Teachings of the Christian Mystics - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1570623430 ISBN 13: 9781570623431

Publisher: Shambhala, 1997

Synopsis

The Christian mystics are the treasure of Western civilization—yet they remain little known among those of us who are potentially their spiritual heirs. Andrew Harvey's anthology confronts us with the mystics in their own words, to show us how well they serve, even now, as guides for the spiritual life—and to challenge our preconceived ideas about the path of Christianity. He has chosen selections that represent all eras of the Christian tradition, as well as the amazing range of people who have embodied it, people like Francis of Assisi, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, Bede Griffiths, and many others.

About this title

About the Author

Andrew Harvey is the author of Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ and more than thirty other books. He has also published several other collections of Rumi, including The Way of Passion.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

IF YOU WILL NOT KNOW YOURSELVES

If your leaders say to you, "Look, the kingdom is in the sky," then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, "it is in the sea," then the fish will precede you.

Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.

When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father.

But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty, and it is you who are that poverty. - Logion 3, Gospel of Thomas

GOD'S WORD IS IN ALL CREATION

No creature has meaning without the Word of God. God's Word is in all creation, visible and invisible. The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. This Word flashes out in every creature. This is how the spirit is in the flesh-the Word is indivisible from God. - Hildegard of Bingen

THE DIVINE BIRTH

God gives birth to the Son as you, as me, as each one of us. As many beings -- as many gods in God. In my soul, God not only gives birth to me as his son, he gives birth to me as himself, and himself as me. I find in this divine birth that God and I are the same: I am what I was and what I shall always remain, now and forever. I am transported above the highest angels; I neither decrease nor increase, for in this birth I have become the motionless cause of all that moves. I have won back what has always been mine. Here, in my own soul, the greatest of all miracles has taken place -- God has returned to God! - Meister Eckhart

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1570623430
• ISBN 13: 9781570623431
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Andrew Harvey