from
Hadhramaut in southern Yemen known for its piety and careful
observance of the Sharia. "The Fragrant Scent" reflects the Ba
Alawi order's emphasis on maintaining a balance between the inner
and outer worlds, but it is also an accessible entry point to
understanding the profound spiritual insights and everyday practice
of Sufism.
From the bestselling author of The Secret History of the World, an
exploration of the mystical forces that shape and protect us The
Sacred History is an account of the workings of the supernatural in
history. It tells the epic story of angels, from Creation, to
Evolution through to the operations of the supernatural in the
modern world. This tale of how people and peoples have been helped
by angels and other angelic beings is woven into a spellbinding
narrative that brings together Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Elijah, Mary
and Jesus, Mohammed, Joan of Arc, the angels who helped Hungarian
Jews persecuted by the Nazis, and stories from African, Native
American and Celtic traditions. Told from the spiritual point of
view, The Sacred History relates every betrayal, every change of
heart, every twist and turn, everything that looks like a
coincidence, every portent, every clue, every defeat, every rescue
moments before the prison door clangs shut. This is the angelic
version of events.
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