Jean Gerson: Early Works (CLASSICS OF WESTERN SPIRITUALITY)

In this volume of the Classics of Western Spirituality™ are translations of the early writings of Jean Gerson (1363-1429), chancellor of the University of Paris from 1395, most widely known for his efforts to bring about church unity during the Western Schism which began in 1378.

These works, which were written between 1398 and 1408, a decade when Gerson established himself as an academic, humanist, and Christian teacher and reformer, include: The Mountain of Contemplation; Sermon on the Feast of Saint Bernard; Early Letters; Speculative Mystical Theology; Practical Mystical Theology; On Distinguishing True from False Revelations; The Art of Hearing Confessions; and Treatise against the 'Roman de la Rose'.

These writings, translations from either Old French or Latin, offer a fresh view of a man who tried to combine understanding and affectivity in a lifelong search for the presence of God. General readers with an interest in history, as well as historians, theologians, and medievalists, will appreciate this major contribution to medieval history and to the intellectual history of Europe in general.

Brian Patrick McGuire, who holds a D.Phil. from Oxford, is professor of medieval history at Roskilde University in Denmark. He is the author and editor of numerous books and articles dealing with various aspects of medieval history.