Explore medieval Christian spirituality and how mystics, saints, and reformers shaped devotion.
This edition surveys the Middle Ages to show how devotion, meditation, and mysticism developed within the Church. It highlights a spectrum of figures and movements, from monastic life to lay spirituality, and explains how thinkers and religious communities sought a deeper union with God. You’ll see how teachers and mystics debated methods, the role of visions and discernment, and the enduring influence of Francis, Bernard, and Gerson on later practice.
- Learn how medieval mysticism balanced personal experience with official theology.
- Meet influential figures and movements that guided prayer, contemplation, and reform.
- Discover topics like contemplation, devotion to Mary, the Passion, and the life of prayer.
- See how the era’s spiritual writers framed piety for both clergy and laypeople.
Ideal for readers of church history and spiritual life, the book offers a clear map of medieval piety and its lasting echoes in later centuries.